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ESF Earns Spot among Nation's Top Universities
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) has, for the eleventh year in a row, earned a place among the top universities in America as ranked by U.S. News & World Report magazine.
ESF is ranked number 82 in the National Universities category that includes schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors and master's and doctoral degrees while also being involved in major research activities. ESF is the highest-ranked SUNY institution on the list, which also includes the University Centers at Binghamton, Stony Brook, Buffalo and Albany. Both public and private institutions are included in the National Universities category.
Among the nation's top public universities, ESF is ranked at 36, tied with Auburn University and the University of Vermont.
ESF earned other high rankings in the annual survey:
- The College is 50th on the Best Value Schools list. The magazine pointed out that 60 percent of ESF students receive need-based grants. Inclusion in the Best Value category takes into account a school's academic quality and the net cost of attendance for a student who receives the average amount of financial aid. The magazine says only schools ranked in the top half of their quality categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.
- ESF is listed among the schools in a special category titled "A+ Options for B Students." The magazine describes the schools on the list as having a strong ranking but accepting a "significant number of students with nonstratospheric transcripts." At ESF, where academic programs focus solely on the environment, students' interest in environmental matters is weighted heavily in the admission process in addition to grades and test scores.
- ESF is number 124 on the list of national universities and colleges recommended by high school guidance counselors. Counselors surveyed represented the high schools that earned a spot in U.S. News's 2010 Best High Schools rankings and the nation's largest private independent schools. The counselors were asked which colleges and universities deliver the best undergraduate education to their students. All told, the counselors listed 277 colleges and universities.
"We at ESF are very pleased at the recognition provided by U.S. News & World Report," said ESF President Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr. "It is largely earned by our extraordinary faculty and students."