College of Education National Rankings 2008 College of Education Ranked Among Top 10 in the Nation, First in Research Expenditures

The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education made a significant leap in this year’s U.S. News & World Report America’s Best Graduate Schools rankings, bounding up a remarkable four notches to become one of the top 10 colleges of education, overall, in the country.

The College of Education is ranked 10th this year, tied with the University of Pennsylvania, and is ranked fifth among public institutions. Last year the college ranked 14th, overall, and was sixth among public universities.

The elite “top 10 tier” of universities includes, in addition to The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Education, institutions such as Stanford, Vanderbilt, Harvard, University of Michigan and Columbia.

The College of Education’s outstanding performance also includes being ranked second among public universities that offer both undergraduate and graduate programs and ranked first in research expenditures among public and private universities.

In addition, the College of Education was the most highly ranked academic unit on campus among graduate programs (business, engineering, law and education) that receive yearly qualitative and quantitative rankings by U.S. News & World Report. It was the only University of Texas at Austin academic unit to move up multiple spots in the rankings.

Select specialty areas within colleges also receive annual rankings and this year educational administration ranked sixth overall, tied with Ohio State University, and special education ranked fourth overall, tied with the University of Florida and University of Illinois.

Over the past decade, the college’s U.S. News & World Report rankings have maintained an upward trajectory, rocketing from 18th among public universities and 27th overall in 1995 to its current status among the top 10 in the nation. From research and development expenditures of around $1.1 million in 1995, the college now boasts over $41 million.

Among the many assets that contribute to the college’s success and influence is the UTeach program, a partnership with The University of Texas at Austin’s College of Natural Sciences. Newsweek cited UTeach as the primary reason for The University of Texas at Austin being named best in the nation for “Saving America’s Schools,” and the program has received $125 million to replicate its singular success nationwide. The College of Education contains the number one ranked community college leadership program in the nation, the highly regarded Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts and the award-winning Texas Regional Collaboratives for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching (TRC). The TRC is a state-spanning network of public school partnerships that, to date, has provided high intensity professional development to around 13,000 Texas science and math teachers.

Using survey feedback from academic experts nationwide and quantitative measures, U.S. News & World Report annually ranks national graduate programs in education, business, engineering and law. Other doctoral programs and specialty programs also are ranked in alternate years.
 

Rankings released April, 2008, by U.S. News & World Report