University Times

Pitt ranks among the top American research universities, according to the 2009 report of the Center for Measuring University Performance released last week.

According to the report, in addition to publicly available data, the center “relies heavily on the initiative and insights of its advisory board and draws on the insights and recommendations of many colleagues throughout the country who contribute data, information and perspective.”

The 2009 report includes only those institutions with at least $40 million in research expenditures in fiscal year 2007; 160 institutions — 113 public and 47 private — met the criteria for FY07. According to the report authors, these 160 schools account for about 90 percent of all reported academic federal research expenditures.

The listing identifies 52 institutions (27 private and 25 public) that rank in the top 25 nationally on at least one of nine measures related to financial support, faculty or students.

Pitt ranked in the top 25 research universities nationwide in four of the nine measures: No. 12 in postdoctoral appointees, with 846; No. 13 in federal research dollars, with $441 million; No. 18 in total research dollars, with more than $558.6 million in FY07, and No. 19 in faculty awards, with 28.

Pitt ranked in the top 26-50 in four measures: No. 29 in endowment assets with more than $2.3 billion; No. 29 in doctorates granted with 463; No. 42 in National Academy members with 25, and No. 49 in annual giving with nearly $127 million.

Pitt’s national rank for SAT or ACT range (560-660, 570-660) placed the University at No. 139 nationally.

Three institutions — Columbia, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford — were ranked in the top 25 in all nine measures. Harvard, Penn, Duke and Michigan-Ann Arbor were ranked in the top 25 in eight measures.

Among public research institutions, Pitt ranked in the top 25 in all nine measures: No. 6 in postdoctoral appointees; No. 7 in federal research; No. 8 in endowment assets; No. 10 in faculty awards; No. 12 in total research; No. 19 in doctorates granted; No. 22 in National Academy members; No. 25 in annual giving, and No. 25 in SAT/ACT range.

Joining Pitt in the group of public institutions with top 25 ranking in all nine measures were Berkeley, UCLA, Illinois/Urbana-Champaign, Michigan-Ann Arbor, North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Wisconsin-Madison.

Current and previous years’ report data are available in spreadsheet form at http://mup.asu.edu.

(For Pitt’s rankings in last year’s report, see May 14, 2009, University Times.)

—Peter Hart