Drexel University Advances in Wall Street Journal and U.S. News Rankings
Two of the most prominent national college rankings, both revised this year to place greater emphasis on learning environments and student outcomes, named Drexel University as one of the top universities in the country.
The Wall Street Journal, which collaborated with College Pulse and Statista for its rankings, listed Drexel as 54th among 400 institutions in its list of “2024 Best Colleges in the U.S.” Drexel was ranked 6th in Pennsylvania, 31st among private universities (excluding liberal arts schools) and 37th among comprehensive research universities with R1 and R2 statuses. The University has been designated a “R1 Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity,” which has the highest level of research activity, by Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education since 2019.
In the U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 “U.S. News Best Colleges,” Drexel placed in the top 100, ranking at 98th out of 435 universities and 50th among private universities. The University was also ranked 18th “Most Innovative” this year. In two new rankings, it was ranked 17th for “Best Academic Programs Learning Communities” and 22nd in “Best Academic Programs Service Learning.”
“While ranking and classification systems are imperfect and often criticized, it’s promising to see three major organizations — Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, U.S. News and the Wall Street Journal — elevating measures of social mobility and student outcomes,” said Paul E. Jensen, executive vice president and Nina Henderson Provost. “This aligns with Drexel’s mission and Strategic Plan, and we remain laser focused on providing a high-quality, accessible, experiential education that supports the long-term success of our graduates.”
Both the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse and U.S. News rankings prioritized new metrics related to post-graduation earning rates and salary impact. The Wall Street Journal rankings particularly revamped its methodology for “measuring outcomes, not inputs” and, as such, prioritized metrics related to student outcomes in salary impact and graduation rates, in addition to learning environments and diversity.
More information about the Wall Street Journal rankings can be found on its “2024 Best Colleges in the U.S.” website. More information about the U.S. News rankings can be found on its “U.S. News Best Colleges” website.