Fairleigh Dickinson University has maintained its strong standing and remains in the second tier of northern colleges and universities, according to the recent U.S. News & World Report.

In the category of Best Universities — Master’s (those institutions offering a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs with few, if any, doctoral programs), The College of New Jersey, Ewing; Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, Camden; Rowan University, Glassboro; and Rider University, Lawrenceville; were the only other New Jersey master’s universities ranked higher (first tier).

So where does the University really stand? Well, out of the 165 master’s universities ranked in the north region, FDU ranks somewhere between 43rd and 81st. (After the first tier, institutions are listed alphabetically.)

Some highlights of the report: (In many cases, the most recent statistics used were from 2002.)

• The University’s peer assessment score — indicating its academic reputation — was the second highest in its tier group. This is particularly important because the rankings give the greatest weight to this survey of presidents, provosts and deans of admission. Those in a position to be familiar with academic excellence continue to rate FDU very highly.

• The institution’s undergraduate engineering programs were ranked among the top 50 programs at schools whose highest degree is bachelor’s or master’s. These rankings were based on the judgements of deans and senior faculty at engineering schools.

• FDU is ranked 16th in the north region (and highest in New Jersey) among master’s universities in its percentage of international students.

• The University is ranked 18th in the north region for its campus diversity.

• FDU’s retention rate remained the same as the previous year, 74 percent, while the average graduation rate rose from 45 to 48 percent.

• Fairleigh Dickinson’s student/faculty ratio remained the same at 16/1.

• The institution’s acceptance rate remained about the same (71 percent in 2002, compared to 69 percent in 2001), as did the percentage of freshmen in the top quarter of their high school class (27 percent in 2002, 28 percent in 2001). The range of SAT/ACT scores, 25th–75th percentile, stands between 890–1,110, up slightly from the previous year’s 890–1,090.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are determined by a number of measures, which are weighted by the judged importance of that measure. Peer assessment is worth 25 percent, while the retention and graduation rate together account for another 25 percent. Faculty resources make up 20 percent, followed by student selectivity, 15 percent; financial resources, 10 percent; and alumni giving, 5 percent. Institutions are grouped by their mission and, in some cases, by region.

President J. Michael Adams pointed out that much has been written about the problems with these and other rankings systems and that numbers alone never tell the full story. Still, he said, “It is useful to see how we compare in some of these very important categories. It helps us to track our progress and identify key priorities. I want to congratulate all among our community who are playing pivotal roles in shaping our development and helping us to fulfill our global mission.”

The president added, “I believe we are taking the right steps and making the right moves to distinguish this institution as The Leader in Global Education. And I believe the ultimate indication of our success will be the accomplishments of our students and our graduates. So, as we start the new academic year on an upbeat note, aware of the positive statistics and strong peer ranking, I know we’ll continue to focus even more closely on the personal needs of each and every student.”

September 2003

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Flor =
College at Florham, Madison, N.J.

Metro =
Metropolitan Campus, Teaneck, N.J.

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