AU is now ranked No. 86 in the nation, according to the political magazine U.S. News and World Report. The university improved from last year's 99th place ranking, while its cross-town rival George Washington University fell one spot from 51 to 52.
Compared to schools in the area, including GW, Georgetown, Howard and Catholic universities, AU has the third best ranking. Georgetown is rated No. 25, Howard University No. 90, and Catholic University No. 111.
Each year, U.S. News surveys 1,400 schools and ranks the top 129 American universities and colleges. The point of the ranking is to "serve as an objective guide by which students and their parents can compare the academic quality of schools," according to the magazine.
Provost Neil Kerwin was thrilled that AU increased its standing in the annual ranking.
"I am delighted that yet another external source is acknowledging the type of progress this institution has been making over the decades," Kerwin said.
He also pointed out that AU has made many changes over the past few years and is an even better school than the magazine reported.
"I think the place has made remarkable progress. I think over the next few years, more of that news will play out," Kerwin said.
According to this year's rankings, the average high school GPA of AU freshmen was 3.4. The percentage of freshmen graduating from the top 10 percent of their class rose by five percentage points from last year, from 31 to 36 percent.
In 2003-04, AU received 10,282 applications, accepted 6,107 and enrolled 1,238 freshmen, making its overall acceptance rate 59%, the same as in 2002-03. Kerwin, who graduated from AU in 1971, said that the University's standards have improved immensely from when he was an undergraduate.
In particular, Kerwin pointed to higher academic standards, a better faculty and a broader geographic reach.
AU maintained its average freshmen retention rate of 86 percent from last year, but improved its SAT score in the 25th to 75th percentile from 1110-1320 to 1130-1320.
When compared to other local universities, Kerwin feels that AU stands on solid ground because of its uniqueness.
"We're all very different institutions. We're younger than GW and Georgetown. We have no medical school, we have no engineering school, and we're not religious in quite the same way as Georgetown and Catholic. In many ways, we're five distinct institutions."
Student Confederation President Polson Kanneth echoed Kerwin's words.
"As an AU student I think those schools are overrated. AU doesn't get the credit that it really deserves," Kanneth said.
Polson pointed to famous alumni such as NBC News correspondent David Gregory and director Barry Levinson as "high quality people who graduated and made real differences in politics and the media."
In comparison with area schools, AU had the lowest amount of classes with less than 20 students, at 38 percent. GW had the second lowest with 50 percent Howard had the highest with 64 percent, according to the magazine.
AU also had the third highest area ranking for tuition, topping out at $36,477. GW was the highest at $41,030 and Howard was the lowest at $17,515.
Alumni give an average of 15 percent to AU, up from 13 percent last year, according to The Eagle.
