WPI, Clark lead local schools in U.S. News rankings

Photo/Grant Welker Worcester Polytechnic Institute was 59th among national universities, the highest among Central Massachusetts colleges, in the new U.S. News & World Report rankings.

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By Grant Welker

The annual rankings are in, and eight Central Massachusetts colleges made at least one list by the U.S. News & World Report released Monday.

In the overall category of national universities, Worcester Polytechnic Institute was 59th while Clark University in Worcester was 66th. Both moved up slots from last year as WPI was 61st and Clark was 81st.

The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester was 35th in the subset list of national liberal arts colleges.

Among public regional universities in the North, a category of nearly 200 schools, Framingham State University and Worcester State University tied for 34th. Fitchburg State University landed at 44th. Dean College in Franklin ranked 23rd among regional colleges in the North.

U.S. News & World Report rates schools based on a range of criteria, especially job outcomes for students, but also graduation and retention rates, class size, financial resources, standardized test scores, alumni donations, and peer assessment. Selectivity, or the rate of students who are accepted, was no longer considered starting this year.

The report ranked colleges by best value, and Central Massachusetts colleges showed up on those lists, as well. Among national universities, Clark was 32nd and WPI was 59th. Holy Cross ranked 75th among liberal arts colleges, and Assumption College in Worcester ranked 22nd for best value among regional universities in the North.

For high school counselors' top picks for students, WPI was 73rd among national universities and Clark was 108th. Holy Cross ranked 21st among liberal arts schools.

Assumption ranked 16th for best undergraduate teaching programs among regional universities in the North, and WPI ranked 59th for best undergraduate engineering program for colleges that have doctoral engineering programs.