By Betsy Hnath
Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã University has been named a Best National University by U.S. News & World Report.
The U.S. News rankings for 2019, released Sept. 10, placed Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã among the top 230 Best National Universities. It also was rated among Top Public Schools.
Two University undergraduate programs were also spotlighted in the annual report:
* Best Undergraduate Engineering Program
* Best Undergraduate Business Program
More than 1,800 colleges and universities were considered for U.S. News' yearly list and ranked according to factors ranging from graduation rates to alumni giving.
One measure added to this year's report is social mobility - a shift in social status as a result of a college education.
In a different set of rankings, CollegeNET's Social Mobility Index, Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã University is in the top 15 percent of nearly 1,400 schools nationwide for its success in providing affordable access and graduating students, someof whom are à£à£Ö±²¥Ðãally disadvantaged, into well-paying jobs.
ODU also hosted a Social Mobility Symposium in June, attracting thought leaders from across the country and from all sectors of higher education to discuss ways to better serve a diverse population of students.
"We are delighted that U.S. News & World Report has designated Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã among the top National Universities," said Ellen Neufeldt, vice president of student engagement and enrollment services. "Even more gratifying is the fact that U.S. News has begun considering social mobility, which has been a high priority for Old à£à£Ö±²¥Ðã for many years. ODU is proud to serve our talented students. Their success here will elevate their socioà£à£Ö±²¥Ðã status as well as strengthen the communities where they live."
In addition to U.S. News' latest rankings, several ODU online programs were recognized earlier this year:
* Best Online Information Technology Programs, information systems, computer science, computer engineering and software engineering;
* Best Online Engineering Programs;
* Best Online Nursing Programs;
* Best Online Bachelor's Programs;
* Best Online MBA Programs; and
* Best Online Education Programs.
ODU was also recently named one of the nation's top veteran-friendly universities by U.S Veterans Magazine and a 2018-2019 College of Distinction.
