The Aug. 29 publication, which will be on newsstands Aug. 22,and on usnews.com Aug. 19, ranked USC 52nd among the nation's best public national universities, up four positions from last year. And the Moore School of Business was ranked 40th among the best undergraduate business programs, up one from last year.

Also, for the fourth year in a row, the University was cited for its outstanding programs for first-year students. USC was among 42 other schools lauded in "Programs To Look For," a section that highlights first-year programs that lead to student success.

And USC again solidified its reputation as the top school for international business education. U.S.News has ranked USC No. 1 in that specialty area every year since 1995.

The Moore School's undergraduate international business program leads New York University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of California at Berkeley. Earlier this year, the Moore School's graduate international business program was ranked No. 2 in the magazine.

USC's successful University 101 program began in 1972 to introduce first-year students to life at the University and increase retention. This year's listing of top first-year programs places USC among successful programs at Duke University, Princeton University, Stanford University, and the University of Michigan.

Among the criteria in the ranking of universities are acceptance and graduation rates, retention, class size, faculty resources, SAT scores, and alumni giving.

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