Rutgers University–Newark Ranked Among Nation’s Top 40 Public Universities
Rutgers University–Newark is ranked #32 nationwide among top public universities up from #36 since last year, according to U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings.
RU-N placed #6 in Social Mobility, which measures how well schools enroll and graduate economically disadvantaged students. It is #1 in New Jersey for Social Mobility.
Rutgers-Newark Chancellor Tonya Smith-Jackson celebrated the announcement. “These rankings speak to academic quality and outcomes for our graduates. Rutgers University-Newark is redefining what a great public research university can be. This is where academic excellence, access to opportunity and student success are not competing ideals; they are inseparable commitments,’’ she said.
In addition to climbing the Best Colleges list, Rutgers-Newark this year was named a Carnegie/ACE Opportunity College and University, a category created for the first time to recognize schools that excel at helping students from low-income backgrounds find careers that pay competitive wages. Of 3,000 institutions, only 14 percent were selected.
University wide, Rutgers made strong gains in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, with Rutgers-New Brunswick ranked as the #14 top public university and Rutgers-Camden at #43. All three of Rutgers’ locations are among the top 50 public universities and the top 100 national universities.
Each campus earned its highest public university rankings since U.S. News began separately tracking public institutions. The report ranks a total of more than 1,700 public and private universities overall.
“The rankings reflect Rutgers’ commitment to academic excellence and social mobility, and I see great opportunity to improve and continue to rise,” said Rutgers President William F. Tate IV. “As we prepare our students to be leaders and innovators, these historic gains are a clear statement that Rutgers is a powerful driver of access, opportunity, and impact.”
The 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings were calculated using 17 key measures of academic quality for national universities with an emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduating college students.
