Several Georgia institutions of higher education fare well in the 2006 U.S. News & World Report rankings released Aug. 20. The rankings are part of the highly anticipated 2006 edition of “America’s Best Colleges.” Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Mercer University are among the leading of Georgia’s institutions in their respective categories.
Emory University and Georgia Tech are ranked among the “Best National Universities,” a category designated to the 248 American universities that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctorate degrees, and strongly emphasize research. On the list, Emory ranked 20th and Georgia Tech 37th.
Mercer University, for the 16th consecutive year, is ranked among the best universities in the South. Mercer ranks 9th in the South among “Best Universities – Master’s,” a category for institutions that provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs, and only a few, if any, doctoral programs. A total of 527 universities are ranked within four geographic areas – North, South, Midwest and West. Mercer is also ranked 6th in the South in this category for “Great Schools, Great Prices.”
Both of Georgia’s engineering schools made the rankings. Georgia Tech’s engineering program is ranked 6th nationally among the “Best Programs” for engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate. Mercer’s School of Engineering, compared among engineering schools whose highest degree offered is a bachelor’s or master’s, is ranked 32nd nationally and is among the top four engineering programs in this category in the Southeast.
U.S. News bases its annual rankings on selected data and a peer assessment survey of administrators – presidents, provosts and deans of admissions – of similar institutions. According to the magazine, greatest weight is given to the opinions of those in a position to judge a school’s academic excellence.
“The University continues to provide the highest quality education to its students, and this latest ranking is indicative of other institutions of higher education recognizing Mercer’s steadfast commitment to excellence,” Mercer University President R. Kirby Godsey said.
