The University of Texas at Austin is holding its position as one of the best universities in the country, according to the most recent undergraduate rankings from U.S. News & World Report. UT Austin tied for No. 10 among national public universities and remains the top public university in Texas. Overall, the university placed No. 38 among national public and private universities for undergraduates.
"These rankings illustrate the strong academic reputation we have among our peers," said UT President Jay Hartzell. "We have made significant strides through our strategic investments in faculty, research and the quality of the learning experience for our students. Combined with the incredible quality of today's UT student body, these rankings represent points of pride and excellence."
The university ranked in the top 25 in two specialty categories. It placed No. 14 (up from No. 19) among the country's "Most Innovative Schools." UT Austin science faculty and students have patented hundreds of technologies over the years, and innovation is key to educational approaches in STEM classrooms, such as among faculty participating in the Texas Mindset Initiative.
UT Austin also placed No. 19 for undergraduate research (up from No. 25). The award-winning Freshman Research Initiative, based in the College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin, is the largest undergraduate research program at a single university, allowing more than 1,000 first- and second-year students annually to start conducting research soon after their arrival on campus. Hundreds of additional UT Austin students work in faculty labs and continue their research as sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Many scientific disciplines are not ranked individually, the way that business and engineering majors are. Within the College of Natural Sciences, only Computer Science is considered for ranking. Computer Science earned top-10 specialty rankings in four categories:
- No. 7 in Software Engineering
- No. 9 in Theory
- No. 10 in Programming
- No. 10 in Computer Systems
The U.S. News ranking is one of the most widely referenced measurements of undergraduate programs and is based on weighted factors such as student outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinions, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving.
Other Texas universities were featured in the national rankings. Among U.S. public and private universities, Rice University ranked No. 15 and Texas A&M University ranked No. 67.
Adapted from a release originally published on UT News.
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