National guide ranks University in top 100 colleges

UM ranked 61st in the recently released 2007 Annual College Guide published by Washington Monthly magazine. It is the third annual college guide released by the magazine, which is based in Washington, D.C.

The ranking system used for the guide includes several factors not given as much consideration in other university-ranking systems, including national service, student social mobility and research contributions.

UM President George Dennison expressed support for the ranking approach, noting that it emphasizes social mobility for students through access to Pell grants; defines research not only in terms of dollar volume but also by the number and percentage of graduates who go on to advanced work in their disciplines; and service, including participation in the Peace Corps, ROTC and other forms of civic engagement.

Paul Glastris, editor of the magazine, noted in a column that the purpose in compiling the guide was to “focus on what colleges are doing for the country” rather than what they do for individual students or faculty members. Rankings are based on how much a college or university “contributes to the higher good,” he wrote, adding that “nearly every challenge America now faces could be met in part by better harnessing the power of our colleges and universities.”

Texas A & M topped the list, with the Universities of California at Los Angeles, Berkeley and San Diego taking the second through fourth spots. Several other state-supported schools also ranked high, while many Ivy League universities ranked lower than they typically rank in other surveys. Cornell was the only Ivy League university to make the top 20 in the rankings.

Utah State University ranked 54th. The University of Colorado, Boulder ranked 58th and the University of Missouri, Columbia ranked 60th.

Few other schools similar in size and mission ranked as high as UM. Oregon State University ranked 75th, the University of Wyoming ranked 81st, Washington State University ranked 127th and Montana State University ranked 163rd.