UMD Named Top 20 Public University by U.S. News & World Report

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland rose to No. 19 among national public universities in the latest rankings of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, continuing to be recognized among the best public colleges in the nation. UMD moved to No. 58 in the overall national rankings.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are based on measures of undergraduate student excellence, graduation and retention rates, graduate indebtedness, “social mobility” and educational expenditures per student; measures of faculty resources; alumni giving; and “expert opinion rank” (peer assessments of each institution).

UMD’s rise in this latest ranking included gains in its “expert opinion rank” (academic peer assessment rank); rises in the “social mobility measure” for UMD undergraduates, and rises in faculty compensation/resources. The social mobility rank compares graduation rates for Pell grant students with graduation rates for all other students. At UMD graduation rates rose for both groups of students, but UMD’s graduation rate for Pell grant students rose by 4 percent to 84 percent, while the rate for non-Pell grant students rose 1 percent percent to 88 percent. The difference between these two graduation rates dropped from 7 percent to 4 percent, giving UMD a strong social mobility score.

Computer Science was added this year to those fields specifically ranked by U.S. News in these undergraduate-focused rankings.

UMD’s Computer Science program/department? was tied for No. 16 overall and tied for No. 8 among public institutions in Computer Science, with three specialties ranked in the top 25:

• Artificial Intelligence (tied for No. 16 overall, No. 8 among publics)
• Cybersecurity (tied for No.9 overall, tied for No. 5 among publics)
• Data Analytics/Science (No. 16 overall, No. 8 among publics)

The Robert H. Smith School of Business was ranked No. 19 nationally and No. 9 among publics, with four specialties ranked in the top 25:

• Management (No. 13, overall, No. 10 among publics)
• Management Information Systems (No. 8 overall, No. 6 among publics)
• Marketing (No. 20 overall, No. 13 among publics)
• Supply Chain Management/Logistics (No.15 overall, No. 12 among publics)

The A. James Clark School of Engineering was ranked No. 22 nationally and No. 12 among publics, with four specialties ranked in the top 25:

• Aerospace Engineering (No. 10 overall, No. 6 among publics)
• Mechanical Engineering (No. 25 overall, No 14 among publics)
• Computer Engineering ( No. 17 overall, No. 10 among publics)
• Electrical Engineering (No. 20 overall, No. 13 among publics)

UMD moved up seven slots to number #30 overall in Best Colleges for Veterans and #18 amongst public institutions. UMD ranked #14 overall for Learning Communities and #5 among publics.

About the University of Maryland

The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students,10,000 faculty and staff, and 297 academic programs. As one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright scholars, its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners and 58 members of the national academies. The institution has a $2.1 billion operating budget and secures more than $1 billion annually in research funding together with the University of Maryland, Baltimore. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu.