Troy, N.Y. - U.S. News & World Report once again places Rensselaer among the nation's top 50 universities. Rensselaer also ranks 29th in the "Best Values" among national universities, up from 34th last year.

Rensselaer's undergraduate engineering program continues to be rated among the top 20 in the nation, and five of the undergraduate engineering specialty programs are also highly ranked, including materials (15th), biomedical engineering (16th), mechanical engineering (16th), electrical/electronic/communications engineering (17th) and civil engineering (19th).

The rankings appear in the magazine's August 25 issue and in America's Best Colleges, the publication's guide for prospective college students and their parents.

"There is a renaissance under way at Rensselaer, a rebirth and re-emergence of the Institute as a leader in science, engineering, and technological education," President Shirley Ann Jackson said. "Rensselaer is proud of its ranking among the elite 50 universities in the nation, but the most important affirmation of the successful transformation under way is the number of stellar students who have chosen to come to Rensselaer this year."

Rensselaer's Class of 2007 has just arrived and is already breaking records. This year's incoming class of 1,356 freshmen represents record highs not only in the overall number of students, but also in the number of women. The class clearly reflects Rensselaer's continuing success in creating a welcoming environment for a much more diverse student body, with a 29 percent increase in the number of minority students and a 10 percent increase in women in just the last year.

"Students from around the country - and internationally - clearly see what Rensselaer is doing to provide a unique education for an equally unique and talented student body," Teresa Duffy, dean of enrollment management, said. "Students are energized by our new buildings, the faculty, and excited about the emerging research."

Rensselaer is making major investments in its research and educational facilities. Construction is well under way on the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies, which will open Fall 2004. Ground soon will be broken for the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). Final preparations also are under way for the new Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center, the Keck-Terahertz Lab, and the Social and Behavioral Research Laboratory. And, the Darrin Fresh Water Institute recently was renovated to accommodate students on-site, year-round.

"Rensselaer is rapidly expanding research in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and information technology. In the past five years Rensselaer's annual research awards have increased from $37 million to $64 million," Art Sanderson, vice president for research, said. "As research expands, our under-graduate and graduate students directly contribute to, and benefit from, the increased opportunity to experience the excitement of discovery, as well as the opportunity to move a concept from the laboratory to the marketplace."

Rensselaer also is making a major investment in its faculty. In the coming year, 40 new tenured and tenure-track faculty will join more than 500 faculty members already at Rensselaer. Over a three-year period, Rensselaer will have hired 127 new tenured and tenure-track faculty, nearly 70 of whom are in entirely new positions.

"This rapid growth in outstanding new faculty and particularly in new positions, which complement those already in place, is helping to solidify Rensselaer's place among the nation's top national research universities," said Rensselaer Provost G. P. "Bud" Peterson.

"We are making these investments in faculty, facilities, and research to give our students nothing less than a superb educational experience, expanding their sense of the infinite possibilities by offering a depth and breadth of academically challenging and personally stimulating programs. And, we want them to have fun," President Jackson said. "We are educating the next generation of leaders: innovators, entrepreneurs, creators, and thinkers who will meet the challenges of the 21st century."

Contact: Theresa Bourgeois
Phone: (518) 276-2840
E-mail: bourgt@rpi.edu