RPI web program rated tops in nation

TROY, N.Y. >> The Information Technology and Web Science program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been ranked No. 1 among 35 undergraduate programs at national colleges and universities by College Choice, a leading authority in college and university rankings and resources.

The ranking of the top 35 schools was based on each school’s reputation in the field and its return on investment. College Choice compiled data from U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics and PayScale.com, as well as a survey of freshmen attitudes about academic reputation, financial aid offerings and cost published by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. The survey also took into account graduate success rates in the post- college job market.

“We are delighted that the dedicated efforts of our ITWS leadership, instructional faculty and staff have achieved this high level of national recognition,” said Curt Breneman, dean of the School of Science at RPI, within which the program is housed. “Under the leadership of director and chaired professor Peter Fox, the ITWS program has set new standards of excellence, technical rigor and return on investment that underpin this ranking.”

Rensselaer first offered a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology in 1998, and in 2010 became the first university in the nation to offer an undergraduate degree program devoted to the emerging interdisciplinary field of Information Technology and Web Science. The program combines technical courses and courses in human computer interaction, the social implications of information technology, communications, management, leadership, team building and web science. Students can pair their degree with another field of study to form a dual major.