Amid sanctions for performance inflation, U of I saw a 12-point drop in this year's U.S. News & World Report rankings.  (photo used under Creatived Commons courtesy flickr user ilovbutter)

 

By The Associated Press

 

CHAMPAIGN - The University of Illinois College of Law dropped 12 places to No. 47 in the country in this year's U.S. News & World Report rankings.

 

The drop comes less than a year after the law school was sanctioned for falsely inflating the performance of incoming students in data used to market the 

school.

 

U.S. News & World Report's Robert Morse said a key factor was a change in the way the magazine evaluated job-placement data.

 

Bruce Smith is dean of the law school. He said he is disappointed by the drop from 35 to 47. High U.S. News & World Report rankings are coveted by university leaders because they're widely used by students and parents.