Brown ranked 14th in the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report's annual ranking of colleges and universities, up one notch from the No. 15 slot it held in 2005 and 2006.
Princeton, Harvard, Yale and Stanford universities claimed the top four spots in the ranking.
According to the Princeton Review, the University no longer has the happiest students in the country - Brown fell to the No. 2 position in the test prep company's annual ranking of happiest college students nationwide. Whitman College, located in Walla Walla, Wash., moved to the top of that list. Clemson, Princeton and Stanford universities trailed Brown in the happiest student ranking.
Princeton Review also ranked the University as the sixth most selective college in the country, fifth for best radio station and 13th for best college theater program.
Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Michael Chapman noted that it was "very nice to be recognized by our peers in the rankings," but added that the U.S. News rankings measure only a small portion of a university's qualities.
Several Brown students were of the same opinion when asked about the two surveys. A variety of other factors contributed to their decision to come to the University, they said.
"I saw the rankings. I did pay attention, but I based (my decision to come) on what I wanted to study," said Eric Shu '11, who said he was attracted to Brown because of its strong academic programs.
Sam Holzman '11 said he too put little stock in the U.S. News rankings. "I think (prospective students) take the rating system with a grain of salt, but in the other direction," said Holzman, noting that most students devise their own more accurate rating systems. He added emphatically, "Brown is No. 1."
Jose Morillo '11 said he doesn't think some of the survey's criteria are relevant when considering a school. "When you look into it, endowment is a bad way of classifying a school," he said.
Brown also made significant gains in this year's U.S. News rankings for selectivity and alumni giving.
Alumni donation participation climbed 6 percent this year, said Ronald Vanden Dorpel MA'71, senior vice president for University advancement, who added that this boost will not be reflected in the U.S. News rankings until next year. This year's U.S. News alumni participation ranking was based on the previous two years, Vanden Dorpel said.
Brown also climbed in the financial resources category from No. 27 last year to No. 24, thanks to the success of the Campaign for Academic Enrichment in boosting the University's endowment. The $1.4-billion fundraising drive reached the $1-billion mark last June.
A university's financial resources rank makes up 10 percent of its overall ranking. Twenty-five percent is based on a survey in which each university is asked to rank itself among its peers.
Vanden Dorpel said Brown has experienced growth in every ranking category except peer assessment.
The U.S. News ranking system stirred up controversy again this year when it declined to rank Sarah Lawrence College after the Bronxville, N.Y., college stopped requiring the SAT for admission. The report has often garnered criticism because of its inability to rank a university's intangible elements, such as student life and the feel of the campus.
The report also drew headlines because of the record number of colleges that declined to participate. The number of respondents fell from 56 percent of schools surveyed last year to 51 percent this year, according to Inside HigherEd. Brian Kelly, the top editor at U.S. News, told Inside HigherEd that he didn't know exactly why the drop had occurred.
