Release Date: Thursday, April 4, 2002

UGA COLLEGES OF BUSINESS, EDUCATION AND LAW RANKED AMONG THE NATION'S BEST BY U.S. NEWS and WORLD REPORT

ATHENS, Ga. — The Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia posted the most dramatic move in its category in U.S. News and World Report's annual ranking of America's best graduate schools. The Terry College rose 16 spots, from 50th to 34th, tied with four other schools. Its MBA program is ranked 13th among public business schools.

"We're ecstatic," said Dean P. George Benson of the Terry College. "Our MBA program had the largest year-to-year improvement of any school in the ranking. And we're closing in on being one of the top 10 public business schools in the country, which is where we want to be.

"It's a credit to the quality of our students and the success our Career Services Office has had in working with corporate recruiters."

Two of the 10 factors used to rank the schools propelled the Terry College up the rankings: a substantial improvement in the MBA program's rating by corporate recruiters and higher average admission test scores for incoming students.

UGA's College of Education and School of Law are also ranked among the nation's top graduate schools. The College of Education is ranked 23rd overall, and several of its programs are ranked in the top 10: vocational/technical education (4th), secondary education (5th), elementary education (5th), curriculum/instruction (8th) and counseling/personnel services (9th).

"It is always gratifying to be recognized by your peers as one of the leading research colleges of education in the country," said Louis Castenell, dean of the College of Education. "These rankings reflect the commitment to excellence made by our faculty and students as we continue to earn credibility for our work not only in Georgia, but across the nation and around the world."

The UGA School of Law moved from 27th to 32nd in the 2003 rankings, but remains in the top 20 percent of all accredited law schools in the nation and is ranked 12th among public law schools and third in the southeast United States.

"We are a first-tier school that recruits quality students with superb credentials, maintains a strong faculty and enjoys a steadily improving reputation among lawyers and judges around the nation," said Dean David Shipley. "We offer students a tremendous legal education as is evidenced by our successful alumni. Our alums currently lead all three branches of Georgia's government, 11 are listed on Georgia Trend's 2002 list of Most Influential Georgians, and they are leaders in the judiciary, the legal profession, the business community, and civic and public affairs."

U.S. News also ranks a different set of specific programs each year. UGA's programs in biological sciences (54th) and psychology (73rd) are ranked in the top 100 such programs.

"We are very pleased that two of our programs are included in these rankings," said Wyatt Anderson, dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "This is a tribute to the faculty, students and staff who have worked hard to make education a top priority at the University of Georgia."

The rankings appear in the 2003 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools" and will be available online at www.usnews.com and at newsstands April 8. The magazine uses a combination of such factors as academic reputation, student selectivity, placement success, faculty resources and research activity to rank graduate schools.

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