The University of Scranton Opens “National” Era with US News

The University of Scranton has boldly entered the U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best colleges in the entire United States, further validating an historic Carnegie reclassification last year as a National University.

“Scranton has enjoyed an impressive run in the U.S. News Regional Universities in the North Rankings. This year, Scranton has moved up to the ‘National Universities’ U.S. News category, directly competing with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Notre Dame, Duke and Georgetown, and the country’s other most-distinguished academic universities,” said Rev. Joseph Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, at a campus celebration of Scranton’s new category and this year’s U.S. News rankings.

In the 2027 U.S. News “Best Colleges” ranking, Scranton tied for No. 137 in the National Universities category. The National Universities category is widely regarded as the premier grouping of American universities and includes more than 420 institutions.

While no single statistic determines an institution’s position in the rankings, which were released Tuesday, Sept. 22, Scranton performed exceptionally well in several indicators tied to educational quality and value as measured by student success.

• With 91% of Scranton graduates earning more than a typical high school graduate, the University ranks No. 47 in the graduate earnings category;
• The University ranks 73rd in earnings by major, a new category that evaluates graduates’ earnings four years after graduation and measures the value added by their degree;
• A 10.77-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio ranks No. 62;
• Holding a 73% predicted graduation rate and 82% six-year graduation rate, Scranton ranks No. 89 in the category measuring graduation rates.
• Named a “Best Value School (No. 148 nationally),” Scranton’s exceptional return on investment is reflected in its combination of academic quality, affordability and strong student outcomes.

Long recognized as one the best Regional Universities in the nation — ranking top 10 in the North for 32 consecutive years — Scranton’s evolving academic and research profile in recent years has aligned more closely with institutions in the National category. The University’s position among National Universities was confirmed earlier this year when the Carnegie Classification system, the widely used benchmark that evaluates and compares institutions, recognized it as such.

“We have always taken justifiable pride in the success of our students and the Catholic and Jesuit learning and living experience we offer to nurture their achievements,” Father Marina said. “I am delighted that this same commitment to helping our students achieve their dreams is now enjoying even greater national attention.”

U.S. News rankings are based on the previously listed data, as well as other criteria including peer assessments, faculty salaries, standardized test performance and Pell Grant student graduation rates and performance.

While The University of Scranton is tied for 137th among all national universities, it is tied for 71st among private colleges and universities on the list.

The University’s accounting program is tied for 33rd in the nation, furthering its reputation as a premier destination for the field. Last year, the accounting program ranked 40th. It joins other undergraduate programs also listed on the national rankings: nursing, business, engineering and computer science. 

Founded in 1888, The University of Scranton is a Catholic and Jesuit university with 70 majors and more than 40 graduate programs housed in its three colleges (the Kania School of Management, the College of Arts and Sciences and the Leahy College of Health Sciences). Scranton has recently been recognized in national rankings from TIME Magazine and The Princeton Review, the latter of which ranked Scranton top 25 nationally in multiple categories measuring student satisfaction beyond the classroom.

The most recent  First Destination Survey by the Roche Family Center for Career Development revealed success rates of 99% and 100% for Scranton’s undergraduate and graduate members of the Class of 2024.