LSU has moved up in the U.S. News & World Report’s prominent “Best Colleges 2011” rankings, which were published today.
The University is in a five-way tie for 124th place, up from 128th last year. LSU is in the top tier, which has expanded to 197 schools, for the third straight year.
The progress comes despite massive potential and already-realized cuts in state funding to the campus in the past year.
“We are pleased to once again be ranked in the top tier of America’s Best Colleges by U.S. News & World Report,” LSU Chancellor Michael Martin said in a news release. “Despite the budget crisis we are facing, LSU has stood out among its peers and has been recognized as one of the top institutions in the county. I commend our faculty, staff and students for their hard work during this tough time by continuing to strive for excellence every day in every way.”
The other schools that tied LSU for 124th are Colorado State University, Ohio University, Clarkson University (N.Y.) and University of St. Thomas (Minn.).
“This is a wonderful affirmation of the hard work of our students, faculty and staff,” LSU Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor John Maxwell Hamilton said in the same release. “But, it doesn’t take recent budget cuts into account. We may be in the top tier for now, but as LSU’s funding continues to wither, we may not be there for long.”
 
—-Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]