President William Perry is not fazed by Eastern slipping in the U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best Midwestern universities who offer undergraduate and master’s degrees.

Eastern dipped from 47th on the overall list in 2007 to 56th in 2008.

“We don’t do things here to affect rankings,” Perry said. “We do what we do here to give the best possible education.”

A student does not solely look at the rankings from reports when deciding where to go to college, Perry added.

“The key for me is to be always working to improve the quality of education the students get here. That’s the most important thing,” he said.

A total of 142 Midwestern universities were ranked for the 2008 U.S. News & World Report.

Eastern ranked 14th among the best Midwestern public universities in the report. They ranked 10th in 2007.

Eastern’s overall score was 43, which was the same in 2007.

The rankings are based on peer assessment, retention and graduation rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving.

Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, said a deadline issue might have affected the rankings.

She noted that Eastern’s faculty did not have a contract settled last year when the deadline for the data was due.

“The salaries we submitted last year to World News & Report did not reflect the raises they received,” Nilsen added.

According to the U.S. News & World Report’s description on how the rankings work, faculty resources – which includes faculty salary – makes up 20 percent of the ranking.

Eastern’s ranking has dropped steadily from the overall list from 2004. In 2004, Eastern ranked 31st on the overall list.

The university ranked 7th among the best Midwestern public universities in 2004.

“I’m not concerned because rankings do fluctuate from time to time,” Perry said.

Perry added that he would like to improve on one criteria of the ranking: improving alumni support.

If the alumni better supports the university, programs will be better funded, he said.

Perry stressed quality as an important aspect of the university, not where Eastern is ranked in reports.

“We can’t play to rankings,” he said. “What we have to do; play to quality.”

-For an explanation of the rankings, click here.

-For a list of the rankings, click here.