UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has been ranked among the best universities in the world for the quality of education of its students and the research prowess of its faculty.
Penn State ranked No. 43 worldwide in the recently released 2018/19 Center for World University Rankings (CWUR). In addition, Penn State ranked No. 30 among universities in the United States, out of a total of 213 U.S. universities included in the top 1,000.
“Penn State’s top 50 standing in the CWUR rankings is reflective of the high quality of research and teaching done by our world-class faculty,” said Michael Adewumi, vice provost for Global Programs at Penn State. “Penn State remains a destination of choice for students from around the world who are seeking top-notch academic programs and a community of leading scholars.”
According to CWUR’s website, the rankings grade universities on seven factors without relying on surveys and university data submissions: quality of teaching, alumni employment, quality of faculty, research output, quality publications, influence and citations. The rankings include the top 1,000 out of 18,000 universities worldwide.
For the 2018/19 rankings, CWUR changed the balance of its methodology to emphasize research; 70 percent of the total score now looks at research-related metrics, versus previous years’ 40 percent. The numbers represent a significant jump for Penn State: For the 2017/18 rankings, the University ranked No. 58 internationally and No. 36 in the U.S.
Penn State is a major, public, RU/VH (very high research activity) university serving Pennsylvania and the global community. Penn State’s research expenditures reached a record high of $863 million for the 2016-2017 fiscal year, an increase of $27 million, according to Vice President for Research Neil Sharkey. The total included $534 million in federal funds, and $329 million from a combination of private funders, the Commonwealth and University sources. Penn State is one of only two institutions in the nation accorded land grant, sea grant, sun grant, and space grant status.
The Center for World University Rankings, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, is a leading consulting organization providing policy advice, strategic insights, and consulting services to governments and universities to improve educational and research outcomes. CWUR’s rankings have been annually published since 2012.