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IU Bloomington ranks high in U.S. News list of ‘Best Global Universities’

Nov 22, 2021

Indiana University Bloomington ranked high in business, economics, and arts and humanities in the recently released U.S. News & World Report “Best Global Universities” rankings.

A group of students wait to cross 10th street on the IU Bloomington campus.
IU Bloomington ranks 24th worldwide and 14th nationally in the economics and business category, thanks to the Department of Economics and the Kelley School of Business.Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University

The IU Bloomington campus ranks 24th worldwide and 14th nationally in the economics and business category, thanks to both the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Economics and the Kelley School of Business. The campus ranked 39th in the world for the arts and humanities category, good for 18th among U.S. institutions and ninth among public institutions in the U.S.

The Best Global Universities rank subject areas and universities overall across the world, based on academic research and reputation. Institutions from more than 90 countries are included.

The economics and business rankings differ from U.S. News’ other rankings of degree programs, primarily ranking business schools on the basis of faculty research and academic reputation. Methodology included measurements of papers that are among the top 1 percent cited, regional and international research reputation, and number of publications by faculty.

In addition to the overall rankings, IU economics and business research ranked third for programs at public U.S. universities and No. 1 in Indiana.

“This ranking reflects the meaningful and remarkable contributions that Kelley School faculty make each day to broadening knowledge and understanding through their research activities and their collaborations with colleagues worldwide,” said Idalene “Idie” Kesner, dean of the Kelley School and the Frank P. Popoff Chair of Strategic Management.

“In addition to these rankings, we hear from corporate partners who comment on how often our professors across business disciplines inform their companies’ strategies and operations and contribute to their success,” Kesner said. “And because faculty members’ research often is integrated into the courses they or others teach, their work ensures that our students stay on the cutting edge, preparing students to add value right away in their careers.”

Rick Van Kooten, executive dean of the IU College of Arts and Sciences and professor of physics, noted the broad scope of economic understanding fostered among faculty in the Department of Economics.

A student dances in the Conrad Prebys Amphitheater.
IU ranked 39th in the world, 18th in the nation and ninth among public institutions in the U.S. for the arts and humanities category.Photo by James Brosher, Indiana University

“The Department of Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences prides itself on the quality of its cutting-edge research and graduate education,” he said. “It is internationally recognized for its frontier research in areas such as macro- and monetary economics, financial econometrics, experimental economics, and international trade.

“The department maintains close connections to the Kelley School of Business in faculty research as well as graduate and undergraduate education. These deep connections exemplify the collaborative engagement between the College and the Kelley School.”

The Bloomington campus has a longstanding reputation for arts and humanities as a vital and thriving part of IU’s larger educational mission. This is exemplified by the Arts and Humanities Council, which brings together partners across campus and disciplines to best utilize what the campus has to offer. Among the numerous events every year are the First Thursdays Festivals, as well as gatherings and exhibitions at the new Gayle Karch Cook Center in Maxwell Hall.

“With the founding of the Arts and Humanities Council in 2015, we have been able to amplify our numerous strengths in research and teaching, and we have seen a phenomenal increase in external awards and recognition,” said Ed Comentale, associate vice provost and director of the IU Bloomington Arts and Humanities Council. “We have successfully combined top-notch scholarship with contemporary and relevant public programming to produce one of the most vibrant arts and humanities communities in the world. It is particularly important to note that our reputation extends from the local to the global, and from more established disciplines to cutting-edge work in fields such as public humanities and digital arts and humanities.”

The new rankings of business and economics programs were issued Oct. 26 with U.S. News’ Best Global Universities Rankings, and IU Bloomington ranked 141st among 1,750 top universities across Africa, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, Europe and Latin America. Other worldwide subject rankings of IU programs included 66th (tie) for gastroenterology and hepatology; 67th for social sciences and public health, and for psychiatry/psychology; and 89th for neuroscience and behavior.

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