U.S. News rankings: Iowa State remains among top 25 percent of public national universities

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State University is again among the top one-fourth of all public national universities in U.S. News & World Report's 2009 "America's Best Colleges" annual rankings.

U.S. News ranks Iowa State 40th among 164 best national public universities, down slightly from 38th last year. Iowa State ranks 89th in the "Best National Universities" category, which contains 262 American universities (164 public and 98 private) that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors, as well as master's and doctoral degrees. ISU was ranked 85th last year.

For the seventh straight year, U.S. News has included Iowa State's learning communities among its "Programs to Look For" -- outstanding examples of academic programs that are commonly linked to student success. Iowa State is among only 22 colleges and universities recognized by U.S. News for learning communities.

U.S. News & World Report also ranked undergraduate engineering programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The rankings are based solely on a spring 2008 peer survey of deans and senior engineering faculty nationwide. Among public universities' engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, Iowa State is tied for 23rd with Arizona State University, Tempe. Overall, Iowa State's engineering program ranks 38th. (It ranked 37th last year and 39th two years ago.)

In engineering specialties, at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate, Iowa State's agricultural engineering program is ranked fourth among top programs in the U.S., third among public universities. Materials engineering is ranked 15th among the top 18 programs in the country, 10th among public universities.

Business ranking rises

Iowa State's College of Business is ranked 74th among AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)-accredited programs, up from 85th the previous year. Among public universities, ISU's College of Business ranks 44th.

Highlights of the annual college rankings are scheduled for publication in the Sept. 1-8 issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine, available on newsstands Aug. 25 and online Aug. 22. For more information, log on to www.usnews.com.