US News America's Best Graduate Schools 2019

[Panthergrowl13]

New Rankings are out and I am a little surprised you guys do not have a thread on the subject.

Therefore, I will start one comparing Rutgers to some of your neighbor Universities: Maryland, Penn State, Temple, Connecticut and Pitt with respect to rankings in Medicine, Law, Engineering, Business, Education and Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP).

LAW:

Rutgers : 74
Maryland: 49
Penn State: 74(Univ Park) # 59(Dickinson)
Temple: 47
Connecticut:50
Pitt: 74

MEDICINE:

Rutgers Research: RWJ: 72 and Newark: 74
Rutgers Primary Care: RWJ: 90

Maryland Research: 31
Maryland Primary Care: 21

Penn State Research: ---
Penn State Primary Care: Unranked

Connecticut Research: 57
Connecticut Primary Care: 46

Temple Research: 57
Temple Primary Care: 69

Pitt Research: 14
Pitt Primary Care: 14

ENGINEERING:

Rutgers: 52
Maryland: 22
Penn State: 33
Connecticut: 67
Temple: 122
Pitt: 47

BUSINESS:

Rutgers: 44
Maryland:48
Penn State: 31
Connecticut: 85
Temple: unranked
Pitt: 52

EDUCATION:

Rutgers: 43
Maryland: 33
Penn State: 43
Connecticut: 30
Temple: 51
Pitt: 34

NURSING (Doctor of Nursing Practice):

Rutgers: 16(Newark)
Maryland: 8
Penn State: 35 (Univ. Park)
Connecticut: --
Temple: unranked
Pitt: 5

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Jim_from_RU]

Business school really moving up. Education too. However, the law school has jumped the most, especially compared to the last two years (#102 to #74!)

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Thank you for posting. I have said this before and some will disagree,but I would really like to see us add a four years education option to the current five year program.Not every family and student can afford or is interested in five years. These are potential Rutgers grads going into New Jersey schools as teachers and also in some cases coaches in various sports. This in some degree can help in bringing better students and student athletes to Rutgers.We should not be losing any kids who want to go to Rutgers and want to gone into teaching,but end up at Montclair,Rowan,Kean,Stockton,etc. due to the five year teaching degree. And yes,I know about Alternate Route.

 

[Jim_from_RU]

Thank you for posting. I have said this before and some will disagree,but I would really like to see us add a four years education option to the current five year program.Not every family and student can afford or is interested in five years. These are potential Rutgers grads going into New Jersey schools as teachers and also in some cases coaches in various sports. This in some degree can help in bringing better students and student athletes to Rutgers.We should not be losing any kids who want to go to Rutgers and want to gone into teaching,but end up at Montclair,Rowan,Kean,Stockton,etc. due to the five year teaching degree. And yes,I know about Alternate Route.

I agree 100%.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

I think Pitt had mentioned his school has formed affiliations with hospitals well into central Pennsy. I hope the recent formation of Rutgers Health and the RWJ Barnabas hospital system agreement will also help us rise up in the medical rankings. Would like to see Rutgers move deeper into SouthJersey with agreements with the Virtue hospitals and others.

 

[HeavenUniv.]

Jim,I know some looked at her as the devil,but I actually brought this up at a gathering with Julie Hermann once and she said she agreed and it was something RU was looking into.I have no idea what the current status is.As I said,we should not be losing these kids to other schools.I have also heard the Nursing program is busting at the seams due to facility and enrollment space right now and we are losing very good high school kids to other schools. As far as the teaching,if the Sears land opens up and we don't set it aside for a new arena,might be a good place for a larger School of Education.Or a Veterinary School which New Jersey could really use.It is crazy a state with nine million people has to have their kids leave the state for grad level.

 

[rutgersdave]

Business school really moving up. Education too. However, the law school has jumped the most, especially compared to the last two years (#102 to #74!)

What was the business school previous ranking?

 

[Jim_from_RU]

What was the business school previous ranking?

I always remember it hovering around 50-60.

 

[e5fdny]

Thank you for posting. I have said this before and some will disagree,but I would really like to see us add a four years education option to the current five year program.Not every family and student can afford or is interested in five years. These are potential Rutgers grads going into New Jersey schools as teachers and also in some cases coaches in various sports. This in some degree can help in bringing better students and student athletes to Rutgers.We should not be losing any kids who want to go to Rutgers and want to gone into teaching,but end up at Montclair,Rowan,Kean,Stockton,etc. due to the five year teaching degree. And yes,I know about Alternate Route.

I’m guessing maybe a lot of districts now or going forward prefer you either have your Masters or progressing towards it for tenure?

I think that is the case now in NYC.

 

[NotInRHouse]

Wasn't the law school 60 something last year? @camdenlawprof

 

[retired711]

Wasn't the law school 60 something last year? @camdenlawprof

Yes. But the scoring is so close every year that random movement happens. I can tell you that nothing happened at the combined school that would suggest it is declining. Maybe it just didn't improve enough to keep its rating.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Pitt just named (this week) a new Dean of the School of Law and new Dean of the school of Engineering.

Hope the new administration in the Schools Law and Engineering will put procedures in place to increase Pitt's ranking.

I think Pitt needs to raise its ranking in Law School especially.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[knightfan2000]

My daughter chose another school over Rutgers even though she loved RU because of the 5 year education program. It is much easier to be hired at an entry level with a 4-year degree and then pursue the Master's later, after you have some work experience and know where you want to focus, which is exactly what she did.

 

[S_Janowski]

Would have expected Medicine to be much higher. What's with that?

 

[RUnTeX]

Under the UMDNJ banner neither med school had particularly high rankings (probably Top 100, as now). Not sure bringing them under Rutgers' umbrella was necessarily going to cause an uptick in ranking for either RWJMS or NJMS, or perhaps not this soon. Down the line the integration with Rutgers and its various science departments/disciplines should expand the research prowess and grants due to streamlining funding efforts.

 

[kennyschiano]

Would have expected Medicine to be much higher. What's with that?

It's probably challenging when for the best care you go to new york (cornell, columbia, HSS, Sloan, eye and ear), or for the best pediatric care you go to Chop in philly

 

[sct1111]

Under the UMDNJ banner neither med school had particularly high rankings (probably Top 100, as now). Not sure bringing them under Rutgers' umbrella was necessarily going to cause an uptick in ranking for either RWJMS or NJMS, or perhaps not this soon. Down the line the integration with Rutgers and its various science departments/disciplines should expand the research prowess and grants due to streamlining funding efforts.

The original Rutgers Medical School before it became umdnj was supposed to be an elite medical school. They recruited all the top faculty from everywhere. And then the state ruined it.

 

[RUnTeX]

And then the state ruined it.

Seems to be a long standing tradition in NJ.

 

[RU-ROCS]

These rankings are still a joke. It’s unfortunate that prosective students put weight on them so RU like so many other schools are forced to play the rankings game. The B school, among others, far outperforms it’s USN rankings when it comes to salary and employment.

 

[scarletrat]

what was pharmacy at RU, Pitt, etc?

 

[Panthergrowl13]

what was pharmacy at RU, Pitt, etc?

US News America's Best Graduate School Rankings 2019

Schools of Pharmacy:

Rutgers: 30
University of Maryland (Baltimore): 9
University of Maryland (Eastern Shore):81
Penn State:-----
University of Connecticut: 33
Temple University: 60
University of Pittsburgh: 9

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[sct1111]

US News America's Best Graduate School Rankings 2019

Schools of Pharmacy:

Rutgers: 30
University of Maryland (Baltimore): 9
University of Maryland (Eastern Shore):81
Penn State:-----
University of Connecticut: 33
Temple University: 60
University of Pittsburgh: 9

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

Rutgers Pharmacy School should be a top 5 program considering the sheer amount of major pharm companies in NJ. The largest, most profitable pharm company in the world is literally 100 yards from Old Queens. Johnson and Johnson could single handidly make RU pharmacy elite.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Rutgers Pharmacy School should be a top 5 program considering the sheer amount of major pharm companies in NJ. The largest, most profitable pharm company in the world is literally 100 yards from Old Queens. Johnson and Johnson could single handidly make RU pharmacy elite.

I don't think it works that way.

To be sure Rutgers has a very good School of Pharmacy. However, unless Rutgers has a direct affiliation (major contributions, shared facilities, research etc.) with all the private pharmaceutical companies, the fact that they are located near has little bearing on the quality of the programs. Schools are ranked on the quality of professors, students, facilities, research etc.

Pitt for example has many good (like Rutgers) Graduate Programs but outstanding Programs in all the Health Professions (all ranked in the Top 20 by US News).

Pitt (the university) has been able to attract some of the best professors, students etc. in the Health Professions partly because of its affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

UPMC is a $16 billion integrated global Health System that has over 80,000 employees
and 35 Hospitals. UPMC is ranked 12th (US News) nationally among the best hospitals. UPMC is the largest employer in Pennsylvania and contributes approximately $150 million annually to the University (Medical school, health programs etc.). No Big Ten Medical School is ranked higher than Pitt's Medical School according to the latest US News ranking.
In the ACC, only Duke Medical school is ranked higher. However, one can debate the accuracy of any ranking system.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[sct1111]

I don't think it works that way.

To be sure Rutgers has a very good School of Pharmacy. However, unless Rutgers has a direct affiliation (major contributions, shared facilities, research etc.) with all the private pharmaceutical companies, the fact that they are located near has little bearing on the quality of the programs. Schools are ranked on the quality of professors, students, facilities, research etc.

Pitt for example has many good (like Rutgers) Graduate Programs but outstanding Programs in all the Health Professions (all ranked in the Top 20 by US News).

Pitt (the university) has been able to attract some of the best professors, students etc. in the Health Professions partly because of its affiliation with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC).

UPMC is a $16 billion integrated global Health System that has over 80,000 employees
and 35 Hospitals. UPMC is ranked 12th (US News) nationally among the best hospitals. UPMC is the largest employer in Pennsylvania and contributes approximately $150 million annually to the University (Medical school, health programs etc.). No Big Ten Medical School is ranked higher than Pitt's Medical School according to the latest US News ranking.
In the ACC, only Duke Medical school is ranked higher. However, one can debate the accuracy of any ranking system.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

The point is I'm surprised Rutgers hasn't been able to take advantage of all the huge pharmaceutical companies in the area. Johnson and Johnson is the largest, most profitable IN THE WORLD and it's headquarters are literally right next to Rutgers' flagship building in New Brunswick. Why doesn't Rutgers have a significant partnership with them? Or how about Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb, Colgate Palmolive? All of them literally surround the Rutgers campus.

Rutgers' medical schools and RWJBarnabas are soon all going to be under the umbrella of 'Rutgers Health'. It will be larger than the UPMC system.

 

[Panthergrowl13]

It is truly fortunate that Rutgers is situated near the largest drug companies in the world.

If Rutgers can forge partnerships (financial contributions, research etc), with some/all would be a significant advantage to the University.

As for the scope and size of UPMC compared to RWJBarnabas Health System, I believe RWJB will still be significantly smaller than UPMC.

RWJBarnabas Health System combined will have $4.5 billion in annual revenues and reach 5 million people (over half of NJ population) and employ 32,000. The system will include 11 acute care hospitals and other facilities. At least, this is the information I have. My previous post detailed the size of UPMC.

In any event, Rutgers is in an excellent position to move forward in becoming a Top Ranked University in providing Health Science Education, Research, Health Care Services etc.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[RUNVA]

I do a tremendous amount of work overseas and they very rarely use USN. Employers feel that some of the feed back is a popularity contest. I know the group I have been working with uses the Singapore Ranking. Not sure of any of the schools mention above ranking within the system, but everyone has their own litmus test.

 

[RU MAN]

I do a tremendous amount of work overseas and they very rarely use USN. Employers feel that some of the feed back is a popularity contest. I know the group I have been working with uses the Singapore Ranking. Not sure of any of the schools mention above ranking within the system, but everyone has their own litmus test.

Do you mean the Shanghai rankings?

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Thought I would also add West Virginia University to the comparison of schools in the above mentioned US News Americas Best Graduate Schools Ranking 2019.

WVU is close to Pitt and a number of New Jersey students matriculate there.

West Virginia University Rankings:

Law: 106
Medicine/ Research: 86
Medicine/ Primary Care: 58
Engineering: 127
Business: Unranked
Education: Unranked
Nursing (DNP): Unranked
Pharmacy: 36

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[Panthergrowl13]

Since I started this Thread relating to University Rankings, I just read that Carnegie Mellon University (Ranked #1 in Computer Sciences) will now offer the first bachelor's degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The words artificial intelligence have gained heightened visibility in society, given rapidly accelerating technological advances and growing ways and demand to apply large amounts of data in varied fields.

Makes sense that CMU a campus that knows a thing or two about computing and machine learning would resolve to be ahead of the curve.

Officials with the university and its School of Computer Science announced on Thursday what they say is the nation's first undergraduate degree program in Artificial Intelligence (AI). I guess it is just a matter of time before other schools will follow with their own AI degree programs.

Also on Thursday Lester Holt (NBC News Crew) was in Pittsburgh for the 6:30 national News Broadcast and while finishing broadcast at rivers edge a floating "Tiki Bar" sailed by. LOL This summer you and a group of your friends can rent a floating "Tiki Bar" and enjoy your favorite Tropical Drinks while touring Pittsburgh on the River.

In the future, I would hope to see Pitt and Rutgers schedule (one and one) OOC Football Game. Then you guys can have your tailgating party on a floating Tiki Bar before going to Heinz Field.

HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[RUinFla]

The rankings cited by Panthergrowl show a major improvement for Md University. They almost lost their accreditation in I think it was the 80's. Was working and living in the MD-DC areas then, and reading about it in the Washington Post. Props to them--UM was not well regarded in those days. Now they rank higher than we do in many grad school areas.
TL

 

[RU-ROCS]

The rankings cited by Panthergrowl show a major improvement for Md University. They almost lost their accreditation in I think it was the 80's. Was working and living in the MD-DC areas then, and reading about it in the Washington Post. Props to them--UM was not well regarded in those days. Now they rank higher than we do in many grad school areas.
TL

My youngest son goes to MD. I don;t know if they've found a way to rig the graduate rankings, but they do rig the undergrad rankings with USNWR. MD has recently taken a large number of incoming freshmen that they defer to their night program so they don't count against their incoming freshmen class statistics. They live on campus, and are in every other respect like any freshman, Most of those kids go on to matriculate and get 4 year degrees, but it games their numbers.

 

[RUnTeX]

My youngest son goes to MD. I don;t know if they've found a way to rig the graduate rankings, but they do rig the undergrad rankings with USNWR. MD has recently taken a large number of incoming freshmen that they defer to their night program so they don't count against their incoming freshmen class statistics. They live on campus, and are in every other respect like any freshman, Most of those kids go on to matriculate and get 4 year degrees, but it games their numbers.

Interesting to hear this as I was not aware of this manipulation. Would be curious to read more about this evening program if you have a link. I live in MD now but hadn't caught on to this as I'm not plugged in that closely and we are still more than a decade away from college stuff for our young son.

But it may be kind of like the former University College at Rutgers for non-traditional/evening/part-time students back when there were still the four (RC, LC, DC, UC) separate liberal arts & sciences colleges at New Brunswick. Quite a few football players and other scholarship student athletes matriculated through UC and likely not by choice. It may have facilitated class registrations and certain scheduling challenges due to varsity sport commitments but it still was likely used as a workaround for admissions purposes in some cases. That said, for non-athletes during those days, I'm not sure Rutgers ever utilized UC in a way that benefited incoming class profiles because the admissions stats were compartmentalized separately by each college. If anything, traditional applicants who might be marginal for RC/LC/DC probably had to be resourceful and creative enough on their own (and swallow their pride a bit), while not being specifically encouraged by RU admissions, to recognize that they might have an easier path to admission by applying to UC (in addition to, or instead of, the others) in order to get into RU-NB.

Nowadays, only a vestige of UC at NB still exists in what is apparently just an advisory/support capacity for non-traditional students but is obviously no longer a degree-granting academic unit since the consolidation into SAS about a decade ago, when all four of RC, LC, DC, and UC were folded into the single school. However, the UC units at Newark and Camden still continue to this day as degree-granting units on those campuses even though they've historically had the NCAS and CCAS units, respectively.

 

[RU-ROCS]

Interesting to hear this as I was not aware of this manipulation. Would be curious to read more about this evening program if you have a link. I live in MD now but hadn't caught on to this as I'm not plugged in that closely and we are still more than a decade away from college stuff for our young son.

But it may be kind of like the former University College at Rutgers for non-traditional/evening/part-time students back when there were still the four (RC, LC, DC, UC) separate liberal arts & sciences colleges at New Brunswick. Quite a few football players and other scholarship student athletes matriculated through UC and likely not by choice. It may have facilitated class registrations and certain scheduling challenges due to varsity sport commitments but it still was likely used as a workaround for admissions purposes in some cases. That said, for non-athletes during those days, I'm not sure Rutgers ever utilized UC in a way that benefited incoming class profiles because the admissions stats were compartmentalized separately by each college. If anything, traditional applicants who might be marginal for RC/LC/DC probably had to be resourceful and creative enough on their own (and swallow their pride a bit), while not being specifically encouraged by RU admissions, to recognize that they might have an easier path to admission by applying to UC (in addition to, or instead of, the others) in order to get into RU-NB.

Nowadays, only a vestige of UC at NB still exists in what is apparently just an advisory/support capacity for non-traditional students but is obviously no longer a degree-granting academic unit since the consolidation into SAS about a decade ago, when all four of RC, LC, DC, and UC were folded into the single school. However, the UC units at Newark and Camden still continue to this day as degree-granting units on those campuses even though they've historically had the NCAS and CCAS units, respectively.

Here you go: https://oes.umd.edu/incoming-current-visiting-students/freshmen-connection The program is called "Freshman Connection." Several of my sons' NJ high school classmates were admitted to U. MD through this program. It seems especially popular for admitting out-of-state residents who pay much higher tuition, but who might fall below MD's targeted GPA and test scores. While the University touts other reasons for its existence, it is pretty obvious to me it is used to keep enrollment constant, while goosing the admissions statistics because USNWR only counts students who are regularly admitted in the Fall, whereas these students - although they arrive in the Fall - are technically Spring admissions.

 

[retired711]

Wasn't the law school 60 something last year? @camdenlawprof

I don't think so.

 

[RU-ROCS]

I don't think so.

Yes it was. Here’s the link: https://law.rutgers.edu/news/rutger...us-news-world-report-graduate-school-rankings These wild fluctuations really undermines the validity of these rankings. Yet, kids still rely on them.

 

[retired711]

Yes it was. Here’s the link: https://law.rutgers.edu/news/rutger...us-news-world-report-graduate-school-rankings These wild fluctuations really undermines the validity of these rankings. Yet, kids still rely on them.

Thanks for the correction. The rankings are based on raw scores, which are often just a point or two away from each other. It's easy to go up or down a pretty long way without any real difference.

 

[RUnTeX]

Here you go: https://oes.umd.edu/incoming-current-visiting-students/freshmen-connection The program is called "Freshman Connection." Several of my sons' NJ high school classmates were admitted to U. MD through this program. It seems especially popular for admitting out-of-state residents who pay much higher tuition, but who might fall below MD's targeted GPA and test scores. While the University touts other reasons for its existence, it is pretty obvious to me it is used to keep enrollment constant, while goosing the admissions statistics because USNWR only counts students who are regularly admitted in the Fall, whereas these students - although they arrive in the Fall - are technically Spring admissions.

Thanks for the link. So if this program allows UMCP to exclude marginal admits from their admissions profile data/reporting that feeds into rankings, that really is a deceptive approach. Why else have a deferred admission while the intent is on keeping those spring admits on the same track and progress as their fall counterparts by letting them enroll/register in the fall anyway?

It doesn't appear to be a probationary admission, whereby the students have to achieve a minimum academic threshold to demonstrate they deserve to continue on. It's also not an enrollment management trick in a way that mitigates impact on campus resources, rather the opposite it seems.

The profiles of the admits of this program must be combined with spring term transfer students which doesn't carry as much weight in college rankings I believe. You have to give them credit for getting creative in order to game the system.

 

[retired711]

Thanks for the link. So if this program allows UMCP to exclude marginal admits from their admissions profile data/reporting that feeds into rankings, that really is a deceptive approach. Why else have a deferred admission while the intent is on keeping those spring admits on the same track and progress as their fall counterparts by letting them enroll/register in the fall anyway?

It doesn't appear to be a probationary admission, whereby the students have to achieve a minimum academic threshold to demonstrate they deserve to continue on. It's also not an enrollment management trick in a way that mitigates impact on campus resources, rather the opposite it seems.

The profiles of the admits of this program must be combined with spring term transfer students which doesn't carry as much weight in college rankings I believe. You have to give them credit for getting creative in order to game the system.

I don't know enough about the situation to know whether USNR allows this scam. I can tell you that Rutgers Law-Newark tried it, and USNR cracked down afterward. Rutgers Law Newark claimed that all of its minority admits were not really admits. That's why Rutgers Law Newark got such a high USNR rating one year.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

I don't know enough about the situation to know whether USNR allows this scam. I can tell you that Rutgers Law-Newark tried it, and USNR cracked down afterward. Rutgers Law Newark claimed that all of its minority admits were not really admits. That's why Rutgers Law Newark got such a high USNR rating one year.

The merger killed that program, right? NLaw's use of that program was borderline criminal.

 

[RUnTeX]

The merger killed that program, right? NLaw's use of that program was borderline criminal.

Not sure on the answer to your question but I thought I remember reading somewhere quite recently (alumni magazine perhaps?) wherein, not surprisingly, Rutgers was touting the success of that program and how it was a pioneering approach in legal education when introduced. I have no idea either way but sure seemed like a feel good story for facilitating minority enrollment into an otherwise overwhelmingly white program prior to that. So what's the real story as far as being "borderline criminal" as you say?