We're number uh... well, we're really not sure.

U.S. News & World Report released their annual university rankings today, and Oregon State University was relegated to the third tier. The third and fourth tier schools are not given actual numbers, but are arranged alphabetically and banished to the kiddie table at Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, OSU is receiving accolades for being a top research school, with "more than twice the research enterprises of all the other state universities combined," according to Rich Holdren, OSU senior associate vice president for research. Our little school is one of only two universities in the nation designated a land, sea, space and sun grant university, along with Cornell, which was #12 on the U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Reflecting this focus on science and research, PC Magazine recently ranked transparent transistors, developed by an Oregon State electronics engineer, as #6 on a list of "Coolest technologies you've never heard of."

In another numberless ranking, Oregon State also made the list of top 100 gay-friendly campuses in the nation published by The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students. We didn't make the top 20; those schools get numbers. But still, we could be #21!

Oregon State may not be granted a specific number, but it's still safe to say that the school is definitely not rank.