George Mason University’s tradition of innovation puts it on the same footing with Harvard and Cornell, among others, according to the 2017 U.S. News and World Report College rankings released Tuesday.
Mason is in a five-way tie for 14th place on the list of 29 innovative schools, along with University of Texas-Austin and Drexel. The innovation ranking is significant because it is based on nominations from top college officials. Schools are nominated for making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities, the website notes. In last year’s rankings, Mason was tied for 18th place on the list of innovative schools.
“We are a very young institution that has achieved national and international renown in record time,” said Mason President Ángel Cabrera. “We like to say that innovation is our tradition and it is through innovation that we manage to create value for our students and contribute to a vibrant economy in our community.”
Mason’s undergraduate engineering program was ranked 116 in a three-way tie with California State-Long Beach and Boise State out of 205 schools that offer doctorate programs.
Mason also was listed as one of the top 100 colleges for veterans.
On the overall national rankings, Mason ranked 143 out of 310 schools listed. Mason also tied for 71st place with Oregon State and Washington State out of 133 public schools ranked.
Get more details about Mason’s rankings here.