Here’s where Penn State ranked nationally in this year’s U.S. News and World Report
Penn State rose in nearly every major category in U.S. News & World Report’s latest Best Colleges Rankings — earning a top-30 spot among national public universities — but still trails its Big Ten peers when it comes to “value.”
The flagship campus at University Park tied for No. 28 nationally among public universities, a three-spot rise over last year. But, among schools with the “best value,” Pennsylvania’s land-grant university again finished dead-last in the Big Ten with a national ranking of No. 193 out of 211 schools.
Still, the U.S. News rankings, referred to as the “gold standard” of college rankings lists, saw Penn State rise in seven of the eight main categories that were also ranked last year. Penn State’s latest performance erased virtually all of last year’s losses, putting it more in line with 2021’s rankings when it reached No. 23 among public schools.
“Strong placements in rankings such as U.S. News are but one metric to show that we are succeeding in our mission as Pennsylvania’s flagship, land-grant, public research university,” Penn State executive vice president and provost Justin Schwartz said in a written statement. “A Penn State degree is highly regarded around the world.”
Among overall national rankings, Penn State placed a respectable No. 60 this year — an improvement over last year’s No. 77 and 2021’s No. 63. That moved it ahead of No. 67 Pitt.
In response to recent criticism, U.S. News changed the methodology this year with its “Best Colleges” rankings. New factors were added, such as whether graduates earned more than a typical high school grad, while other factors were removed — like the alumni giving rate and the high school class standing of new students. More than a dozen data points, such as student retention, were used.
When it came to “best value” schools, however, Penn State again faltered. According to U.S. News, that category is calculated based on academic quality, percentage of undergrads receiving scholarships, percentage who don’t have to pay back said scholarships and the average discount from a school’s sticker price. The higher the quality and the lower the cost, the better the “value.”
Only four Big Ten schools cracked the top 100 in “best value” in Northwestern (15), Purdue (62), Michigan (68) and Wisconsin (89). Although Penn State was last in the conference at No. 193, it wasn’t far behind No. 186 Ohio State.
Penn State also ranked last among 13 schools in Pennsylvania in best value. (Pitt was not ranked; Temple was No. 7 in the state and No. 70 nationally.)
For the full rankings, visit usnews.com/best-colleges.
Penn State Programs
Outside of the overall rankings, Penn State also fared well in multiple undergraduate program rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
Three programs saw modest gains compared to last year. Nursing rose eight spots to No. 31 — where it ranked in 2021 — while Engineering jumped three spots to No. 19 and Business improved two spots to No. 21.
Two newly rated programs by U.S. News, Economics and Psychology, finished in the middle-of-the-pack when it came to Penn State and the Big Ten. PSU was tied for No. 41 nationally in Economics — and No. 7 in the conference — while Psychology ranked No. 34 nationally and No. 8 in the Big Ten.
The only program that fell compared to last year was Computer Science, which dropped three spots to No. 40.
The methodology for program rankings varied — and was fully outlined in a 103-page document available to the media — but was mainly derived from the judgments of deans and senior faculty members at peer institutions.
Among other relevant rankings, Penn State finished tied for No. 36 in “Best Colleges for Veterans” and tied for No. 342 in “Top Performers on Social Mobility.” The social mobility rankings were actually an improvement over last year’s No. 401; the ranking takes into account graduation rates of Pell-awarded students and first-generation students.
Other Rankings Say ...
The latest U.S. News rankings should come as a welcome reprieve for Penn State officials, considering other recent rankings weren’t nearly as friendly.
Forbes recently ranked Penn State at No. 408 nationally among private and public schools, a 253-spot drop since 2021. And the Wall Street Journal released rankings earlier this month that put Penn State at No. 220 nationally.
Penn State officials have often said one simple set of rankings cannot tell the full story of a complex university. But university President Neeli Bendapudi has also acknowledged the perception of such rankings is important in attracting prospective students.
“Ultimately, each rankings organization uses measures it deems important, and there is wide variation in methodology and the kinds of data collected,” the university said in a statement. “We remain committed to excellence, to providing Pennsylvanians with access to a world-class education, and to our long-term partnership with the commonwealth.”
Where does Penn State rank among colleges in 2023? See what Forbes, WSJ & more have to say
All of PSU’s US News Rankings
Here’s a closer look at all of PSU’s rankings. Please note that a school might not be ranked if it does not offer a particular major or if it did not submit relevant information to U.S. News, among other reasons:
Best National Universities: t-60 (t-10th in Big Ten)
Best Public Schools (National Universities): t-28 (t-9th in Big Ten)
Best Value Schools (National Universities): 193 (14th in Big Ten)
Best Undergrad Nursing Programs: t-31 (t-9th in Big Ten)
Best Undergrad Teaching Programs: Unranked
Best Undergrad Engineering Programs: t-19 (t-6th in Big Ten)
Top Majors in Engineering Programs: Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical — t-15; Biological/Agricultural — t-10; Chemical — 16; Civil — 13; Computer — t-25; Electrical/Electronic/Communications — t-17; Environmental/Environmental Health — t-15; Industrial Manufacturing — 9; Materials; — 9; Mechanical — t-15.
Best Undergrad Business Programs: t-21 (t-6th in Big Ten)
Top Majors in Business Programs: Accounting — t-25; Finance — t-50; Management — t-17; Marketing — t-24; Production/Operations Management — 11; Supply Chain Management/Logistics — 8.
Best Undergrad Computer Science Programs: t-40 (9th in Big Ten)
Best Undergrad Economic Programs: t-41 (t-7th in Big Ten)
Best Undergrad Psychology Programs: t-34 (8th in Big Ten)
Most Innovative Schools (National Universities): Unranked
Best Colleges for Veterans (National Universities): t-36 (t-9th in Big Ten)
Best Performers on Social Mobility (National Universities): t-342 (11th in Big Ten)
