U.S. News & World Report has named Auburn University's College of Education as one of "America's Best Graduate Schools." The 2011 survey placed Auburn in the top-25 percentile among 278 graduate schools, ranking number 66.
Michael Tullier, the director of external relations for the College of Education, said the recognition could help the college with financial support from the community and with future student recruitment.
"This is an indicator of the graduate program's quality," Tullier said. "The rankings hold insight for incoming students."
Auburn nationally ranks 46th among public institutions and holds the top honor among schools of education in Alabama.
The College of Education has placed in the top-25 percentile for the past four years.
According to the U.S. News & World Report website, a school's ranking is based on Graduate Record Examination scores, acceptance rates, research funding and faculty-to-doctoral student ratios.
Tullier said that Auburn's graduate school is unique in that its level of outreach is vast.
Professional development partners are important to the school, and Auburn partners with surrounding schools to give students hands-on experiences in classrooms.
Julie Rush, senior in early childhood education, recognized the significance of the graduate school on an undergraduate level.
"Most of my undergraduate career has been taught by graduate teaching assistants and doctorate students," Rush said. "They have actually taught classes and can help us as undergrads. Most professors haven't been in an early education setting as recently as graduate students, so that's beneficial for me."
The faculty-to-doctoral student ratios are roughly 20-25 students per faculty member, and the average GRE scores are in the upper 400s to lower 500s.
As a College of Education graduate student, T.J. Exford's experience has been a memorable one.
"Walking into Dr. Pascoe's lab the first day, I was so nervous," Exford said. "He showed me techniques on the equipment and just totally believed in me. He said, 'I won't ask you to do anything I don't think you could do.'"
Exford is now a second-year graduate student in the Department of Kinesiology and attributes part of her success to the Holmes Scholars Program, a program that financially supports graduate students.
The college's Department of Kinesiology is currently listed as number 28 in the country.
"The best thing is that most of my professors are actually teaching classes at outside schools," Rush said. "It's not intimidating. They are always open to allowing undergrads into the classroom to observe and gain experience."
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