Union College ranked as the 15th best engineering program, according to the latest edition of U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Colleges.
The college also came in 43rd among the magazine’s ranking of best liberal arts universities. Skidmore College ranked 46th in that category. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was ranked 42nd in the top national universities category.
Union College spokesman Phil Wajda said in a statement that Union became the first liberal arts college to offer engineering in 1845. Also, for the past two years it has hosted a national symposium on engineering and the liberal arts. The conference has attracted leaders from top schools including Princeton, Dartmouth, Harvard, Smith, Lafayette and the U.S. Military Academy.
Wajda added that the college believes such rankings and lists are just one measure of a school’s educational programs, and that prospective students should visit the campus. An RPI spokesman could not be reached for comment.
Skidmore spokeswoman Andrea Wise said the college has been on the list for a number of years, and she believed it ranked slightly higher this year. She also encouraged students to visit the campus.
The University at Albany was included in the third grouping of national universities ranked 134 through 190. Compilers of the rankings did not break out specific numbers for this group.
Spokesman Karl Luntta said the university agrees with the magazine’s assessment.
“The freshmen class we’re welcoming next week comes from the largest applicant pool the university has ever had, recognition of the excellence of our academic programs,” he said. “It is one of the most academically accomplished and ethnically diverse classes in recent history.”
The university admitted 47 percent of a record 22,286 applications. A total of 22 percent of the class of 2013 graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class. Also, nearly one-third of students are from a minority.
The Sage Colleges was in the third grouping of liberal arts schools ranked 127 to 187. A college official could not be reached for comment.
This is the 26th year the magazine has compiled the rankings. Harvard and Princetown are tied atop the list.
The magazine ranks the colleges based on graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, financial resources, student selectivity, alumni giving and a peer survey, according to the U.S. News & World Report Web site.