An open-door admissions policy at the University of Arizona continues to hinder its national academic profile, according to rankings released in U.S. News & World Report.

In the "America's Best Colleges 2005" issue of U.S. News & World Report, the UA is ranked 46th in the nation's top 50 public universities. When private institutions like Yale and Dartmouth are included in the survey, the UA ranks 98th for national undergraduate programs.

Considered to be the gold standard for rating colleges, the annual guide by U.S. News recognized the UA in several categories including peer assessment and percentage of full-time faculty.

However, the UA received a low rating from the report, which cited the UA's graduation rate as one weakness.

Provost George Davis acknowledged the UA has problem in its graduation rate.

"We recognize the opportunity to improve," Davis said.

Davis explained that part of the criticism stems from the current open-door admissions policy the UA has. The UA currently accepts students in the top 50 percent of their graduating class.

Davis said some students are not well prepared for higher education. Because the UA is not as selective as other peer institutions, the UA has a low rating in the graduation rate category by comparison.

"We get hammered," said Davis of the category's effect on the overall ranking.

Davis said the UA would be moving toward a tighter standard in 2006. Beginning in fall 2006, UA will start accepting only students in the top 25 percentile of their graduating class.

Davis said he feels this change in the admissions policy as well as a restructuring of the undergraduate system will help the UA's future rating.

"It will make a noticeable difference," Davis said.

The Eller College of Management was given high accolades by the report. It moved from 14th to 12th in a nationwide ranking of the best public business programs. Against private business programs like those of MIT and Carnegie Mellon University, Eller is ranked 20th overall. Last year, Eller was ranked 14th in public business programs.

"These are really good things for Eller College," said Davis.

Several programs in Eller continued to rise in U.S. News rankings. The Karl Eller Center/McGuire Entrepreneurship Program was ranked fifth in the nation among public programs, and ninth overall. This was the first year the program was ranked in the top 10.

The Management Information Systems program was ranked third nationally, moving up from fifth last year.

The MIS program has consistently ranked in the top five such programs since the rankings started in 1989.

The marketing program in Eller was ranked 18th, and its accounting program was ranked 21st.

Interim dean of the Eller College, Ken Smith, said he is quite pleased with the rankings.

Smith said an important part of the U.S. News ranking is peer review. How peer institutions view and rate the UA undergraduate programs is worth 25 percent of the entire rating.

"It's all based on reputation," Smith said.

Smith credits the Eller's experiential teaching techniques as part of the success of the programs. He cited two examples: the college's focus on academic integrity and ethical behavior called "E-tegrity," and its program requiring applicants to interview with the department prior to admission to Eller. Smith said their reputation among peers has encouraged other universities to start similar programs.

"They are seeing us as doing innovative things," Smith said.