U.S. News and World Report released its 2026 Best National University ranking on Sept. 23, 2025. Vanderbilt was ranked No. 17, marking a one-place improvement from last year’s ranking.
Vanderbilt was tied for No. 17 with Rice University and the University of California, Los Angeles. Rice University was also ranked No. 18 last year, while the University of California, Los Angeles was No. 15. This is the first time Vanderbilt’s ranking has increased since it was first ranked No. 18 in 2023.
These changes can be attributed to U.S. News and World Report changing their ranking methodology to weigh factors such as graduate salaries and first-generation social mobility more heavily while deemphasizing other metrics like class size and alumni giving. Vanderbilt was last ranked No. 17 in 2020 following a four-year period where Vanderbilt ranked in the Top 15 across schools nationwide.
Princeton University was ranked No. 1 for the 15th year in a row, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University clinching second and third place, respectively. The University of California, Berkeley replaced the University of California, Los Angeles as the best public university, after UCLA held the title for eight consecutive years. No new institutions were added or removed from the Top 20.
The California Institute of Technology dropped out of the Top 10, switching places with the University of Chicago who rose from No. 11 to No. 6. The University of Pennsylvania rose three spots to No. 7 to be in a four-way tie with Duke University, Northwestern University and Johns Hopkins University.
The rankings succeeded a tumultuous year for universities and colleges nationwide, many of which have experienced funding cuts, freezes, layoffs and dismantling of diversity, equity and inclusion programs as part of the Trump administration’s agenda.
Cruz Alfonso, a first-year, expressed his approval for Vanderbilt’s higher ranking.
“[The higher ranking is] an excellent improvement for the school, and I’m very excited to see where this [school] goes next,” Alfonso said.
Forbes ranked Vanderbilt as No. 11, a four-point jump from its 2024 ranking. The university’s ranking in The Princeton Review decreased in multiple categories, including Best Quality of Life, Best College Dorms, Most Beautiful Campus, Best-Run Colleges and Best Athletic Facilities.
Sophomore Ava Graddy said that she felt pride and joy upon hearing about Vanderbilt’s increase in ranking.
“I feel so much pride,” Graddy said. “I wasn’t aware of the news until just now, but immediate reaction, beaming with joy, and all the good things.”
In the Princeton Review, Vanderbilt rose to No. 16 in the college city category and No. 24 in “Town-Gown Relations,” an evaluation of how well students say they get along with the local community. The university is still ranked at No. 24 for “Happiest Students” and the “Lots of Greek Life” category – which assesses popularity of fraternities and sororities on campus.
Sophomore William Cabaniss expressed dissatisfaction with Vanderbilt’s ranking.
“It’s disappointing to say the least. I love the university I go to, and I think we should be ranked higher,” Cabaniss said. “I see this potentially turning away great applicants who [could] be a wonderful addition to our university.”
The university has criticized U.S. News’ methodology in the past, stating that the system’s minimization of factors such as faculty expertise and student’s high school standing does not align with Vanderbilt’s values. Columbia University’s undergraduate program opted out of the U.S. News Ranking in 2023, criticizing the organization’s ranking methodology.
Representatives from Vanderbilt declined to comment on the 2026 rankings. To be eligible for U.S. News’ Best Colleges ranking list, institutions must grant bachelor’s degrees, hold regional accreditation, offer campus-based education and accept applicants for full-time first-year students. The report collects data from institutions through surveys and the U.S. Department of Education’s data systems. U.S. News does not explicitly penalize schools who decline to provide data.
Senior Gwendolyn Nasta was pleased with Vanderbilt’s improved ranking but is skeptical of U.S. News’s ranking methodology.
“I’m happy Vanderbilt went up a spot and is 17, but I don’t really buy it,” Nasta said. “There’s a lot of schools that deserve to be higher and there are a lot that deserve to be lower. After [U.S. News and World Report] changed their methodology, I don’t really trust the rankings.”
