COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University has moved into the nation's list of top 20 national public universities, rising eight spots, according to the U.S. News & World Report special edition on America's Best Colleges released today.

The ranking places Ohio State at the top of Ohio's public universities. The magazine also ranked Ohio State's undergraduate programs in business and engineering among the nation's best.

Ohio State President William E. Kirwan said that while the outside validation is gratifying, what's important is that the university's educational programs continue to improve. "These rankings are evidence that all of our strategic efforts to improve Ohio State's academic quality and student experience are paying off," he said.

The publication's 2001 rankings for the top 20 national public universities are only slightly different from last year's, with the exception of Ohio State's movement to 20th from 28th. The rankings indicate no other school showing such dramatic improvement. The other Ohio institutions among the top 50 national public schools are Miami University, ranked 26th, and Ohio University, ranked 44th.

Ohio State's move can be attributed to across-the-board improvement in most of the quality indicators the publication uses to assess excellence. In the guide's analysis of universities' academic reputation, Ohio State's score improved on a 5-point scale to 3.8, up from 3.7. Measures of student selectivity also improved, with Ohio State freshmen scoring higher on the ACT and a lower percentage of applicants being accepted. The university also improved in freshman retention, to 81 percent from 79 percent; in the percentage of classes with fewer than 20 students, to 43 percent from 41 percent; and in alumni giving, to 17 percent from 14 percent. The percentage of full-time faculty remained the same at 91 percent.

Mabel Freeman, interim director of undergraduate admissions and assistant vice president for the First Year Experience, said the rankings come as Ohio State prepares to welcome its best freshman class ever. For the fifth consecutive year, the incoming freshmen class ranks higher in terms of high school performance, test scores and other indicators of students' academic qualifications than the year before.

"These statistics reflect our focus on improving the student experience and academic quality," Freeman said. "We are creating a new, more personalized approach to welcoming first-year students that will let all students know they have been expected at Ohio State, and what to expect when they get here."

Among the highlights, which the rankings also reflect, are a greater percentage of incoming freshmen who were class valedictorians; ranked in the top 10 percent of their class; and had higher ACT scores. There also was an increase in both the numbers of National Merit Scholars and Honors students.

Fisher College of Business Programs rated among nation's best

Many of the country's top undergraduate business programs can be found in Ohio State's Fisher College of Business. U.S. News rates the college 16th best in the nation, and ranks seven of its programs in the top 20:

· Real Estate (3)

· Human Resources (4)

· Production and Operations (8)

· Finance (10)

· Marketing (11)

· General Management (12)

· Accounting (17)

Joseph A. Alutto, Fisher College dean, said the ranking reflects the Fisher College's ongoing commitment to quality business education, as well as the competitive nature of the nation's business schools. "The college has built a tradition of excellence in academic programs, which is enhanced by our new state-of-the-art facilities," he said.

College of Engineering Undergraduate Programs Recognized

Undergraduate programs in Ohio State's College of Engineering also are among the nation's best, according to the new U.S. News rankings. The magazine rates engineering programs with and without Ph.D. programs. Ohio State, which offers a Ph.D. program, is ranked 22nd in the nation. U.S. News also ranks three other programs: Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering (14), Materials Science and Engineering (17), and Mechanical Engineering (20).

"We are very pleased with the recognition our undergraduate engineering programs are receiving," said David B. Ashley, dean of the College of Engineering. "I believe this demonstrates that the quality of Ohio State's engineering educational experience continues to be among the very best in the country."

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