Cameron ranked among West’s best colleges in new US News & World Report rankings

Cameron University has been named one of the top institutions in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report in its newly released 2027 Best Colleges rankings. Cameron earned the No. 86 spot in the west division of the Regional Universities category. It also ranked No. 41 in Top Performers on Social Mobility and No. 43 in the Top Public Institutions category.

The annual U.S. News Best Colleges evaluation assesses nearly 1,500 American colleges and universities on up to 17 key measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, retention, student outcomes, and faculty resources.

This is the highest that Cameron has ever been ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the West region, and a significant move upward from 2025, when it was ranked 96th.

"I am very proud of Cameron's significant rise in the ranking of the best regional universities in the country," said CU president Dr. Shane Hunt. "This recognition further highlights the great work happening across campus and to our commitment to our students and to the future of southwest Oklahoma."

U.S. News & World Report divides the nation into four distinct regions for the purposes of its rankings. Oklahoma, along with Texas and 13 other western states - including Alaska and Hawaii - make up the West region. Geographically, it's the largest of the four regions.

For purposes of determining rankings, regional universities are defined as those providing a full range of undergraduate majors and master's programs in many disciplines. Cameron was one of 576 institutions in this category to be ranked.

The "Top Performers on Social Mobility" category recognizes institutions that excel at enrolling and graduating economically disadvantaged students. Those students traditionally face extra hurdles to finishing college. CU programs such as Open Doors, Upward Bound and Student Support Services - funded by the U.S. Department of Education - provide support to first-generation college students to help them successfully earn their degrees.

Institutions ranked in the "Top Public Institutions" category must be regionally accredited state-run institutions primarily focused on undergraduate baccalaureate degrees and meet minimum enrollment thresholds.

PR#26-102