NNY colleges do well in magazine's annual ranking

Clarkson University, St. Lawrence University and SUNY Potsdam received high marks from U.S. News & World Report again this year.

The magazine's annual "America's Best Colleges" guide includes rankings based on surveys of more than 1,400 four-year institutions.

Clarkson University, Potsdam, ranked No. 121 in the highest tier of national universities, up from No. 124 last year. Its undergraduate engineering program also was recognized as one of the best in the country, with a rank of 86.

"I think it reflects the dedication of our faculty and staff and their commitment to excellence, and the success of our graduates. Our continued rise emphasizes the direction the university is heading, so we're very pleased," said university President Anthony G. Collins. "U.S. News chooses one set of measures, and we can't shy away from that. I believe we educate our students to be driven by facts and data, and to improve upon the information provided to them."

In an op-ed written for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Mr. Collins has defended the magazine's ranking system against critics who say it is unfair and incomplete.

The college's business supply chain management program was listed as 13th in the nation, and Clarkson also was included in an "A+ Options for B Students" list.

"In many ways we believe that we create opportunities for what I would call the 'all-around student.' The SAT scores and success in coursework are not the only determinant of the success of an individual. We really cater to the whole student who believes education occurs both within the classroom and outside of it," Mr. Collins said.

St. Lawrence University, Canton, was in the No. 58 spot on the top liberal arts colleges list last year. It's in a similar place on the magazine's newest ranking compiled by high school counselors this year, at No. 57.

SLU also is ranked 60th in the nation for schools with the most students studying abroad, and the college is listed among institutions with the most students living on campus.

"It's an annual dilemma," college spokeswoman Macreena A. Doyle said of the rankings. "While it's certainly interesting to see what outside parties think, we don't feel that this is a thing people should be using necessarily even to decide what schools to look at."

The worth of a St. Lawrence education is simply subjective, Ms. Doyle said, and hard to quantify with numbers versus other schools.

"It's what's best for you. It's such a personal decision that that kind of ranking can't show," she said. "Students are very pleased with the education they participate in at St. Lawrence, and we're very pleased with that ranking."

SUNY Potsdam was listed among the 100 top private and public northern universities for the 10th year in a row.

"It is encouraging to know that all the efforts made by so many at SUNY Potsdam have been noticed and this has moved us to the top tier in the eyes of those at U.S. News & World Report," college President John F. Schwaller said in a statement. "While it is gratifying to be recognized as an exceptional regional university, our quality is reflected in more than just numbers or name recognition among a few."