USU college ranks in top national group
The voting is in and ratings are done. Utah State University’s College of Education is one of the top schools in the nation.
According to the “U.S. News and World Report” magazine, USU has been placed in the third tier for its achievements overall, with a special mention of the university’s education program, which has been ranked as one of the nation’s top schools for the seventh year in a row.
In addition, “America’s Best Graduate Schools” magazine ranked USU’s College of Education and Human Services 35th in the nation overall and 25th when compared to public universities.
Interim dean Carol Strong believes the rankings are a reflection of the high quality of USU’s faculty, students and staff.
“There are 1,150 education programs at colleges and universities in the United States, so this ranking means we are among the elite,” said Strong in a press release.
The magazine also noted USU’s Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation. It is ranked 19th in the country, with the Rehabilitation Counseling program given the 15th spot. The programs were singled out because of the resources extended to helping people with disabilities.
The Center for Persons with Disabilities is one of the nation’s largest university centers for excellence, recognized for the community-based research education and other services it focuses on, according to the magazine.
“The center offers so much for people in our community and allows USU students to be apart of that,” said Sarah Rule, director of the Center for Persons with Disabilities. “The rankings do not really influence us, but more so rewards us of our outstanding reputation.”
The facility is mostly funded through external grants and contracts, generating more than $13 million annually. The research funds enable 140 student employees and 25 graduate assistants to have hands-on training with people in the community, said USU officials.
The university’s reputation for research has been noted by the (non-profit) TMC Educational Group. The group ranks the Logan campus among the top 200 research universities in the United States.
USU has also been named a Carnegie Foundation 1 Research University, a recognition that goes to the top 5 percent of U.S. colleges. Among the 84 universities that have achieved that ranking are Harvard University, Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley.
-gbrownlee@cc.usu.edu