US News National Univ. Rankings - SMU #58

[Mustangs_Maroons]

SMU came in at #58 up from #62 from last year. We certainly still have room for improvement but at least it's moving in the right direction again after being 56 in 2011. We're the 3rd best ranked in Texas with Baylor a distant 4th. We need to strive to break into the top 50 in a few years and be in the top 2 in Texas. We're withing reach of UT-Austin at #46 but obviously still have a long way to go to catch up to Rice (#17).

[CalallenStang]

Where is A&M?

[Mustangs_Maroons]

Forgot about the Agriculture school. They're 4th - #65. I think they, like UT, benefit a lot from the public funding that goes into research, etc.

Link: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... iversities

[CalallenStang]

Forgot about the Agriculture school. They're 4th - #65. I think they, like UT, benefit a lot from the public funding that goes into research, etc.

Link: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandrevie ... iversities

Glad we are ahead of them again. Restoring the rightful order...now we need to get ahead of UT

[NavyCrimson]

M'Maroons: "... benefit a lot from the public funding that goes into research, etc."

"Public funding" is the key word here. LOL!!!

[StallionsModelT]

In 5 years SMU will pass Texas on this list.

[redpony]

However the drop of the b-school to below that of the f-aggies is totally unacceptable.

[StallionsModelT]

What's happened to the business and law schools recently? Both have been on the decline in these publications.

[NavyCrimson]

'ModelT: "What's happened to the business and law schools recently? Both have been on the decline in these publications."

Perhaps we should be more politically correct? You never know anymore??? LOL!!!

[CalallenStang]

The b-school typically ranks much higher in the BusinessWeek methodology than in the US News methodology. A couple of years ago, I believe our MBA program was ranked in the top 20 or 25 by business week and US News didn't rank it in the top 50.

The law school is being hurt by the bad legal market. SMU has long supplied lawyers to Dallas firms who still had positions filled after getting their fill of T-14 grads (traditionally they can't get many as T-14 grads tend to stay on the coasts) + UT law grads.

With the legal markets in NYC, DC, California, etc. taking huge hits in the current legal economy, more and more T-14 grads are looking to Dallas to find work. Since SMU is below T-14 schools in the pecking order, this means that there are fewer and fewer spots at top firms for SMU law grads. This affects the employment rate, average starting salary, and (indirectly) admissions statistics for the law school.

Schools that have done well in this economy are schools like the University of Washington and other state schools whose admissions statistics aren't hurt as badly by the lack of jobs for their graduates since the tuition (cost of attendance) is much lower at those schools.

[friarwolf]

What's happened to the business and law schools recently? Both have been on the decline in these publications.

Look to the deans of both schools. Marginal at best in both cases.

[Mustangs_Maroons]

What's happened to the business and law schools recently? Both have been on the decline in these publications.

Look to the deans of both schools. Marginal at best in both cases.

Completely agree, although Turner shares in the blame since he is ultimately responsible for the performance of both school and the achievements of both deans. IMHO, I think complacency has set in. Dean Niemi has been there for over 15 years. That is way too long. At most top schools, there is a maximum period (ie, 10 years) for deans precisely because new ideas and fresh thinking are important. If you stand still, you're subject to be overtaken - case in point, look at what Rice has done with their MBA program and they started in 1974!

[friarwolf]

Turner's biggest flaw is that he does not like to fire underperforming personnel..............

[S....M....U]

slowly climbing to the top

[tristatecoog]

Need the perception of higher ranking than A&M to be widely accepted. I guess people gravitate to low cost. SMU also has a much higher mix of out of state students which is awesome.

Regarding the b-school, I thought Niemi was well respected. He seems like a slick, chummy guy. I suppose he raises a lot of funds and contributes a lot to SMU's bottom line (e.g., new Masters in Finance program). I believe Business Week considers grad rankings while US News does not. SMU grads may have lower expectations than those from Top 20 schools.