Part one in a four-part series
Quantifying QualityThis week, the 'DP' looks at the history and impact of the 'U.S. News' rankingsToday: Penn's rise through the rankingsTomorrow: An analysis of ranking criteriaWednesday: The history of the rankingsThursday: 'U.S. News' and lesser-ranked schools
Thought seven was a bit low for Penn?
Try 19.
That was the University's spot 19 years ago in the U.S. News & World Report national university rankings - and 24 years ago, it didn't even crack the top 20.
Yet by 2003, Penn ascended to No. 4, and it has remained comfortably close to that spot since.
For those who have been involved with Penn since the beginning of the ranking system, the University's increase reflects a major transformation within the school - although changes to the ranking criteria have played a role as well.
Sheldon Hackney, who served as Penn's president from 1981 to 1993, notes that the climb in rankings is largely correlated with specific efforts made during the time.
Significant changes, he said, included improved undergraduate teaching, an expanded college house system and closer interaction with the surrounding West Philadelphia neighborhood.
And though those factors didn't tie in directly to rankings criteria, they helped improve Penn's image in the minds of applicants.
"The word got out that Penn was a great place to be an undergraduate, and that word had to be based on student satisfaction," Hackney said.
When Hackney retired from the presidency, Penn was ranked No. 14.
It was under Hackney's successor, Penn President Judith Rodin - who served as president from 1994 to 2004 - that the University made its leap into the top 10.
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dennis DeTurck acknowledges Rodin's role in the increase.
"What she did was . take something that was already here, an attitude and talent and channel it . so that it became much more visible," DeTurck said.
That visibility received a boost from Penn's increased international involvement and higher pool of international students.
New academic programs, better faculty recruitment, increased financial aid and other factors were also enhanced over the past decade, Interim Dean of Admissions Eric Kaplan said.
The creation of the Penn Alexander school in 2001 was one example of a subtle change that helped the University's quality, according to DeTurck.
"It's not something that directly increased the perception, . but [it] has made a huge difference," DeTurck said, noting the improved neighborhood relations and added appeal of living near campus for professors with families.
Though Penn certainly has made comprehensive strides over the past two decades, some experts note that changes in ranking methodology have also affected Penn's status.
Hackney said that, at the beginning of the rankings, there was a large emphasis on per-student endowment and per-student expenditures.
Faculty and financial resources, as well as alumni giving, is still weighted in the rankings. However, endowments are no longer a direct factor.
That criterion change helped Penn, whose endowment of $6 billion pales in comparison to other top schools such as Harvard University, which flaunts an endowment of nearly $35 billion.
Though these tinkerings help to reinforce the conception that the U.S. News rankings are solely a numbers game, many who were with the University during the past couple of decades say that they witnessed a genuine change.
"I do believe . that Penn's rise in the rankings reflects a real increase in the quality of the undergraduate experience," Hackney said.
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