Illinois State Moves Up in Washington Monthly Rankings

Illinois State University has risen in the rankings of national universities in Washington Monthly magazine’s third annual college rankings issue.  The rankings are based on an institution’s research and service performance and how it accommodates lower-income students.  Illinois State is ranked 123rd out of 242 national universities, up from last year’s ranking of 152.

This year’s Washington Monthly university rankings place Illinois State in the company of Old Dominion University (120), the University of Kentucky (121), Wake Forest University (122) and Clemson University (126).  Other Illinois universities nearby in the rankings were Northern Illinois University (127) and DePaul University (150).

The rankings are based on the criteria of social mobility, research and service.  Social mobility judges how schools recruit and graduate lower-income students.  The research category is based the amount of research grant funding secured and the number of doctoral degrees conferred.  The service category is based on the numbers of students serving the nation through ROTC, the Peace Corps or community service projects supported by federal work-study grant money.

“The Washington Monthly rankings take into account how well a university is serving its students, its community and the nation,” said Illinois State University President Al Bowman.  “These rankings show that Illinois State is getting the recognition it deserves for its strong emphasis on research and service and for making it possible for academically talented students – regardless of income level – to receive a quality education.”

To see the complete list of college and university rankings visit www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2007/0709.collegeguide.html