U.S. News Releases 2007 Graduate Rankings

04-12-2006

The 2007 US News and World Report ranking of graduate programs in business, education, engineering, law, and medicine was published in April. Purdue’s Computer Science Department was ranked #18 in this new ranking, up two positions from its previous ranking. The department shares the 18th rank with Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Jeffrey S. Vitter, Frederick Hovde Dean of the College of Science and Professor of Computer Science, is very encouraged with the department’s ranking. He says, "We made very positive gains in computer science, rising two points, and we expect even more gains when our new Lawson Computer Science Building, with its state-of-the-art facilities, opens this year."

The rankings are the result of evaluations done by deans, department heads, and graduate committee chairs who rate program quality. In addition, statistical indicators are used to measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research, and students. The surveys were completed by more than 1,200 programs and some 9,600 academics and professionals in fall 2005. Susanne Hambrusch, Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science says, “The faculty is very pleased with the new ranking. It confirms our excellent progress made in recent years. The great interdisciplinary environment enabled by Discovery Park and the opening of the new CS Building this summer will allow us continue on this path of excellence.” US News and World Report also evaluates departments in four specialty areas--Artificial Intelligence, Programming Languages, Systems, and Theory. The department was ranked 16th in the Systems area.

America's Best Graduate School 2007 is available on an online version at http://www.usnews.com and is available in print at many bookstores.