UT Dallas ranks near the top in best value and selectivity for public universities in Texas, according to U.S. News & World Report. The University also remains among the top 25 in the nation for ethnic diversity.
The University of Texas at Dallas continues its annual climb as a tier-one, selective public university in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, released Sept. 10.
UT Dallas rose to 61st in the nation among public universities, up from 73rd last year, and remains the second-best value out of all public schools in Texas. In terms of selectivity for public universities, UT Dallas ranks second in Texas and 27th in the nation, according to the publication.
“Our ascent in these and other prestigious rankings reflects the rapid evolution of our University as a research institution and a fiscally sound choice for bright young minds,” UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson said. “As we continue to grow and more wonderful faculty and students arrive, I believe we will keep rising.”
“Our ascent in these and other prestigious rankings reflects the rapid evolution of our University as a research institution and a fiscally sound choice for bright young minds.”
President Richard C. Benson
U.S. News & World Report evaluated 1,397 U.S.-based accredited institutions that offer four-year undergraduate degrees on 16 measures of academic quality. Data gathered in spring 2018 covers categories such as outcomes — which include graduation rates, retention rates and social mobility — faculty resources, expert opinion, student excellence and financial resources.
Among the rankings for national universities — defined by the publication as schools that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs, and are committed to producing groundbreaking research — UT Dallas is No. 129 overall and third for public universities in Texas.
UT Dallas also is in the top quarter of the 272 national universities in terms of smallest debt load at graduation, ranking 58th in statistics for the Class of 2017.
“UT Dallas is focused on enabling its graduates to succeed in the real world,” said Eric Chen, Student Government president, National Merit Scholar and actuarial science senior. “A huge component of that involves limiting the burden of student loan payments that we bear as we begin our careers.”
UT Dallas remains in the top 25 nationwide in terms of ethnic diversity. The ranking method factors in the percentage of minority students, excluding international students, and the overall balance of ethnic groups in an institution’s student body.
“As our nation evolves in terms of demographics and our world gradually unifies into a single global economy, it becomes more important than ever to produce culturally competent students and embrace and celebrate diversity,” said Raul Hinojosa Jr., director of community engagement for the Office of Diversity and Community Engagement. “We see diversity as the engine for innovation, enabling higher levels of excellence.”
In program-specific rankings, UT Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management tied for 62nd in the nationwide list of undergraduate business programs, placing third in Texas. The undergraduate engineering program of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, which tied for 80th in the nation, also ranked third in the state.
In December, UT Dallas was ranked 41st among the nation’s public universities in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s list of the best values. In Forbes Magazine’s 2018 list of the best value colleges, the University ranked third among public universities in Texas.