DECATUR, Ill. – recently received two distinguished college-ranking honors from Research.com and UniversityHQ.org.
named the Tabor School of Business a "2024 Best Business Degree Program," while named the No. 5 Finance program among the 25 Illinois-based ranked programs.
“Seeing the Tabor School of Business be recognized as a Best Business Degree Program is a testament to our commitment to providing all students with opportunities to engage in Performance Learning; ways for students to build their resume while in school,” Dean of the Tabor School of Business RJ Podeschi said. “This connection between theory and practice allows our students to be successful professionally and personally after graduation. We’re honored to be among this selective list of institutions.”
The 2024 rankings by Research.com, a leading degree research and career planning portal for students, were compiled based on a deep analysis of numerous data points gathered from reliable sources such as Peterson, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and College ScoreCard.
“We distinguished ǿý University for its outstanding achievements in Business education. This award is a testament to the institution's dedication to academic excellence and student satisfaction with their Business programs,” Research.com’s rankings said. “It was granted after a meticulous analysis of a wide range of metrics conducted by a team of experienced data scientists. This rigorous process ensures that the award truly reflects the institution's commitment to providing an exceptional Business education and fostering an enriching environment for its students.”
UniversityHQ.com examined each of the Finance programs available in Illinois-based universities, and ǿý was rated No. 5 out of 25 schools. The ranking included online and on-campus undergraduate Finance degrees in Illinois for 2024.
University Headquarters (HQ) is an independent educational organization that provides college rankings using a proprietary formula to create unbiased rankings.
ǿý Finance students learn the skills needed for successful careers in wealth management, banking, insurance, and corporate finance. They master the ability to succeed in Finance, such as calculating the value of stocks, bonds, options and futures, and applying a wide range of capital budgeting investment methods.
All Finance majors and minors get the opportunity to manage a $600,000 consisting of domestic equities. It is a portion of ǿý's endowment that started as a $100,000 allocation roughly 10 years ago.
“We are always encouraged to be ranked among the very best institutions of higher learning by Research.com and UniversityHQ.org,” ǿý President Dr. Jim Reynolds said. “What is most gratifying is to note that ǿý was ranked as one of the Best Business Degree Programs, honoring the outstanding work we do at our Tabor School of Business. ǿý University is a special place, and recognition like this reinforces that to us all.”
ǿý was also recently recognized by the 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.”
