UAkron Polymer Science ranked No. 1 by EduRank

AKRON—When it comes to polymers, the University of Akron is No. 1, at least according to EduRank.

That global ranking site recently named the school as the top university in the world for polymer science and plastics engineering.

"The school offers polymer research centers, testing facilities, workshops and laboratories equipped with advanced instrumentation and process capabilities right on the University of Akron's campus," Craig Menzemer, interim dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science, said in a statement. "Our faculty leaders prepare student researchers and post-docs to make a significant impact on the success of the region and the world."

Founded in 1939 as the United Synthetic Rubber Program, Akron's School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering offers master's and doctoral programs. The faculty, according to a UA news release, has more than 300 issued or pending patents, including some that have been commercialized worldwide.

EduRank's overall ranking methodology factors in research performance, non-academic prominence—including backlinks to a university from other sites—and an alumni score.

"In the evaluation, 31,128 research publications of our university were considered. Of these, 14,146 were in engineering and 9,477 were in material sciences," John Wiencek, UA executive vice president and provost, said in a statement. "Research publications from the University overall have been cited more than 760,492 times."