The U.S. News & World Report released Friday that four of MSU's colleges are among the top 25 schools in the nation - a refreshing reminder this campus is a place for quality higher education.
In light of the university community's recent press for a weekend riot, playing the stage for a Girls Gone Wild stunt and being announced as a destination for a Playboy college photo shoot, it's comforting to know the university is gaining recognition for things other than earning points on the Princeton Review's top 20 party school list, where it places on a regular basis.
In all, 17 MSU graduate programs were included in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, and six Spartan colleges made the top 50.
In addition, the College of Education's elementary and secondary education programs topped their respective lists for the ninth year in a row. The college ranked 15th overall.
U.S. News & World Report collects statistical data and surveys from faculty and professionals to rank the nation's universities each spring.
University officials say rankings such as U.S. News & World Report's are more reliable than surveys such as the Princeton Review because they rely on more creditable data.
Quality data aside, any review that ranks a university among the top in the nation is noticeable and has some effect on public opinion.
That is why U.S. News & World Report's findings couldn't have been released at a better time to remind students and university supporters as to what one of the nation's top research institutions is truly about.
Nevertheless, MSU has more than enough criteria to base its success on other than surveys.
"We pride ourselves on providing physicians for the state of Michigan," said William Strampel, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine. "The better the class, the better the care."
While rankings such as U.S. News & World Report's always are welcome to help schools assess their progress, other people's opinions should always be taken with a grain of salt.
MSU's success as shown by the U.S. News & World report's spring ranking is a healthy reminder of the university's commitment to its scholarly mission.
Despite the recent riots, MSU is a respectable institution from which any graduate should be proud to hold his or her degree high.
MSU, like any other large community, comes with the good and bad. But here in Spartan Country, the good vastly outweighs the bad even if the news doesn't always show it.
