In the U.S. News & World Report’s annual best university rankings published Tuesday, the University dropped three spots to No. 36 out of 436 national universities — tied with Boston College, Tufts University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The University’s rankings have fluctuated over the last few years. Currently ranked No. 12 in top public schools, the University was previously No. 9 in 2024, No. 12 in 2023, No. 13 in 2022 and No. 15 in 2021.
The Grainger College of Engineering was ranked No. 5 in the best undergraduate engineering programs, with the computer science program ranked No. 7. Several programs in the Gies College of Business — the No. 6 public business school — were in the top 10, including accounting as No. 1 and both marketing and insurance/risk management as No. 9. The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences houses the No. 8-ranked psychology program.
The report was launched in 1983 as a tool to support students and their families during their college search journeys. For this year’s rankings, 17 weighted categories of academic quality and graduate success are used to rank national universities, with student outcomes accounting for 52% of the total weight and peer assessment, faculty resources, financial resources, standardized tests and faculty research for the remainder.
