[threepointer]

https://www.aau.edu/who-we-are/membership-policy

The Association of American Universities (the “Association”) is an association of leading comprehensive research universities distinguished by the breadth and quality of their programs of (a) academic research and scholarship and (b) graduate education. Membership in the association is by invitation. The Association maintains a standing Membership Committee, which periodically evaluates both non-member universities for possible membership and current members for continued membership, with the goal of ensuring that the Association in fact comprises comparable leading research-intensive universities.

Seems like USNWR is probably at best only loosely correlated with their criteria, which focuses on research prowess.

BC

Nebraska was booted from the AAU in 2011 - "The university lost its Association of American Universities membership in 2011, primarily for two reasons: its medical school is at the Omaha campus, not the flagship Lincoln campus; and it focuses heavily on agriculture research, which is not weighted as heavily in the AAU's eyes."

[threepointer]

https://www.aau.edu/who-we-are/membership-policy

The Association of American Universities (the “Association”) is an association of leading comprehensive research universities distinguished by the breadth and quality of their programs of (a) academic research and scholarship and (b) graduate education. Membership in the association is by invitation. The Association maintains a standing Membership Committee, which periodically evaluates both non-member universities for possible membership and current members for continued membership, with the goal of ensuring that the Association in fact comprises comparable leading research-intensive universities.

Seems like USNWR is probably at best only loosely correlated with their criteria, which focuses on research prowess.

BC

Nebraska was booted from the AAU in 2011 - "The university lost its Association of American Universities membership in 2011, primarily for two reasons: its medical school is at the Omaha campus, not the flagship Lincoln campus; and it focuses heavily on agriculture research, which is not weighted as heavily in the AAU's eyes."