DePaul University’s undergraduate program in the College of Commerce was ranked second among Illinois programs in a survey just released by BusinessWeek magazine.

DePaul’s program was ranked No. 71 with only the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign coming in higher among Illinois schools.  It was the first time that DePaul elected to participate in the survey, which reviewed 101 leading undergraduate businesses school programs throughout the United States.  Other Illinois schools included in the survey were the University of Illinois at Chicago, Loyola University Chicago and Northern Illinois University.

A key factor cited in DePaul’s strong showing was the quality of its instructional program which the survey gave a grade of A.

“We are thrilled with DePaul’s strong showing,” said College of Commerce Dean Ray Whittington.  “Teaching is central to our mission, so for our program to be commended for the strength of our teaching is especially gratifying.  We also were honored to be ranked ahead of many other top programs around the nation.”

Among undergraduate business specialties, DePaul's marketing program ranked 11th, corporate strategy 19th and financial management 21st.
 

The BusinessWeek ranking is the latest in a number of recognitions that DePaul’s College of Commerce has received in recent years.  In 2008, the school’s part-time master of business administration (MBA) program advanced three places to No. 6 in the annual U.S.News & World Report rankings.  DePaul’s entrepreneurship program is also among the highest-rated in the nation.

The DePaul College of Commerce’s undergraduate program, which enrolled 4,247 students in the 2008-2009 academic year, offers studies in accounting, finance, management, marketing, economics and real estate.  Graduates benefit from the College of Commerce’s 50,000-strong alumni network.  DePaul’s College of Commerce can be found on the Web at commerce.depaul.edu.