Undergraduate programs recognized for academic excellence
The University of Delaware and its undergraduate academic programs continue to be recognized among the top 100 in the nation in the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
Especially impressive was UD’s nursing program, which jumped 38 spots to rank #74 out of 686 in the U.S. News 2025 Best Colleges ranking edition. UD’s chemical engineering program continues to be recognized for its academic excellence, remaining among the top 10 nationally and ranking #4 out of 26.
U.S. News ranked UD #86 among 434 national universities and #44 among the top 225 public schools.
Other undergraduate rankings in the top 100:
- Best engineering program whose highest degree is a doctorate — #51 out of 209
- Best psychology program — #68 out of 681
- Best business program — #77 out of 532
- Best computer science program — #87 out of 584
- Best Colleges for Veterans among National Universities — #54 out of 166
UD was also recognized as a Best Value School by U.S. News, one of 206 national universities to earn this designation.
The U.S. News rankings are based on factors that include student outcomes (primarily retention and graduation rates), reputation among higher education peers, students’ social mobility (graduation rates of those eligible for federal Pell grants), faculty research and resources, and the institution’s financial resources. U.S. News alters its methodology from year to year, and these changes, along with changes in institutional data, can lead to significant movement in the rankings. This year, U.S. News reallocated ranking-indicator weights for schools that did not meet U.S. News’ assessment criteria for standardized tests and reallocated ranking-indicator weights for Pell grant graduation rates since it no longer includes graduation rates for first-generation students.
The new rankings are for undergraduate programs only; graduate programs are ranked separately. U.S. News currently ranks 30 UD graduate programs among the top 100 in the nation, including physical therapy at #2.
The U.S. News recognition comes on the heels of the recent ranking by The Wall Street Journal and College Pulse, in collaboration with the independent market research firm Statista, which put UD #26 overall among 500 colleges and universities nationwide and #10 out of 235 public universities.
The WSJ/College Pulse rankings measure how well an institution prepares graduates for financial and career success. The rankings are based primarily on student outcomes, which include salary impact, years to pay off net price, and graduation rate. The rankings also factor in diversity and a survey of current students and recent graduates regarding their college experience.
About UD rankings
A complete listing of UD’s high-profile rankings is available on UD’s Institutional Research and Effectiveness Rankings webpage. Please note that programs and specialties used in rankings might vary slightly from the names of degree programs used by UD.
Article by Mike Chalmers | Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson (featured on UDaily, 09/24/2024)