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Facts

Science Rankings

A list of superlatives and rankings for the Eberly College of Science and Penn State University.

 

Current Rankings:

National Research Council 2011:

Penn State now ranks among the best universities in the basic sciences in the United States, according to a comprehensive study by the National Research Council. By any conservative analysis of this rigorous assessment, Penn State science ranks among the top 10 elite universities nationwide. All seven academic departments in the Eberly College of Science had exemplar ratings that placed them among the best doctoral programs in the nation.

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics ranks 4th
  • Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ranks 29th
  • Biology ranks 15th
  • Chemistry ranks 12th
  • Mathematics ranks 7th
  • Physics ranks 13th
  • Statistics ranks 9th

 

U.S. News & World Report America's Best Graduate Schools 2014

Top Programs in the Sciences

  • Biological Sciences

    Penn State tied for 42nd
  • Chemistry Penn State tied for 21st
  • Mathematics Penn State tied for 28th
  • Physics Penn State tied for 23rd
  • Physics Specialties: Cosmology/Relativity/Gravity

Penn State ranks 10th

  • Statistics Penn State tied for 20th

 

U.S. News & World Report America's Best Colleges 2010 (Undergraduate Programs)

  • Best National Universities

    Penn State tied for 47th nationally
  • Top 50 Public National Universities

    Penn State tied for 15th nationally

 

Academic Analytics

Individual Disciplines Rankings

  • Botany/Plant Biology

    Penn State ranks 5th
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics

    Penn State ranks 6th 

 

ISI Essential Science Indicators

  • Space Science: High Impact U.S. Universities

    Penn State ranks 5th (Number of citations/paper)

 

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine

  • "100 Best Values in Public Colleges"

    Value for in-state schools

    Penn State ranks 45th

Value for out-of-state schools

Penn State ranks 46th

  • "50 Smart Places to Live"

    State College, PA ranks 19th

 

National Science Foundation Student Fellowships

  • Penn State ranks 1st in Big Ten 

 

National Science Foundation University Research

  • Top Institutions in Total R&D Expenditures (Science and Engineering)

    Penn State ranks 9th
  • Top Institutions in Federal R&D Expenditures (Science and Engineering)

    Penn State ranks 16th 

 

Newsweek

  • "Top 50 Global Universities"

    Includes Penn State

 

U.S. Defense Department Contracts and Grants

  • Top Institutions in Awards for Basic and Applied Research

    Penn State ranks 6th