Academy again ranks among best U.S. colleges Published Sept. 13, 2013 By John Van Winkle Air Force Academy Public Affairs COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AFNS) -- The U.S. Air Force Academy is one of the best educational institutions in the nation in several undergraduate academic categories, said the U.S. News & World Report 2014 Best Colleges report released Sept. 10. The Air Force's Academy has the fourth best undergraduate engineering program in the nation, tying with the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Mass., and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. "This list shows the Academy's breadth and depth of talent," said Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson. "Our faculty, staff and cadets are doing great things here as we strive to produce lieutenants for our nation. I'm very proud of our team -- this list is yet another indication of the quality of our institution, our Air Force and all the Academy has to offer." The Academy made several appearances on the list, including its second-place listing in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering for the 13th-consecutive year, and taking second place in electrical, electronic and communications engineering just behind the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology. The U.S. Military Academy ranked sixth in this category and the Naval Academy tied San Jose State for the eighth spot. In mechanical engineering, the Air Force's Academy ranked seventh with the U.S. Military Academy, tying Cooper Union for fifth. The Naval Academy took eighth place. The three main service academies dominated two other categories with the Academy ranking third in top public schools, the U.S. Naval Academy taking first place and the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., taking second place. In High School Counselor Rankings, the Academy placed third-best in the nation with the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy narrowly tying for first place. The Academy ranked 25th among national liberal arts colleges. The Academy has also been recognized for its business acumen in recent years. The institution ranks second in the undergraduate-only business program category, 19th in the schools of business offering only masters and undergraduate degrees category, and 86th among all schools of business. Each ranking is compiled using several factors: undergraduate academic reputation as determined by academic peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate performance and alumni donations. "This recognition is a direct reflection of both our committed faculty and our top-notch students and validates our learning-focused approach to teaching," said Brig. Gen. Andrew Armacost, Dean of the Faculty. "Specifically, our engineering and management programs were again highlighted as being among the very best in the nation. This well deserved recognition helps affirm that the Academy is preparing our nation's future Air Force officers to become leaders of character in our ever changing world." The student-faculty ratio at the Academy is 8:1. Classes average 20 cadets, and all faculty members are full-time employees. For more information, visit www.usnews.com/rankings.