Monmouth University earned its highest-ever ranking on the U.S. News & World Report 2024 Best Colleges list, moving up one spot to No. 17 in the Regional Universities North category. Monmouth is again featured on the lists for Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Value Schools, and Top Performers on Social Mobility, and has been named one of the Most Innovative Schools in the North for the first time.
U.S. News & World Report introduced significant changes for the 2024 edition that have shifted the emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduates, while removing factors including alumni giving and student borrowing from its methodology.
Monmouth earned significant gains on the Top Performers on Social Mobility list, rising 26 spots from the previous year to No. 51. The measurement evaluates an institution’s ability to enroll and graduate significant numbers of financially disadvantaged students who are awarded federal Pell Grants.
The University also made its debut at No. 22 on the Most Innovative Schools in the North list, which features schools that are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities. Additionally U.S. News & World Report named Monmouth a Best Value School, ranked at No. 64, and one of its Best Colleges for Veterans, ranking at No. 43
“I am thrilled that the University has again climbed in several access measures in the recent U.S. News & World Report rankings,” said Monmouth University President Patrick F. Leahy.
“The recent changes impacting how colleges are evaluated are in almost complete alignment with the goals of the strategic plan we adopted in 2021. Third-party validation of our progress provides strong motivation to continue the work of integrating academic excellence with expanded access to an outstanding private education,” Leahy said.
Monmouth is one of nearly 1,500 four-year bachelor’s degree-granting institutions ranked for the 39th edition of the flagship publication. The overall list is intended to reflect academic quality and graduate outcomes, while supplemental specialized rankings related to campus culture and cost are offered to address more specialized needs of prospective students.