Newsweek and Kaplan’s, which traditionally has issued a list of top colleges, has unveiled a new series of 12 lists.
Tech made two of the rankings: No. 10 on the list of Top 25 Most Desirable Rural Schools and No. 19 on the list of Top 25 Most Desirable Small Schools. 

“We are gratified to see this recognition of our dedicated faculty and staff who work hard to make sure New Mexico Tech is a great school,” university President Dr. Daniel H. Lopez said. “Being ranked by Newsweek is more than just invaluable exposure. These lists show that our instruction is second-to-none and that a degree from Tech is a valuable commodity.”

Newsweek’s “desirability rankings” are based on admissions, test scores, endowment, student-to-faculty ratio, retention, as well as climate and the quality of facilities, housing, and dining.

	Newsweek's Top 10 Most            Desirable Rural Schools
	1    Dartmouth College 2    Williams College 3    Amherst College 4    Bowdoin College 5    Middlebury College 6    College of the Ozarks 7    Washington and Lee Univ. 8    Berea College 9    Carleton College 10  New Mexico Tech

Regarding the rankings of rural schools, the Newsweek website says, “There were lots of schools that offered a quintessential New England college experience like Dartmouth, Williams, Amherst, and Bowdoin, all well-regarded bastions of the liberal arts. Less familiar? College of the Ozarks, Berea College, and New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, all of which rank among the top 10 most desirable rural schools.”

The “Most Desirable Small School” list was designed to target the universities that produce the world's best minds. This ranking measured which schools draw the most competitive students and which produce the most intellectually high-achieving graduates. This ranking was based on data about which universities' graduates go on to become Nobel laureates, MacArthur "geniuses," or Guggenheim fellows, Rhodes Scholars, Fulbright Fellows and other top-notch scholars. 

However, the data point that most likely put Tech on this list was how many students get their doctoral degrees. National Science Foundation studies show that 8.7 percent of Tech bachelor’s degree graduates later earn a doctorate. That might not seem like a large percentage, but that ranks Tech as 15th in the nation and tops among public schools.

The rankings categories are tailored to address the concerns of prospective students and their parents in an increasingly complex admissions process, according to a Newsweek press release. 

Where to attend college is one of the most important personal decisions of a young person’s life and each student has individual values. Kaplan’s and Newsweek’s “Finding The Right College For You" highlights schools that offer special niches and qualities to accommodate student, the press release said.

The 168-page guide is available in bookstores and can also be ordered on Kaplan's website http://www.kaptest.com/store..
These latest rankings come on the heels of several other national rankings that include New Mexico Tech. 

The Princeton Review includes Tech in its “Best 373 Colleges” publication every year. 

The U.S. News & World Report includes Tech in its top 100 “Best Value Colleges” every year. Tech is also ranked as the No. 2 master's degree institution in the West in this ranking.

Forbes magazine recently included New Mexico Tech in its top 600+ universities. In the 2010 list, Tech was ranked #334 in the nation.

Kiplinger's includes New Mexico Tech in its Top 100 Best Value Universities. In this ranking, Tech ranks best for low tuition and average debt upon graduation (among the top 100).

In a 2008 study from the National Science Foundation, New Mexico Tech ranked No. 15 in the nation (and No. 1 among public schools) for the number of bachelor’s degree earners who later earn a doctoral degree.

“If New Mexico Tech qualifies for one national ranking, that’s a feather in our cap,” Lopez said. “The fact that Tech is included in every major national ranking just shows the quality of education students receive here and the high caliber of our faculty.”

-- NMT --

By Thomas Guengerich/New Mexico Tech