The U.S. News and World Report ranked the University of Denver 96 out of 312 schools in its 2019 National University Rankings. DU slid nine spots from its 2018 ranking, which saw the university tie for 87th amongst all national universities.
Despite its drop in the overall rankings, DU placed within top 60 in both the “Best Value Schools” and “Best Colleges for Veterans” categories. The university was ranked as 58th in best value and 59th for best college for veterans nationally.
U.S. News and World Report compares institutions of higher learning by segmenting them into five categories: National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, Regional Colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
National Universities are defined as research institutions that “offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs”, according to the U.S. News and World Report’s website.
The ranking outlet considers a number of quantitative factors in compiling their list of best colleges, evaluating class size, teacher-to-student ratios, cost of attendance and more.
This year’s rankings ushered in changes to the U.S. News and World Report’s methodology, which notably increased the weight of “student outcomes” from 30 percent in 2018 to 35 percent in 2019 – the most weight given to any category.
“We strongly believe it’s important that schools are able to do what is necessary to support their students through graduation,” said Robert Morse, the chief data strategist at U.S. News, in an email. “Getting into a good college means nothing if students cannot graduate.”
The U.S. News estimates DU’s four-year graduation rate to be 65 percent. In 2009, the National Center for Education Statistics discerned that the six-year graduation rate for students at four-year institutions was 59 percent.
Despite DU’s drop in this year’s rankings, officials from the university urged prospective students to consider other factors that might not be encapsulated by strictly quantitative data.
“We are pleased that U.S. News & World Report continues to recognize the University of Denver in its top-100 list of best national universities,” DU said in a statement.
“While rankings are one factor for prospective students and their families to consider when selecting a university, we aim to go beyond the numbers and deliver a transformative student experience while expanding our impact on the communities we serve.”
DU’s Veterans Services office has seen its ranking rise considerably over the past few years, according to Veterans Services Director Damon Vine.
“Prior to three years ago, DU was not ranked by U.S. News and World Reports,” said Vine. “Since then we have been staying in about the 50-to-60 range the last three years.”
Vine noted that the office also provides services for dependents of active duty service members and saw an increase in Yellow Ribbon funding last year, a program that helps veterans pay for college. Through these initiatives and other programming throughout the year, the Veterans Services office aims to make DU accessible and hospitable for veterans and their dependents.
“It’s really just about ensuring that – on top of finances – veterans have a place to call home,” said Vine.
The full U.S. News and World Report college rankings can be found at the publication’s website.
