Iowa State University has lost ground in the latest U.S. News and World Report’s university rankings, slipping six spots overall.
The annual report, which rates colleges nationwide, ranked Iowa State at No. 121, tied with 10 other universities, including Creighton University, the University of Central Florida and the University of Denver.
The University of Iowa dropped from No. 93 to 98 in this year’s ranking. The University of Northern Iowa was not ranked nationally.
The outlet uses various resources to determine the rankings, including the range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral programs and research.
The outlet explained the university’s ranking, citing Iowa State as offering “highly ranked graduate programs through its College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Engineering, and qualified undergrads can take special courses in human-computer interaction. The university is a land-grant institution, meaning faculty and students work on research projects that better the community as a whole.”
The university ranks 61st on the list of top public universities and 125th in “best value universities.”
A request for comment to Senior Vice President and Provost Jason Keith was directed to Angie Hunt, the university’s spokesperson.
“Iowa State University is ranked in the top 30% of national universities for the latest U.S. News and World Report rankings. Additionally, Iowa State is number one for agricultural and biological engineering programs and number 26 in entrepreneurship,” she stated in an email to the Daily.
Hunt also stated that rankings offer a point of comparison, which can change from year to year.
“Iowa State is proud to provide students with a high-quality education that is accessible, affordable and prepares them for future careers,” Hunt stated. “Recently, Money.com rated Iowa State in the top 10% for affordability, making ISU the highest-ranked university in Iowa. The Wall Street Journal also ranked Iowa State as the top university in Iowa for student outcomes, including salary, up 26 spots from last year.”
Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University were ranked the top three universities in the nation.
For the full list of U.S. News and World Report rankings, visit their website.