If, as former President Calvin Coolidge said, the business of America is business, West Virginia University is in the blackacademically speaking.

WVU is ranked 129th among 183 schools for best undergraduate business programs, according to the 2007 edition ofAmericas Best Collegesby U.S.News&World Report. The University was tied with 21 other schools for the ranking.

Peer evaluation of accredited programs was the basis for the ranking, U.S. News said. Deans and senior faculty evaluated programs with which they are familiar in their respective disciplines.

There are 527 business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Of those, 440 are institutions with both graduate and undergraduate programs, and another 42 institutions have undergraduate programs only.

R. Stephen Sears, Milan Puskar Dean of the College of Business and Economics, said he is pleased with the reputation the college continues to have among its peers across the country.

Were pleased that weve maintained our rankings among the top business schools in the nation,Sears said.Were in the process of developing a strategic plan and brand image that will help us rise.

Other WVU highlights in the U.S. News rankings:

  • WVU is ranked in the third of four tiers among the nations best universities offering doctoral degrees. There is no second tier in these rankings, and the third and fourth tiers list the schools alphabetically. There are 248 universities that award doctoral degrees; WVU is the only university in West Virginia in these rankings.
  • WVU Institute of Technology is ranked in the third tier and WVU at Parkersburg in the fourth tier among the Souths best comprehensive colleges offering bachelors degrees.
  • WVU Tech is ranked 81st with 17 other schools for best undergraduate engineering programs at schools offering bachelors or masters degrees. Ninety-eight schools were included in the list.
  • Graduation rates, class sizes, acceptance rates, freshman retention rates and SAT /ACT scores were among the criteria U.S. News used in preparing overall rankings such as best universities and comprehensive colleges.
  • WVU was among the top 25 national universities with the least debt.

Americas Best Collegeshit the newsstands today (Aug. 21). The rankings are also available at the U.S. News Web site (USNews.com).