On the Rise

SUNY Oneonta moved to its highest position ever—No. 41—on U.S. News and World Report's 2012 list of "Best Colleges," surpassing its previous best of No. 45 in 2011.

The ranking is in the "Best Regional Universities—North" category. This includes institutions in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and all of New England that provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs but few, if any, doctoral programs.

SUNY Oneonta also earned the No. 9 spot on the 2012 U.S. News ranking of "Top Public Regional Universities—North." This is the third consecutive year that the college has been among the top 10 in that category.

In the past six years, SUNY Oneonta has risen from No. 83 to No. 41 in the U.S. News rankings. Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Roger Sullivan attributes the college's steady climb to an ongoing commitment to students.

"As our reputation for scholarship continues to grow, SUNY Oneonta increasingly is viewed as a school of first choice among academically well qualified applicants," said Sullivan. "There simply is no better preparation for success than the combination of excellence in teaching and a culture of engagement among faculty and students."

U.S. News surveyed more than 1,400 colleges and universities nationwide to compile the 2012 list. Rankings are based on several factors, including data from each school and secondary sources, such as the American Association of University Professors, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Council for Aid to Education, and the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. The opinions of high school counselors, graduation and freshman retention rates, and peer reviews—opinions of one college gathered by presidents, provosts and deans from other colleges—also are considered.

A complete explanation of the revised U.S. News college ranking methodology is available at www.usnews.com/colleges.