USD receives high rankings
This past week, the U.S. News and World Report (U.S. News) released its rankings of the top universities in the United States. Coming up from three spots scince last year, the University of San Diego has secured spot number 86 in best national university in the United States.
U.S. News assesses over 18,000 colleges and universities, of which only 1,374 are given rankings. The University of San Diego found itself on several rankings lists. USD was ranked the 86 best national university in the country, which takes into account various apects of the university including graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, financial resources, and several more categories.
Previously in its 2016 rankings, U.S. News ranked USD as 89. USD was the youngest private university on the list.
The organization also ranked USD the 12 best university in California. One of our San Diego neighbors, the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), was ranked 9 in California and 44 in the country. Our other neighboring San Diego university, San Diego State University (SDSU), was ranked 16 in California and 146 in the country.
These rankings come shortly after Business Insider released several of its own rankings for universities and colleges. Business Insider ranked the top 14 best universities and colleges on the west coast, 13 of which are in California. In this ranking, USD was given the 14 spot. Neither UCSD nor SDSU were not ranked by Business Insider.
U.S. News also gave out specialty rankings. USD was rated the 53rd best university for veterans. USD has approximately 650 military connected students.USD’s Veterans Center provides veterans, and the dependents who qualify for VA educational benefit programs, with the needed resources. These programs include the Montgomery GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and Vocational Rehabilitation.
Veteran Student Service Coordinator Derek Abby said that the office is extremley proud of the recogniztion.
“We are very excited to be recognized as a community as a whole,” Abby said. “Recogniztion of the work done around campus is very important to us.”
The program has grown significantly with a 8.6 percent increase in military connected students in the last year alone.
The program has developed considerably in the last year including initiating a new program called Access, Success, and Project. The program helps military connected students to develop a plan and suceed in college and their future careers.
When it came down to individual programs, USD received national rankings for its business and engineering programs.
USD was ranked as having the 94th best business program in the nation. USD’s business school has one of the largest population of students on campus and offers both undergraduate degrees and master’s degrees. This ranking is an improvement of over 20 spots from last year.
Senior Omar Bishti was not surprised when he heard about the new rankings.
“I think it’s great, and I’m not surprised that USD moved up,” Bishti said. “We have always had a good business program, and I hope the improvement will lead to a better reputation for USD and better jobs for graduates.”
USD’s Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering was rated the 13th best engineering program for schools that do not offer a doctorate engineering program. The newly established school received the school’s highest ranking of all USD programs in U.S. News’ 2016 report.
Although the rankings will not affect the day to day of USD’s students, these rankings will help all USD students in the future. The rankings will be a significant factor in getting USD’s name out to both prospective students and future employers.