Monmouth University achieved its highest national ranking ever on the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges list, coming in at No. 229. Monmouth first appeared on the list in 2017, in an unranked tier of schools within the 501-600 band.

"Monmouth's momentum in recent years has been extraordinary," said President Patrick F. Leahy. "This recognition from the Wall Street Journal is incredibly gratifying. It is an important validation of our efforts to become a national leader at integrating excellence and access."

Monmouth ranks No. 3 among private universities in New Jersey, behind Princeton and Stevens Institute of Technology, and ahead of Seton Hall and Drew.

The WSJ/College Pulse rankings also score Monmouth in several specific categories, including: Best Value (No. 442), Student Experience (No. 356), Best Salaries (No. 245), and Social Mobility (No. 128).

Monmouth's strong Social Mobility ranking is particularly significant: it is the second highest among private New Jersey institutions. The outcome aligns strongly with the University's strategic plan, "Excellence. Access. Ambition.," which emphasizes expanding opportunity and improving outcomes for students from underserved backgrounds.

"Monmouth students choose a university that pairs academic rigor with real opportunity, and this ranking reflects that promise," said Leahy. "We will continue to expand access, improve outcomes, and deliver a powerful return on investment for a Monmouth degree."

Monmouth enrolls one of the most socioeconomically diverse student bodies in its peer set. The University welcomed a record number of students to its thriving first-generation and/or low-income (FLI) community, who make up 55.8 percent of the Class of 2029. First generation students comprise a record high 41.3 percent of the class, while 40.8 percent of incoming first-year students are Pell Grant-eligible, also the most in the University's history.

The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranking methodology combines publicly reported data with student and alumni survey responses. It emphasizes measurable outcomes-such as how much graduates' salaries exceed expectations, adjusted for student background-as well as graduation performance relative to predicted rates. The ranking also incorporates assessments of student experience, learning environment and value, while excluding reputation-based surveys and institutional spending metrics.

Monmouth University previously appeared on WSJ's broader ranking category under earlier versions of the WSJ/THE methodology, but this year's explicit numeric ranking underscores institutional momentum under the newer WSJ/College Pulse model.