Krannert undergraduate program earns top 20 ranking

A grateful crowd of faculty, staff and students turned out in April to recognize the achievements of Rick Cosier before he handed the reins of the Krannert Dean’s Office to interim successor Jerry Lynch and began a six-month sabbatical. Cosier, who served the school as dean for about 11 years, will return to Purdue in January to continue as Leeds Professor of Management and serve as the Avrum and Joyce Gray Director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Discovery Park. (Photo by Andrew Hancock)

Krannert’s ongoing efforts to enhance the undergraduate learning experience were recently recognized by U.S.News & World Report, which ranked the school 19th overall among the nation’s best business programs as part the magazine’s annual “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook.

The ranking was an improvement from 2009, when Krannert ranked 21st overall. Several of the school’s concentration areas also moved up in this year’s specialty rankings, which were based on a spring 2010 survey of deans and department heads at accredited peer institutions and include only the undergraduate programs receiving the most votes.

Among the distinctions earned by Krannert were a ranking of third in production/operations management; fourth in quantitative analysis/methods; seventh in supply chain management/logistics; 12th in management information systems; 17th in management; and 10th overall among public universities.

“These acknowledgements show that the emphasis on student success in our strategic plan is paying off,” says Krannert interim dean Jerry Lynch. “Continuing improvements to our facilities, the outstanding work of our faculty, and the dedication of our staff are making a tangible difference in the lives of our undergraduates.”