Rankings

Magazine Makes It Official: Eastman Is ‘Hot’

When it comes to the best places to study music, the Eastman School is “hot.” That’s according to the latest “How to Get into College” guide published by Newsweek–Kaplan.

Eastman was one of 25 schools selected as noteworthy for offering top academic programs and also for generating “extra buzz” because of recent events or trendsetting initiatives.

The guide also noted that applications to Eastman were up 10 percent this year, more than the national average.

“This selection recognizes the innovative and dynamic opportunities Eastman students have for an unparalleled artistic and scholastic experience,” says Douglas Lowry, dean of the Eastman School. “It underscores our commitment to giving students a well-rounded education thoroughly grounded in the highest of musical values, yet vigorously presented in order to prepare them for their professional lives.”

The 2008 ranking by Newsweek is the second year in a row that the magazine has recognized Rochester. Last year, Newsweek named Rochester one of 25 “New Ivies,” noting that the programs and top students of the select group rival traditional Ivy League schools.

The University was one of only three institutions listed as a New Ivy and as a category leader this year in the “hottest” schools lists. The other two were UCLA (“hottest mega-university”) and the Claremont Colleges’ Claremont McKenna College (“hottest for election year”), while Harvey Mudd and Pomona were named New Ivies. The Newsweek–Kaplan lists are based on admissions statistics as well as interviews with administrators, students, faculty, and alumni.

The Newsweek ranking also comes as other listings place the University in elite company.

The latest college rankings from U.S News & World Report placed the University as 35th among the best national universities.

Separately, the Department of Political Science, one of the best-known programs in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, was ranked in the top five in two important national studies that measured the quality of job placements for Ph.D. graduates and how often their research was cited in academic journals. Rochester placed fourth in both studies.

Gerald Gamm, chair of political science and associate professor of political science and history, notes that only Rochester and Harvard made the top groups in key parts of each study. The studies were published in PS: Political Science and Politics in July.

In its guide, Newsweek–Kaplan cited Eastman students’ ability to take additional academic classes in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering and to participate in Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership.

“The relationship between Eastman and the College is an enormous benefit with great potential,” says President Joel Seligman. “And we are working to help our students find ways to gain even more synergy from that special relationship.”

In addition, the University was ranked 21st among U.S. universities in a global listing issued by the Times of London last fall.