Among 1,500 institutions, Arizona State University takes the No. 1 spot in the nation on the U.S. News and World Report Most Innovative Schools list. ASU has been the leading university each year the innovation category has been considered, ahead of both Stanford University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The rankings are based upon the institute's cutting-edge developments on campus, surveyed by college presidents, provosts and admission deans around the nation. “We do things differently, and we constantly try new approaches,” ASU President Michael M. Crow said.
Over the last few years, ASU has extended its global reach and resources through several online education platforms. ASU Online has branched out into multiple partnerships including the PLuS Alliance partnership, which deploys innovative research and online education linkages globally, the Starbucks College Achievement Plan's full tuition reimbursement for Starbucks employees who pursue an online degree through ASU, and an alternative entry into your first year of higher education with ASU's Global Freshman Academy (Update: Global Freshman Academy is now known as Universal Learner Courses.). Each partnership removes barriers for students to attend a national-ranked university.