Rankings & Ratings
When the editors of America's best known college guides rank your college among the finest, it's something to be proud of. When you offer some of today's "hottest" rated careers, that's pretty cool too. When the work of your faculty members is recognized by their peers, it's wonderful. But the recognition we are happiest with at ESF comes when our students tell us they are having a great college experience, and our alumni share their success stories.
We're happy to share some of ESF's latest rankings and ratings with you here, but we really hope that you'll visit our campus, talk to our faculty, staff and students, and give us your own college rating.
ESF among America’s Best Colleges
ESF has, for the ninth year in a row, earned a place among the top universities in America, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
In the "Great Schools, Great Prices" category of the 2010 edition of America’s Best Colleges, ESF is 2nd among top public national universities, 17th overall. The formula used in that category relates a school's academic quality to the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average level of need-based financial aid. ESF is the only SUNY institution listed in this category.
ESF is listed at 37 among the top 50 public national universities, and at 80 in the list of best national universities (up from 83 last year), which includes both public and private institutions.
In the spring of 2007, U.S. News picked SUNY-ESF as one of four outstanding science-oriented colleges in the Northeast that the magazine would feature in a special video for prospective students. The other featured schools were MIT, RPI and Clarkson University. View the U.S. News "Science in the Northeast" video to see why SUNY-ESF was ranked among these top schools.
Forbes.com Ranks SUNY-ESF #21 Among America’s Best Public Colleges
Forbes Magazine has published a new set of college rankings on its Forbes.com website, placing the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry at #21 in its listing of “America’s Best Public Colleges.”
The Forbes.com rankings focus on the investment that students and families make in a college education, and the value they receive in return. Forbes asked the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, a Washington-based think tank, to compile their rankings based on five heavily-weighted factors:
- Number of college alumni listed in the 2008 edition of Who’s Who in America (25%)
- Student evaluations of professors taken from the website RateMyProfessors.com (25%)
- Four-year graduation rates (16 2/3 %)
- Enrollment-adjusted numbers of students and faculty winning nationally competitive awards or scholarships (16 2/3%)
- Typical student loan debt at graduation (16 2/3%)
These five criteria have not been commonly used in other college rankings, which most often depend upon data that are self-reported by college officials. Forbes wanted to develop a ranking system that used other available sources to assess student and faculty achievement, alumni success, student reaction to their professors, debt burdens, and the likelihood of graduating on time. Their methodology is unique, and sure to raise a few eyebrows on campuses across the nation.
Forbes.com also provides a ranking of the top 569 colleges and universities in the U.S., including both public and private institutions, and ranks SUNY-ESF #189 on that list.
ESF Named to President’s Service Honor Roll with Distinction
ESF is recognized in the 2008 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll “with distinction.” This is the highest recognition a college or university can receive from the federal government for its commitment to volunteering, service learning, and civic engagement.
This is the third year ESF has been recognized through the Honor Roll, and the first year the College has been honored with distinction for its community service activities. ESF is listed among a select group of 635 universities honored across the nation, and is the only State University of New York (SUNY) campus to be included on the list.
The nominating committee for this award evaluates the scope, innovativeness and effectiveness of a college’s community service and service learning programs to select the honored institutions. ESF students completed close to 61,500 hours of community service in 2008, and their service projects included a Freshman Saturday of Service, Adopt-A-Stream cleanup, the ESF SCIENCE Corps and a Campus Day of Service.
Another important selection component is how students and faculty interact with their community, and how service is incorporated into the college’s learning objectives. ESF faculty members play an important role in connecting students to service opportunities through service learning projects that connect classroom lessons with hands-on activities in the Syracuse area and beyond.
The President’s Honor Roll, launched in 2006, recognizes colleges and universities nationwide that support innovative and effective community service and service learning programs. It is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and is sponsored by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with Campus Compact and the American Council on Education. 
College gets "Best Buy" designation from Barron’s
ESF is listed in the ninth edition of Barron’s Best Buys in College Education. ESF is one of 247 colleges and universities listed, and one of only five SUNY institutions in the book.
“For students who not only love the environment but are committed to learning how to preserve it through highly specialized and challenging curricula with plenty of hands-on experience, the answer may be SUNY-ESF,”the book states.
Barron's surveys current students and asks them about the quality of each college and not just the cost. As a part of the State University system, ESF is affordable, but also strong academically, and that is what provides the real value to students and their families.
ESF Included in Peterson’s Guide for Top Students
ESF was named one of the top 440 colleges by Peterson’s in its 440 colleges for Top Students guide. Colleges were selected based on the school’s competitiveness in the admissions environment. This was measured over a meaningful period of time by entering class statistics, such as GPA, class rank, and test scores. The colleges selected for inclusion routinely attract and admit an above-average share of the nation’s top-achieving students.
Sierra Club Says ESF is Cool
ESF has earned a place on the 2009 Sierra Club list of “Cool Schools,” earning a rating which puts the College in a tie for 33rd place.
The list was compiled after the Sierra Club surveyed hundreds of colleges and universities to gather information about campus environmental practices, green initiatives, and quality of sustainability-oriented education. The survey looked specifically at energy efficiency and supply sources, food sources, academic programs and research, purchasing, transportation, waste management, and administration. Schools could earn up to 10 points in each category, and up to five bonus points for additional green initiatives. The information provided was used to rank 135 colleges and universities.
ESF received a perfect mark of 10 for academics based on the College’s broad range of environmentally related degree programs and the quality of faculty research in the field. ESF also scored a 10 on the administration rating, which reflects the College’s institutional commitment to campus sustainability. ESF was one of only four schools to earn a perfect mark for academics, and one of just five to earn a 10 for administration.
The College was disappointed to score only a four in the survey’s energy supply category, most likely resulting from the current use of oil and natural gas to heat campus buildings. This is expected to improve in a few years as the College builds a new heat and power plant that will be fueled primarily with wood pellets.
ESF is the highest rated State University of New York campus on the Sierra Club list this year, which also includes SUNY Binghamton and SUNY Albany.
Department of Landscape Architecture achieves national ranking
ESF’s Department of Landscape Architecture has, for the second year in a row, been ranked among the nation’s top programs in that discipline. In rankings compiled by DesignIntelligence magazine, the undergraduate program at ESF was ranked 12th in the United States. The graduate program was ranked ninth.
When the survey results were broken down by region, the ESF undergraduate program did even better, with employers ranking the College second in the East, in a tie with Cornell University. The study ranks programs accredited by the Landscape Architecture Review Board, based on a survey of leading landscape architecture firms and public practitioners.
Kaplan calls ESF a “Cutting-Edge School”
ESF is listed among 25 “Cutting-Edge Schools” in the 2008 edition of “You Are Here,” a college guide produced by Kaplan Publishing. The cutting-edge schools are tied to what the book describes as “50 of today’s hottest careers.” Those careers include several ESF specialties: chemistry, environmental engineering, environmental science and hydrology, and landscape architecture.
According to Kaplan, “The typical ESF student is — no surprise here—outdoorsy and committed to environmental responsibility.” “ESF students forego football in favor of their nationally ranked Woodsmen’s Team — we said it’s outdoorsy — and soccer, golf and hockey clubs.” Kaplan produces more than 150 titles annually on topics such as test preparation, college and graduate school admissions, and finance and investing.
Making a Difference Colleges guide—ESF is "...a leader
in the discovery of new knowledge and tools to deal with environmental
challenges."
SUNY-ESF has been included as one of 71 distinctive colleges chosen for the 2007 edition of the Making a Difference Colleges guide. Published as "the definitive guide for today's caring students," the tenth edition of this publication features colleges that actively support social and environmental responsibility. SUNY-ESF was selected based upon the college's strong environmental focus, as well as its variety of service learning and field study options, interdisciplinary programs, and other factors.
According to the guide, "Students at ESF share an interest in the environment and in the science, design and engineering required to conserve resources and to improve their world. The college is a leader in the discovery of new knowledge and tools to deal with environmental challenges, and the latest faculty research is aimed at bioprocessing willow trees to produce ethanol. ... Student involvement with societal issues is enhanced through a very active community service program and more than 60 service learning courses. Each program features internships, field study, research projects or cooperative education to provide students with career-related experience."
SUNY-ESF Named a "Best in the Northeast" College by the Princeton Review
SUNY-ESF is one of the best colleges and universities in the Northeast according to The Princeton Review. The New York City-based education services company selected the school as one of 218 institutions it recommends in its "Best in the Northeast" section on its PrincetonReview.com feature 2010 Best Colleges Region by Region.
Robert Franek, Princeton Review's V.P., Publishing, says "We commend all of the schools we name this year as our 'regional best' colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs. We selected them based on institutional data we collected from several hundred schools in each region, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of independent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what each school’s customers – their students – report to us about their campus experiences at their schools on our 80-question student survey."
The 218 colleges The Princeton Review chose for its "Best in the Northeast" website are located in eleven states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont and the District of Columbia.The Princeton Review also designated 158 colleges in the Midwest, 123 in the West, and 141 in the Southeast as "regional best" colleges in their locales. The 640 colleges named "regional best(s)" represent about 25% (one out of four) of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.
ESF Featured in Service-Learning Guide
A service-learning project completed by the Department of Landscape Architecture was highlighted in the Guide to Service-Learning Colleges & Universities. Landscape architecture students put classroom learning to work to design a public garden space that tells the story of Vietnamese immigrants living in a local Syracuse neighborhood.
The landscape architecture program is one example of the College’s overall service-learning program in which community service is integrated into course curriculum. ESF students consistently contribute approximately 65,000 hours of community service to the area each year.
The Guide to Service-Learning Colleges and Universities is a unique college guide that provides a one-stop resource for the college-bound community to research schools that excel in offering experiential learning opportunities. It also offers community service information to high school counselors and administrators of America's community-based organizations.
ESF One of 350 “Most Interesting” Colleges
ESF was named one of the nation’s 350 most interesting colleges in the 2009 edition of “How to Get into College” produced by Kaplan/Newsweek. ESF was also listed as one of four top schools for environmental science majors, along with Yale University, Barnard College and Rutgers University.
The 2009 Kaplan/Newsweek guidebook helps college-bound students navigate the increasingly complex college admissions landscape. From guidance on the admissions process to insights on school trends, the "How to Get into College" Guide is designed to help students and their families by illuminating the issues, challenges and opportunities that await them starting with the college application process and continuing through their college senior year.
National Wildlife Federation Gives ESF High Marks for Environmental Action
ESF received high marks for environmental action in Campus Environment 2008: A National Report Card on Sustainability and Higher Education, issued by the National Wildlife Federation.
ESF was among the colleges and universities described as “exemplary and committed” in the category, “Exemplary Schools for Students Taking a Course on Ecology or Sustainability.” The College was also listed as exemplary in the category that examined “Environmental or Sustainability Goal Setting.”
ESF Innovation Recognized in Better World Report
ESF is listed in The 2008 AUTM Better World Report Part Two, which highlights colleges that have successfully transferred academic research into real-world applications. The report is published by the Association of University Technology Managers.
ESF is listed twice among the 100 innovators in the report and is one of only two SUNY schools included. The report includes colleges from the United States and around the world. The College received recognition for its willow biomass research and for improvements in forest biorefinery technology.
ESF scientists have developed fast-growing varieties of shrub willow that can be harvested and burned as a substitute for coal or natural gas. The ESF-developed willow display improved disease and pest resistance, higher yield of biomass, and are suitable for large-scale commercialization. Commercialization of this process is being lead by the Research Foundation of State University of New York.
Forest biorefinery is the full conversion of wood biomass into fibers, chemical and energy. ESF developed new processes to make it easier to take advantage of the co-products produced by pulp mills.
For decades pulp mills burned or discarded wood sugars and hemicellulose, which can be used in the manufacturing of plastics, ethanol and acetic acid. New processes developed at ESF make it easier to take advantage of these co-products thereby maximizing the value of a renewable resource.
“These 100 innovations illustrate the many ways in which collaboration among many talented individuals leads to the success of academic technology transfer,” the report states.
Treehugger.com Ranks ESF among Nation’s Top 10 Environmental Programs
SUNY-ESF is listed among the 10 best college environmental programs in the nation by Treehugger.com, a website devoted to sustainability and environmental news.
Treehugger states the colleges on the list “earn an A-plus for the education, experience, and research opportunities they provide.”
ESF, which is second in Treehugger’s list, is highlighted for its extensive network of field stations. Treehugger describes the College’s forested lands as “more than 25,000 acres of land in Central New York and the Adirondack Park, where nearly 2,500 students in the graduate and undergraduate programs choose majors as specific as aquatic and fisheries science, construction management, forest ecosystem science, paper engineering, and bioprocess engineering.”
The College’s research projects also earn praise. Treehugger notes that faculty members work on more than 450 projects — including wildlife disease prevention, nanotechnology and genetic engineering — around the world.
ESF earns strong Faculty Scholarly Productivity
Index ranking
ESF has been ranked among the nation’s top colleges and universities for scholarly work.
The ranking system, called the Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index, lists ESF fifth among colleges and universities in the category of “Specialized Research Universities—Applied Sciences.” ESF is also ranked eighth in the subcategory of “Fisheries Science and Management.” The scholarly productivity index is produced by Academic Analytics, a forprofit company.
The index rates faculty members' scholarly output at nearly 7,300 doctoral programs around the country. It examines the number of books and journal articles published by each program's faculty, as well as journal citations, awards, honors, and grants received.
