August 16, 2010 — Coral Gables — A year after it cracked the top tier of U.S.News & World Report’s prestigious rankings of “America’s Best Colleges,” the University of Miami has climbed to No. 47 on the magazine’s 2011 list, continuing a meteoric rise that has seen the institution climb 20 spots in the past nine years and become the highest-ranked Florida school on the list.
“Wow” is how UM President Donna E. Shalala described the latest ranking, an improvement of three slots from last year’s No. 50 position.
“This recognition is great news,” she said, adding that UM will continue to improve in the years ahead.
The fast ascent of UM, which is one of the youngest schools on the list, coincides with President Shalala’s arrival in 2001. In that year, UM stood at No. 67 on the list.
“The cumulative and continuous improvement in the U.S. News ranking over the past nine years reflects UM’s commitment to the students and their successful college experience,” said UM Executive Vice President and Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc.
The editors of U.S.News & World Report have ranked the nation’s top universities and colleges for the past 27 years. The 2011 edition of “America’s Best Colleges” hits newsstands on August 31, but the rankings can be viewed now on the magazine’s website at www.usnews.com.
UM shares the No. 47 ranking with Penn State and the University of Illinois, and is now ranked ahead of two of its peer institutions: Tulane and Syracuse. In addition, U.S. News has ranked UM 48th in its “Great Schools, Great Prices” category.
The news of UM’s recent rise in the U.S. News rankings comes as students begin returning to campus this week in preparation for the 2010-2011 academic school year.
