The more things change, the more they stay the same-in the eyes of U.S. News & World Report, at least.
The magazine's influential annual rankings of American colleges and universities again ranked Duke No. 8 in the nation, the third consecutive year the University has held that spot.
"What I think is interesting is that there isn't much movement at the top," said Dean of Undergraduate Education Steve Nowicki. "There is little wrestling back and forth and I don't really know what that means, except to say that when you get into this big league, it's hard to change things when you get near the top."
Columbia University and the University of Chicago are tied with Duke.
The U.S. News & World Report ratings are a stark contrast with a set published this month by Forbes magazine. In those rankings, Duke landed a distant 80th.
"We're pleased to see Duke's faculty and students recognized for their excellence once again," Provost Peter Lange said in a statement. "We also are pleased to see Duke continuing to be cited so frequently in the magazine's 'programs to look for' because these reflect the University's wide-ranging efforts to provide undergraduates with a rich academic experience that encourages them to engage with societal issues."
U.S. News & World Report commended Duke for programs in four of eight categories: first-year experience, study abroad, service learning and writing in the disciplines. It was also ranked 12th in an index of "Best Values: Great schools at great prices."
Two engineering programs followed the University's lead in staying put. The Pratt School of Engineering remained tied at No. 25 among national universities with doctoral degrees, with the program in biomedical engineering retaining its rank of second in the nation.
After a rapid rise to the ranks of the nation's elite universities, Duke's ratings have stagnated somewhat in recent years. In 2006, the University was ranked fifth in the nation, and has been ranked as high as fourth during the last decade.
Rankings are a frequent target for criticism from administrators at Duke and nationwide, who argue that the methodologies are simplistic and that inflating their significance may make it harder for students to choose the right schools for them.
"It's not the rankings, it's that the rankings obscure what students should really be thinking about, which is what the school offers them uniquely," Nowicki said. "If you're in the top 30 or 40 you're at a good school."
He said the elements that define a student's experience-specific programs and opportunities, social life and more--are not represented in indices like the U.S. News & World Report rankings.
"The other thing about rankings, which was made clear by the Forbes ranking, is that they're essentially arbitrary," Nowicki added.
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