Increases in graduation rates, alumni giving, and the quality of students helped UT gain ground among all public universities in the 2017 U.S. News and World Report undergraduate rankings.
UT climbed one spot over last year to 46th among all public universities and held at 103rd among all public and private universities on the list in the rankings released today.
The ever-increasing quality and performance of UT students continues to boost UT’s national reputation. UT’s graduation rate rose from 69 percent in last year’s rankings to 70 percent. Fifty-four percent of incoming freshmen are now in the top 10 percent of their high school class, and new student ACT/SAT percentile scores continue to rise.
Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said he’s pleased that progress in key metrics helped the university make gains in the highly competitive field of universities. UT’s overall score improved by five points; many of UT’s peer institutions also improved their scores but fell in the rankings list.
“We are becoming a better university every day, which is reflected in the broad range of metrics that we use to measure our progress,” he said. “I am proud of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends for what we’ve been able to accomplish together. Our success has made a tremendous difference for our students and improved our impact on our state.”
UT’s highly ranked undergraduate programs also had positive growth.
The College of Engineering is now ranked 32nd among all public universities, climbing four spots over last year. The college is 57th among all public and private schools.
Engineering Dean Wayne Davis said the new ranking places the college well within the upper 15 percent of the more than 250 public engineering colleges with undergraduate programs.
“We are encouraged to see our ranking improve this much at the undergraduate level,” Davis said. “We continue to grow significantly at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and the quality of our students and graduates is outstanding.”
UT’s Haslam College of Business is now ranked 30th among all public universities and 48th in the nation, climbing two spots among all public and private business colleges in the nation. The college’s undergraduate supply chain management program is now ranked second among all public universities and third in the nation. The world-class program was ranked fifth nationally last year.
“The successes of our top-notch supply chain program and the gains achieved by the Haslam College of Business broadly are a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our faculty, staff, and students,” said Steve Mangum, dean and Stokely Foundation Leadership Chair. “We will continue to strive for high standards in business education and outcomes that improve the world.”
UT tied with two public universities, the University of Oregon and the University of Alabama, and one private university, the Illinois Institute of Technology.
UT was recognized for its strong support for veterans and their families. UT is 31st among all public universities and 66th among all public and private colleges and universities. That’s an increase of 18 spots since last year.
U.S. News rankings released today focus on undergraduate metrics, and are based on data from 2015. UT’s Vol Vision 2020 strategic goals focus on a wider set of measurements that also include graduate education, research and engagement, faculty and staff, diversity and inclusion, and infrastructure and resource management.
For more information on the journey, visit top25.utk.edu.
View the full list of U.S. News and World Report’s latest rankings.
CONTACT:
Amy Blakely (865-974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu)