Drexel University Advances in U.S. News & World Report Rankings, Named a ‘Dream School’ in a New Book

Drexel University Advances in U.S. News & World Report Rankings, Named a 'Dream School' in a New Book

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Drexel University was recognized as one of the country's top higher education institutions in both a prominent annual rankings list as well as a new book about choosing the best colleges and universities.

With the recent release of U.S. News & World Report's 2026 "U.S. News Best Colleges," Drexel improved its position on one of the most prominent national college rankings. The University was also included in a list of 75 "dream schools" highlighted in "Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You," a new book written by New York Times bestselling author and higher education expert Jeffrey Selingo.

The University advanced for the third year in a row in the U.S. News rankings. Drexel moved six spots to No. 80 on the list of 434 institutions, and from 43^rd to 41^st amongst private universities. It also advanced in other specific categories, particularly those related to student outcomes.

Drexel's increase in these rankings partially stems from recent internal improvements to prioritize student success. Over the past decade, the University has worked to increase graduation rates and retention rates among its students, thanks to individual colleges and schools, which will continue to support Dragons through the ongoing Academic Transformation process. Other University-wide endeavors, such as the creation and expansion of student-facing administrative units like the McGonigal Academic Resource Center, also contributed to this success.

The University also scored highly in other metrics used by U.S. News & World Report, including the evaluation of positive learning environments, post-graduation success and peer reputational rankings (as assessed by college and university presidents, provosts and deans).

The University's ranking improved the most in the "Top Performers on Social Mobility" category. Drexel is ranked 74th, jumping 18 spots from last year's rankings. The results are based on the graduation rates of Pell Grant recipients compared to those of non-Pell students. In the past 10 years, the University has grown its population of undergraduate, full-time Pell recipients who meet the federal grant's requirements for financial aid; that population now represents one-third of Drexel's incoming students.

Student success at the University as well as post-graduation outcomes also contributed to the University's rankings. Drexel moved two spots among "Best Value Schools," and is now listed as 76^th among institutions recognized for a high academic quality in relation to its net cost of attendance. Additionally, the University retained its No. 2 rank in the "Co-ops/internships" category, due to the strength of its historic cooperative (co-op) education experience enabling students to receive up to 18 months of full-time professional experience before graduation.

"With increasing questions on a college education's 'return on investment,' this serves as proxy for how well Drexel as a private institution is addressing some of that rhetoric.," said Vice Provost for Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation Sujoy Das, PhD.

Another notable increase in this year's rankings is that the University moved up four spaces to make the top 50 "Best Colleges for Veterans." Drexel is a Yellow Ribbon school, offering academic and social support services and a variety of financial benefits to its military and veteran students.

Separate from the U.S. News & World Report rankings, Drexel was recently named a "dream school" in a new book published by New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Selingo. In "Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You," Selingo selected 75 colleges and universities to highlight based on career earnings, job prospects, student engagement and accessible admissions.

Drexel was included in the "Large Leaders" category of big public and private institutions of higher education. Once again, it was once again recognized for its co-op program - which is one of the oldest and largest in the country. The University was also commended for its post-graduation outcomes. As noted in the book, a Drexel graduate's average earnings exceed predicted outcomes for college graduates a decade after graduation.