Law schools in Utah continued to battle their competition in the past year, while other programs at the state's top schools also placed high on one of the nation's most popular rankings lists.
In its 25th anniversary year, U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges has expanded into a multimedia resource and has managed to pit 1,400 accredited public, private, international and local colleges and universities against each other. Also included is the publication's 2010 Graduate School rankings.
Among them, Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School climbed five spots up from last year's rankings, to No. 41, still among the top 50 schools.
"We are pleased to be recognized among the top quarter of law schools in the country," said James D. Gordon, interim dean of BYU's law school. "Our students continue to be among the most qualified in the nation, and we are pleased that their passage rates on bar examinations are high."
The S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah also landed in the top 50, moving up six spots to No. 45. It has been ranked in the top tier of law schools every year since the rankings began.
"The rankings reflect the school's achievements along most every index that the methodology weighs, including selectivity in admissions, improvement in reputation, a lower student-faculty ratio, success in career placement and an increase in resources per student," said U. Dean Hiram Chodosh.
Other U. programs making advances in this year's rankings include the English program, moving up nine spots to No. 63, psychology, which climbed 41 notches to No. 66, and the College of Education improved two places, coming in 71st overall this year.
"We are thrilled that our research productivity and graduate training success are being recognized," said U. psychology chairwoman Cynthia Berg.
BYU's Marriott School of Business tied with its highest-ever ranking in the system, landing at 29th overall, same as last year. Dean Gary Cornia said that is a result of the quality of students there, adding that "the best measure of success is the influence for good our graduates have on their organizations and on society."
High marks were given to BYU's accounting program, even though it slipped from a 2008 fourth-place ranking to No. 8 this year. Other programs at BYU that made the list include chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering, speech language pathology, nursing and social work, which all ranked in the top 100.
Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT and Stanford topped off the list of national universities. BYU was lauded as the nation's 113th best school, with the U. slightly lower in the top 200, at No. 137.
Westminster College and Weber State University received high rankings among master's degree-offering schools in the West, landing at No. 19 and No. 53, respectively.
New to the publication this year are two categories, one of them ranking the "Up-and-Coming" schools while the other touts high school counselor picks. The two new slots are available only in the magazine's print edition, due out on Sept. 1, while the traditional five categories ranking the best national universities, best liberal arts colleges, best historically black colleges, "Best College for Your Buck," and "A+ Schools for B Students" are currently available online at usnews.com/college.
Among the roughly 100,000 searchable pages are various academic calendars, a video gallery complete with profiles of eight students documenting their college admissions experience, school forums and expert columns revealing tips for getting into a school of choice.
"With so many students and families relying on the college rankings for their higher education research, we're always working to find new ways to demystify the college search," said U.S. News Editor Brian Kelly.
Schools are ranked based on a set of 15 indicators of excellence including peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving and graduation rate performance.
Highlights of the grad school rankings are expected to be included in the May issue of U.S. News, available on newsstands Tuesday along with the America's Best Graduate Schools guide book.
E-MAIL: wleonard@desnews.com