U. grabs 21 spots in top school rankings

The University of Utah racked up 21 rankings this year in the U.S. News and World Report's annual list of top college and university undergraduate programs Friday.

Brigham Young University and Utah State University also grabbed a handful of spots in areas, including business and education.

The magazine ranked schools on the basis of peer assessment, graduation rate, faculty resources, entering student grades and test scores, financial resources and alumni giving rate. While there are many college rankings out there, the U.S. News and World Report is a heavily used resource by high school students preparing to apply for college.

The U.'s David Eccles School of Business made the biggest jump in rankings, moving up eight spots from the 64th position to 56th in just one year.

"Our school has received a lot of recognition recently. We've had some great national news coverage showcasing the accomplishments of our students. . . . I think people are starting to take greater notice of the exceptional work being done by our faculty and students," said Jack Brittain, dean of the business school.

The U.'s Health Sciences Center is a perennial strong performer in the U.S. News rankings. Its College of Pharmacy is ranked 14th in the nation, tying with the University of Southern California and the University of Washington.

"This latest ranking is yet another confirmation of the College of Pharmacy's outstanding programs," said A. Lorris Betz, senior vice president for health sciences. "The college consistently ranks as one of the top research programs in grants awarded from the National Institutes of Health. The U.S. News ranking shows that the U. College of Pharmacy also offers one of the best training programs in the country."

BYU's business and law schools were both ranked in the top 40 by the magazine, but they dropped a spot from last year. The J. Reuben Clark Law School is ranked 35th, down from 34th last year and 31st the year before. The school is also ranked 16th most selective among law schools, ahead of Cornell and Duke universities.

The Marriott School of Management is ranked 40th, down from 39th last year and 29th the year before. But the accounting specialty at the business school climbed a few spots, from 16th last year to 12th this year.

Marriott School Dean Ned Hill said he is pleased by the rankings but views student development as the school's top priority.