Last modified: Thursday, August 20, 2009
IU Bloomington and Kelley School of Business recognized by U.S. News
IU Bloomington again listed among "Programs to Look For"
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 20, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- For the eighth consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report continues to praise Indiana University Bloomington for offering "academic programs that are commonly linked to student success."
The Kelley School of Business again was recognized for offering one of the best experiences for undergraduate students, including those aiming to start their own companies.
Overall, U.S. News ranked IU Bloomington 29th among public national research universities, an improvement from 30th last year and 33rd two years ago.
"I'm pleased that Indiana University Bloomington continues to be regarded as one of the nation's leading public universities," said IU Bloomington Provost and Executive Vice President Karen Hanson. "College rankings tell only a small part of the story, and their importance is often overemphasized. But U.S. News performs a service by highlighting programs that are linked to student success, such as our student learning communities, study-abroad opportunities and the emphasis on writing."
U.S. News ranked the Kelley School as the 12th best in the nation among undergraduate business programs (a year ago it was tied for 11th). It continues to be second only to the University of Michigan in the Big Ten and sixth nationally among public universities. The school's overall ranking also places it among the top 2 percent of nationally accredited programs.
"The Kelley School of Business continually strives to enhance the overall student experience. The new living and learning center, our semester-long integrated core experience, career preparation, global immersion programs and a multitude of experiential learning opportunities are but a few of the unique experiences students have at Kelley and IU," said Dan Smith, dean of the Kelley School.
"Kelley students were highly recruited by more than 700 companies last year. Even during these tough economic times, our students had over 9,000 interviews that resulted in an 80 percent job placement rate shortly after graduation," Smith added. "The school continues to attract the world's finest students -- as evidenced by our average SAT score, which has gone up by more than 100 points in the past five years."
The magazine also praised the school's entrepreneurship program led by Donald F. Kuratko, the Jack M. Gill Chair of Entrepreneurship and executive director of its Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. The school's undergraduate offerings in entrepreneurship were ranked fourth overall by U.S. News and continue to be first among public universities.
"Naturally, I am pleased to see Kelley's entrepreneurship program consistently ranked among the top five in the world and sustaining the No. 1 public university ranking. This is a testament to our incredible faculty and innovative students," Kuratko said. "With the unveiling this fall of the Hoosier Hatchery, a business incubator for students -- in addition to our already recognized Spine Sweat Experience senior capstone course -- I believe we will be creating the most significant entrepreneurship model school in the world."
Under the heading "Programs to Look For," U.S. News recognized IU Bloomington for its success in promoting learning communities that build connections among fellow students and between students and professors.
IU Bloomington's study abroad programs were recognized for combining substantive academic work for credit with "considerable interaction with the local culture." IU Bloomington also was cited for programs that make writing a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.
Highlights of the 2010 America's Best Colleges rankings will be published in the September issue of U.S. News and World Report, on newsstands Monday, August 24, and are available at http://www.usnews.com/.
