2008 Woodie Awards
Posted Friday, August 17, 12:59 a.m. (as breaking news)
U.S. News and World Report ranked GW 54th in its annual listing of the nation's top 100 undergraduate programs, a rank on par with the University's decade-long, near-50 showing on the list.
The University fell from its previous rank of number 52 and shares this year's spot with Pepperdine University and University of Maryland. GW was last listed in the top 50 when it garnered the 46th position in the 1998 U.S. News rankings.
"Compared to last year, this isn't a significant difference," said Tracy Schario, director of Media Relations for GW. "GW still had an impressive showing."
Schario said that there are more than 4,000 universities that did not receive a ranking and that GW's current placement should not be seen in a bad light.
"There is a dazzle of being in the top 50, but it is still very respectable to be in (our position)," Schario said. "No one expected a dramatic jump one way or another."
University officials, including former University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, have traditionally downplayed the U.S. News rankings. Some of these individuals argued that the rankings do not reflect many of GW's unique features, including GW's central location in the nation's capital and its diverse array of majors.
Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News and World Report, defended the magazine's ranking system.
"We are very transparent about where our rankings are coming from," Kelly said. "It is hard, accurate data. We have a formula."
The U.S. News rankings are devised by calculating graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, graduation rate performance and peer assessments, which are surveys sent to top university academics.
Kelly said the magazine does look into many of the intangible characteristics of universities when it comes out with its rankings.
"(The peer assessment) is an attempt to do that," Kelly said. "We use this as a way to get intangible data in there."
U.S. News and World Report ranked GW 54th in its annual listing of the nation's top 100 undergraduate programs, a rank on par with the University's decade-long, near-50 showing on the list.
The University fell from its previous rank of number 52 and shares this year's spot with Pepperdine University and University of Maryland. GW was last listed in the top 50 when it garnered the 46th position in the 1998 U.S. News rankings.
"Compared to last year, this isn't a significant difference," said Tracy Schario, director of Media Relations for GW. "GW still had an impressive showing."
Schario said that there are more than 4,000 universities that did not receive a ranking and that GW's current placement should not be seen in a bad light.
"There is a dazzle of being in the top 50, but it is still very respectable to be in (our position)," Schario said. "No one expected a dramatic jump one way or another."
University officials, including former University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, have traditionally downplayed the U.S. News rankings. Some of these individuals argued that the rankings do not reflect many of GW's unique features, including GW's central location in the nation's capital and its diverse array of majors.
Brian Kelly, editor of U.S. News and World Report, defended the magazine's ranking system.
"We are very transparent about where our rankings are coming from," Kelly said. "It is hard, accurate data. We have a formula."
The U.S. News rankings are devised by calculating graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving, graduation rate performance and peer assessments, which are surveys sent to top university academics.
Kelly said the magazine does look into many of the intangible characteristics of universities when it comes out with its rankings.
"(The peer assessment) is an attempt to do that," Kelly said. "We use this as a way to get intangible data in there."
