Britain’s The Times Higher Education supplement, which annually evaluates 200 institutes across the globe, recently ranked Boston University the 54th top college worldwide – a standing that marks a 20-slot improvement from BU’s ranking last year at No. 75.
Schools ranked near BU in the Oct. 28 report included Auckland University in New Zealand – which BU’s abroad program is affiliated with – Munich University in Germany and Washington University in St. Louis.
BU spokesman Colin Riley said the university’s ranking among these schools is an honor.
“These are some of the best schools in the United States and finest in the world,” he said. “Boston University certainly fits in there with the rest of them.”
According to The Times’s website, schools were ranked on a number of criteria including reviews from peer schools, vocation recruiter scores and views from students and faculty. The evaluations were collected in a survey format and included more than 2,300 sources in multiple continents. Additionally, staff-to-student ratio was taken into account, as was percentage of international students and staff.
Riley said these rankings view BU in a different light than other prominent college rankings.
“The methodologies are obviously different,” he said, “but the university certainly feels that this publication is right with what Boston University is.
“We are flattered that an international publication would recognize the outstanding teaching taking place at the university and the outstanding caliber of our students and graduates,” Riley continued.
In an additional ranking looking solely at North American schools, BU was ranked 24th out of the top 50 schools, outranking schools including Brown University, Dartmouth College, Georgetown University and New York University.
BU also ranked above two of its local rivals, Boston College and Northeastern University, both of which did not make the Top 50 North America list.
These rankings vary greatly from often quoted U.S. News ‘ World Reports, which recently ranked BU at No. 60 on their 2006 list that includes 120 U.S. schools.
Despite the discrepancy between publications’ rankings, The Times figures gained attention among BU students.
“Fifty-four out of 200 is very impressive,” College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Donna Dung said. “I wish we were higher among the colleges in the U.S., though.”
Riley said the large international population among BU students and faculty may have carried more weight in The Times ranking than in other rankings.
“Having the eighth-largest population of international students,” he said, “we are known around the world because so many of our international students and graduates recognize this university as appropriate for them. There are students graduating with a BU degree doing wonderful things and letting the international community know that this school is an excellent choice.”
Many students said this ranking will entice future students to apply to the university, which was the case for some current students.
“BU is a good school,” CAS junior Andrew Chi said. “I came for the good chemistry program because that’s my major.”
Riley said although the rankings may bring prestige to the university, they are not substitutes for getting to know BU first-hand.
“As far as we think, prospective students and parents should take a personal visit to the campus,” he said.
While the university does not direct the course of learning or administration because of the rankings, Riley said it validates the work going on at BU.
“This ranking doesn’t tell us the direction the university is heading towards,” he said. “I think university’s leadership tells us that.
“This ranking validates all the hard work of the university’s president, provost, dean, faculty and administration,” Riley continued. “It sees us for what we are – a first-class, world-renowned research and academic university.”
DFP Contributing Writer Mary Vitale contributed to this report.