UNL among nation's best in latest U.S. News and World Report ranks

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln remains among the nation's top public universities, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2016 best-colleges rankings. UNL checked in at No. 47 among public national universities in the latest rankings, which were made public today.

UNL joined all other Big Ten public universities in the Top 50. UNL was No. 45 last year, No. 47 in 2014 and 2013, and No. 49 in 2012.

Among all national universities (public and private), UNL was tied with four other institutions at No. 103. The national universities category consists of 280 institutions -- 173 public, 100 private and seven for-profit -- that offer a wide range of undergraduate majors as well as master's and doctoral degrees; some emphasize research.

The university was No. 35 in the Best Online Bachelor's Programs for Veterans rankings and also was in U.S. News' list of "A-Plus Schools for B Students." The College of Business Administration was No. 61 among best undergraduate business programs, which were ranked on peer assessment surveys conducted in 2014 and 2015.

To arrive at the overall university rankings, data on up to 16 indicators of academic quality are gathered from each institution and tabulated. Among the indicators are peer assessment; retention and graduation of students; faculty resources; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduation rate performance -- the difference between the proportion of students expected to graduate and the proportion that do.

In January, four UNL online programs were recognized in U.S. News' Best Online Programs rankings. The university’s online graduate education, bachelor of science in applied science, master of business administration and master of engineering management online programs were among the nation's top programs. In May, four UNL programs -- the online graduate program in education, the College of Business Administration's online MBA, online graduate engineering programs and online bachelor's programs -- were ranked in U.S. News' top 35.

Writer: Steve Smith, University Communications