La Salle University recognized as a top national destination for higher education in TIME’s inaugural college rankings

America's Best Colleges of 2026-27, a new ranking from TIME and Statista, places La Salle among a top-tier of American institutions.

TIME and Statista scored colleges in three pillars: student outcomes, learning environment, and attractiveness.

La Salle University's strong standing in national higher education rankings continues with an impressive entry on America's Best Colleges of 2026-2027, the inaugural rankings report from TIME and Statista.

The new rankings selected only the top 500 institutions in the nation, of which La Salle was ranked number 173, positioning the University in the top-tier of options for postsecondary education. There are nearly 2,400 colleges and universities across the country who fit the majority of the criteria used in the TIME and Statista rankings, which would place the University in the top 10% of all higher education institutions nationally.

"Our inclusion in the inaugural TIME and Statista rankings is a meaningful recognition of the education and student experience we provide at La Salle University," said President Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D. "At the heart of a La Salle education is a commitment to rigorous academics, the liberal arts, and our Lasallian mission. These principles guide how we educate and support our students, and they continue to distinguish our campus experience from other institutions across the nation."

TIME and Statista scored colleges in three pillars: student outcomes, learning environment, and attractiveness.

Student outcomes, measured after graduation, looks at what students have gained from attending an institution, focused on factors including earnings, graduation rate, and return on education, or earnings versus the cost of education.

The second area, learning environment, assesses both the community and academic environment of a college. This pillar looks at factors including student-to-faculty ratio, expenditure per student, and a diversity index.

Finally, the institutions were all given an attractiveness score, which highlighted how sought after they were by prospective students. TIME and Statista note that unlike the other pillars, it reflects demand as opposed to outcomes. These three scores were weighted and combined to reach a final score for each institution. This final score was then used to determine a school's position in the rankings.

To qualify for America's Best Colleges 2026-27, institutions had to fulfil six criteria. To be included, a college or university had to be currently active and financially solvent, federally recognized and eligible, public or private not-for-profit, located in a US state or the District of Columbia, and have a minimum undergraduate enrollment average of at least 750 full-time equivalent undergraduate students across the past four years.

"La Salle's inclusion in these national rankings proves the dedication we as an institution have to ensuring our students' success," Lisa Jarvinen, Ph.D., interim provost and vice president for academic affairs said. "We are committed to continually providing the outcomes and environment that make 20^th and Olney a top choice for Explorers."

-Naomi Thomas