2012 USNWR Rankings

<p>BU up to #53 from last year’s #60 if anyone’s counting!</p>

<p>I expect we will see another jump next year also, given the stats for the 2011 admission cycle!</p>

<p>I hope so! I always think BU should be ranked higher than it is…but I’m a bit biased :)</p>

<p>Why is BU ranked so low in the US News rankings?</p>

<p>It’s an internationally recognized school, ranked in the 70s in world rankings of 500+ schools according to ARWU. That’s like being ranked in the top 20 in the US News ranking by comparison.</p>

<p>It’s ranked in the 50s by QS and THES. </p>

<p>Overseas it’s seen as an incredibly prestigious school, while at home in the same range as Tulane and Penn State. </p>

<p>Why is BU so massively under rated?</p>

<p>The worldwide rankings are based primarily on research output and BU has become a research powerhouse. The USNews rankings are based primarily on acceptance rate, entering freshman stats, retention rates, graduation rates, alumni giving etc. In those areas, BU does not begin to compare to the top 25 or so US schools.</p>

<p>I figured the former was more important than the latter? </p>

<p>The level of research a university engages in seems to me a better measure of academic reputation than acceptance rate.</p>