Arizona State University ranked nation’s top school in innovation

PHOENIX — Arizona State University has been ranked the most innovative school in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

The recently-released rankings place ASU at the top of the list, followed by schools like Stanford University, Duke University and Harvard University.

“We added this ranking so that college officials could pick schools that the public should be watching because of the cutting-edge changes being made on their campuses,” Robert Morse wrote in a description of the ranking’s methodology.

ASU received the largest number of nominations from college presidents, provosts and admissions deans who were asked for 10 schools that are “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities,” Morse wrote.

Last year, ASU partnered with Starbucks to offer free college education to Starbucks employees attending online classes, one of many new and innovative programs launched by the university, as first reported by ASU News.

Congrats to our education partner @ASU, named most innovative school http://t.co/TupIczpNLY by @USNews pic.twitter.com/QZ7eFBroXr

— Starbucks News (@Starbucksnews) September 9, 2015

ASU received the No. 129 ranking in the 2016 National Universities category that ranks colleges based on indicators such as graduation, financial resource and retention rates.

The university was also placed in the No. 62 spot in the Top Public Schools category.