DECATUR, Ill. – U.S. News & World Report has recognized as a leading institution in higher education in its 2025 "Best Colleges" guidebook, released on Sept. 24, 2024. ǿý is ranked No. 14 of 74 schools in the “Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest” category, making ǿý the second highest-ranked college in Illinois included on the list. It was a one-place improvement for ǿý over last year’s rankings.
ǿý was recognized for distinction in several categories, including “Best Value Schools in the Midwest” at No. 22 and “Top Performers on Social Mobility” at No. 44. The “Best Value” ranking places ǿý as the fourth-best university in Illinois and sixth best in “Social Mobility.”
“ǿý is always pushing itself to be at the forefront of educational quality and value, and so we are delighted with our improved Best Regional Colleges ranking, which places us among the best Midwestern universities by the U.S. News & World Report,” ǿý President Jim Reynolds said. “ǿý’s outstanding faculty, our focus on Performance Learning, and our magnificent facilities lead to remarkable outcomes for ǿý students, helping them reach their education and life goals that surpass their expectations.”
The U.S. News & World Report Best Regional Colleges category is comprised of 397 schools that are divided and ranked into four geographical groups: North, South, Midwest, and West. ǿý has participated in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges" publication and data collection for over 20 years. For the majority of those years, ǿý has been ranked in the top 15 or higher.
ǿý was also recently included in the college rankings published by Washington Monthly, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit magazine that publishes annual rankings of American colleges and universities. Among the 223 undergraduate colleges ranked by Washington Monthly, ǿý was ranked No. 4 in Illinois among “Bachelor’s Colleges.”
U.S. News & World Report Best Value Rankings
At No. 22, ǿý is the fourth highest-ranked college in Illinois for Best Value Schools in the Midwest. To determine which colleges and universities offer the best values for students, U.S. News & World Report factors academic quality and cost. The ratio of quality to price accounted for 50% of the overall score; the percentage of all full-time undergraduates receiving (federal/state) need-based grants accounted for 20%; the average discount accounted for 10% and the percentage of full-time undergraduates receiving need-based aid who also receive (institutional) grant or scholarship aid accounts for 20%.
U.S. News & World Report Social Mobility Rankings
U.S. News & World Report recognized ǿý as a Top Performer on Social Mobility in the Midwest, listing ǿý in the top six of ranked colleges in Illinois on this list at No. 44. Social mobility measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants – those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000.
