UNC Holds Steady in U.S. News

The University is ranked 28th among national universities. Princeton University tops the list, followed by Harvard and Yale universities, which are tied for second. A national university is defined by the guide as an institution that offers a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees.

Among public universities, UNC is the fifth best nationwide. The University of California-Berkeley is ranked first, followed by the University of Virginia.

Key criteria in judging schools include selectiveness, highest graduation rate and highest proportion of classes with less than 20 students.

Also remaining unchanged in the 2003 guide is the ranking of UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School, which is tied for fifth with UVa.'s McIntire School of Commerce. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania came in first.

But many University officials say the scores are quickly losing relevance and do not accurately reflect UNC's strengths. The methods used in determining the list tend to favor private schools over public schools, which might account for UNC's position, said UNC Provost Robert Shelton.

He said to move up in the rankings, officials need to look at internal administration to see if everything necessary is being done.

But Shelton added that UNC's score will not likely deter top students from applying to the University. "(UNC is) much better in terms of the experience we give students, our research prowess and the way we serve the state and nation," he said. "I think it's important to think about the private list and the public list (separately)."

In his State of the University Address on Sept. 4, UNC Chancellor James Moeser stressed that his vision of making UNC the top public university in the nation does not necessarily mean being No. 1 in the rankings. "Leading implies an action, a sense of motion, rather than the goal of an end point," he said in his speech. "It signals leadership."

Judging a university based on its ranking is inappropriate, said UNC Faculty Council Chairwoman Sue Estroff. She said most faculty members are more concerned with daily matters like teaching well rather than with UNC's ranking.

"Enough already," she said. "There was a time when (rankings) didn't matter. I wish we could get back to that."

UNC business school Dean Bob Sullivan said he considers Kenan-Flagler's ranking insignificant because many consider the undergraduate program to be one of the best in the world.

He attributed the school's stagnant ranking to the tendency of business programs to remain stable.

Shelton said the University's mission to first and foremost serve the people of North Carolina would be compromised by certain rank-increasing behaviors -- such as admitting more freshmen from out of state. "It's a conscious choice not to bow down and worship those rankings."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.