The ranked lists of American colleges by U.S. News & World Report, likely the most well-known and consequential set of such rankings in the country, was released last month. In line with recent years, Stevens placed 76th overall and placed highly in major categories like Best Undergraduate Teaching, Most Innovative Schools, and Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs.
Based on statistics from the U.S. News & World Report, the most prestigious and highly ranked schools have high graduation rates, high starting salaries, and lower median student loan debt burdens upon graduation. To be eligible for consideration, the institution must be located in the United States and have regional accreditation. It must also be designated as a “bachelor degree-granting institution” but not be classified as highly specialized, maintain at least 100 undergraduate students, have a six-year graduation rate for full-time first-years, and be actively accepting applications. A highly specialized school is a trade or technical school or a school that does not have a baccalaureate degree graduation rate.
Each university is generally judged in five main categories: teaching, research environment, research quality, international outlook, and industry engagement.
Teaching refers to the overall setting and learning environment in which education takes place. According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities back in 2021, the need for an inclusive campus and “relevant and engaging curricula” is increasing to promote success and assimilation in society.
Research environment is the quantity of research output produced by a university. This includes the number of publications, projects, and patents made. Additionally, the finances allocated to research activities from government funding enhances the research environment. This ties into reputation, which is perceived quality of prestige dependent on the universities achievements.
Research quality or excellence encompasses how well research is designed, executed, and evaluated. Citation impact, a large indicator of quality research, is a measuring tool of how often research publications are cited from other professionals. The quality of research is based on the impact the research has on the educational community, industry practices, and policy decisions. It also incorporates the number of grants and investments attracted. Quality research leads to innovation and can influence educational and environmental policies, and even public health.
International outlook, or global perspective, pertains to the diversity of staff and student body, which includes study abroad programs and international partnerships.
Industry income is the collaborations between colleges and companies, revenue generated from research projects, and the amount of patents filed, which all reflect the universities contribution to technological advancements. This is calculated using data from industry incomes and patents.
According to U.S. News and World Report, Stevens ranks #76 overall as a National University on the 2025 edition of Best Colleges, tying with three other schools. Stevens is also #33 in Most Innovative Schools, #56 in Best Undergraduate teaching, #63 in Best Value Schools, and #71 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Program. A joint ranking by Wall Street Journal and College Pulse placed Stevens as the 36th best college in America.
The outlet’s top five American universities remain unchanged from last year. Princeton University topped the list, followed by Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Yale University. Princeton University remains the top university in the United States for the 14th year in a row. The top schools were generally untouched, yet 20 lower level colleges advanced 50 spots in the rankings due to a new methodology.
Letting these statistics speak for themselves, Stevens showcases its reputation for excellence in higher education. The wide reach of these rankings by U.S. News means the university continues to tout strong results, and reflects past and current strategies to strengthen the school’s performance in areas that might affect its placement. Whether the strategies in place now mean Stevens will continue to grow in recognition remains to be seen.
