The US News and World Report ranked Brandeis University as the 31st best national university for 2007.The well-known and often-cited list moved Brandeis up three spots from last year.

Brandeis held the 31st position in 2002, the 32nd position in 2003 and 2004 and 34th place last year.

Brandeis is tied with the College of William and Mary, and is three spots ahead of NYU, Boston College, University of Rochester and University of Wisconsin, Madison.

"We feel very good about going up on the rankings. We feel it's remarkable how well we're competing with much older schools," Senior Vice President for Communications Lorna Miles said, referring further comment to Jean Eddy, the senior vice president for students and enrollment.

"I'm thrilled," Eddy said. ". It speaks to the kind of reputation that we are garnering, and when you go up three spots, you have to be happy."

The enthusiastic response of administrators varied greatly from previous on-the-record statements made by University officials about the rankings in previous years, when the result was more disappointing.

Sarah Parrott, director of research and planning, said last year after learning of the 2005 rankings that the U.S. News' rankings were invalid.

"This is essentially a popularity contest. This is what U.S. News calls their 'swimsuit issue'... This is a money-maker and it's at the expense of the colleges and universities," Parrott said.

When Eddy was asked why officials-including Parrott, who reports directly to Eddy-had previously discounted the ratings, Eddy said, "I don't believe [the rankings' methodology] are necessarily fair and well-balanced," but she said because the rankings are so widely known, Brandeis' place is still a big accomplishment.