search articles:     from the issue of September 9, 2004         UNL continues to climb various U.S. rankings UNL moved up four places in the National Universities-Doctoral category in the 2004 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges issue. UNL was 52nd in the nation among national public doctoral universities and 107th among all national doctoral universities, including private schools. Among the most important factors influencing these rankings are UNL’s freshman retention rate, which went up to 81 percent, compared to 80 percent a year earlier; the graduation rate (54 percent, up from 53 percent); and the percentage of freshmen who graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school class (26 percent, up from 24 percent the year before). Seventy-eight percent of students applying to UNL were accepted, down from 79 percent. UNL reduced the number of classes with fewer than 20 students at 36 percent. Other UNL rankings: • Kiplinger.com in 2004 listed UNL No. 56 in its top 100 colleges rankings. Kiplinger.com's rankings are based on data provided by more than 500 public, four-year colleges and universities. To narrow the list to the final 100, the magazine weighed quality measures including admission rates, student-faculty ratios, four- and six-year graduation rates, how much each college spends per student on instruction and how much each spends on maintaining its library resources. After the top 100 were selected on quality alone, they were ranked on a combination of quality and cost measures: total cost for in-state students, the average percentage of financial need met by aid, the average cost for students with need after subtracting grants (but not loans), the average cost for a student without need after subtracting merit-based grants and the average amount of debt a student accumulates before graduation. • UNL was named "One of America's 328 Most Interesting Colleges" by Kaplan. • Consumers Digest magazine in June listed UNL 20th in its "Top 50 Best Values for Public Colleges and Universities." The magazine used a formula to compile a value-index score for a list of quality institutions (similar to measures by U.S. News rankings) and calculated the academic value per dollar. UNL's value index was 95.0. • UNL was also singled out by scientists as one of the top research institutions, according to a survey by the international magazine The Scientist. The Oct. 20, 2003, issue of the magazine lists UNL as ninth of the top 10 institutions in its survey, "Best Places to Work in Academia." The non-scientific, Web-based survey was conducted by The Scientist in September 2003 and polled researchers on personal satisfaction with categories ranging from their interaction with peers, research resources, pay and benefits, teaching and mentoring opportunities, management, regulatory issues and others. In February 2003 UNL was listed by The Scientist as one of the top places to work for post-doctoral researchers. In that survey, UNL was ranked fifth among respondents as a "Best Place for Post-docs." • In April, the College of Business Administration's Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship program was listed in Entrepreneur magazine as one of the top 100 entrepreneurial programs in the country. Students in the program direct the ownership and management for the Capitol Corner Gift Shop at the State Capitol, the Dinosaurs, Etc., gift shop in Morrill Hall and The Daily Drip in the CBA building. A survey of graduates from the program showed that more than 50 successful companies have been launched by graduates in the past 10 years, adding more than $50 million and 400 jobs to the regional economy. GO TO: ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 9 NEWS HEADLINES FOR SEPTEMBER 9 Year in Review 2003-2004 Looking to the Future: New People, New Facilities - Construction brightens landscape and buildings Research and Discovery - Biological center studies vaccines for botulinum, Valley Fever Service to Our State - UNL unites to help storm victims Student Successes - 12 earn the nation's biggest academic honors Teaching Faculty & Program Successes - Grant funds Fosse study, leads to D.C. Teaching, Faculty & Program Successes - New college focuses on families, education The University from a National View - UNL 100 years of Extension 2 honored for research, creativity Academy praises film Architecture chapter is best in the country Broadcasting senior claims 2nd forensics title Center assists food companies for 20 years Company helps track mad cow disease Conference tackles water, law conflicts Duo looks into social impacts of infertility Feedlot has room to grow Future lawyers win national contest Graduate earns 1st degree in culinology Hanson gains USDA teaching award Helping parents prepare for school J.D. Edwards students create cattle-tracking software Nebraska Lectures return Now on NET: HDTV NU gains a new president, other leaders for new year Program creates tests to fight food allergens Ritchie's work earns NU honors Savory joins Academy Scientists' beef research earns international prize Statistics expands Tularemia examined as a bioterror threat UNL continues to climb various U.S. rankings UNL is a home for all things Lewis and Clark Work studies our unique Sandhills Zeng's discoveries lead to fellowship 731833S33584X