SU places 72nd in U.S. News college rankings after 7-year downward trend
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Syracuse University ranked 72nd out of 427 national universities, three places higher than last year, in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best National University rankings. The ranking ends a seven-year downward trend.
SU ranked 41st for private universities and 95th in best value schools, as well as 42nd for best colleges for veterans, a two-place jump compared to last year. It also earned a U.S. News Overall Score of 68 out of 100, dropping one point from last year.
Last year, SU’s best ranking areas were for the learning communities and study abroad categories, earning rankings of 10th and 15th, respectively. This year, both scores have slipped, with study abroad dropping by two spots and learning communities by one.
Unlike last year, SUNY ESF was not featured in the 2027 national rankings, but was ranked 15th in Regional Universities North.
To be eligible for the Best Colleges directory, institutions must have regional accreditation, offer “campus-based” education and have a “significant” baccalaureate degree focus, according to U.S. News & World Report’s website.
In order to earn an overall ranking, the schools must enroll at least 100 undergraduates and 25 “first-time, full-time bachelor’s degree-seeking students over the past four years,” according to the website.
The rankings are calculated by sorting colleges and universities into 10 categories depending on size and location. Then, using data provided by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the institutions are scored by 17 academic factors.
Each factor is scored individually, with the top performer receiving a 100 and the worst performer receiving a zero. The other schools are scored based on their position relative to the grading scale, according to its website.
