Penn State a top-35 public school in latest US News rankings — but still B1G’s worst value
Penn State maintained a respectable overall position in the U.S. News & World Report’s latest “Best Colleges” rankings — but it still lost ground and remained the worst-value school in the Big Ten.
The land-grant university tied for No. 31 overall among public schools/national universities — an eight-spot drop from last year — and it ranked No. 207 (out of 223 national universities) in the publication’s “Best Value Schools.” That value ranking put Penn State dead-last in the Big Ten and 14th out of 14 schools in Pennsylvania. (Pitt was not listed; Temple was No. 91.)
Among all national universities, Penn State tied for No. 77 — a 14-spot drop from 2021 — and fell further behind No. 62 Pitt.
“While we value rankings and other surveys, it also is true that a single rating or number cannot tell the full story of Penn State and its broad impact, created by an innovative 20-campus educational model recognized for preparing graduates who are sought after by employers, and the breadth and depth of a top-25 research university,” Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in a news release.
The Centre Daily Times reached out to the university and outlined the above rankings, but an official’s written response did not address them. Instead, it focused solely on questions the CDT asked involving its rankings on innovation and veterans, which are listed later in this story.
U.S. News has faced its fair share of criticism about the rankings, and The Washington Post recently highlighted some “mounting questions” about data after one Ivy League school was accused of releasing inaccurate figures. Still, the annual rankings are widely regarded as the most influential among college rankings, and a 2019 survey of college freshmen found 15% said such rankings were “very important” in their college decisions.
Penn State has faced questions about affordability for years, and it’s continued to struggle this past decade to significantly change the narrative.
In 2014, when former university President Eric Barron first took office, Penn State was ranked nationally as the second-most expensive non-private school for in-state students. This past December, it ranked ninth — behind both Temple and Pitt. (Pennsylvania annually ranks among the worst states in the country for per-capita support of higher education.)
Penn State also hiked tuition rates 5% this summer for in-state undergrad students at University Park — the highest increase in the Big Ten — after raising it between 2.5% and 2.75% the previous year. After operating at nearly a $200 million deficit last year, Bendapudi also recently announced a yearlong “strategic hiring freeze,” and the university is also poised to institute a 3% rescission, or budget cut.
U.S. News’ methodology in calculating affordability and value included four metrics: academic quality — overall score in the “Best Colleges” rankings — relative to the average discount paid by undergrads after receiving need-based grants (50%), percentage of undergrads receiving need-based scholarships or grants (20%), the percentage of 2021-2022 undergrads who received a grant or scholarship after also receiving need-based aid (20%) and the average discount for undergrads (10%).
When it came to U.S. News’ “Best Value Schools” among national universities, only three Big Ten schools cracked the top-100 in No. 13 Northwestern, No. 51 Michigan and No. 81 Purdue. The bottom three were No. 183 Maryland, No. 204 Ohio State and No. 207 Penn State.
For all of U.S. News’ education rankings, go to usnews.com/best-colleges.
PSU’s Program Rankings
Penn State largely remained steady in the undergrad program rankings, with two programs repeating their 2021 ranking from U.S. News & World.
Both business (tied-23) and computer science (t-37) matched last year’s ranking. Engineering dropped a single spot to a tie for No. 22, while nursing fell eight spots for a tie at No. 39.
Like last year, Penn State remained unranked in undergraduate teaching.
U.S. News, which also ranks more than 20 majors and focuses within those programs, gave Penn State especially high marks in engineering. In fact, PSU finished within the top 25 in 10 of 12 engineering majors, such as aerospace, environmental and electrical. Engineering boasted four top-10 finishes: petroleum (t-7), agricultural (t-8), materials (9) and industrial (t-10).
Business also boasted three top-10 rankings: supply chain management (t-4), insurance (t-9) and production ops management (10).
Program rankings are based solely on the judgments of deans and senior faculty members at peer institutions.
Other rankings & notables
There was both good news and bad news here, as far as U.S. News & World was concerned.
Penn State was one of 57 schools recognized for having a student population consist of at least 10% international students, a positive because U.S. News explained “in a global culture, befriending and learning to collaborate with students from other countries can be rewarding personally and professionally.” (Penn State was at 10%.)
However, Penn State did not fare well when it came to “Top Performers on Social Mobility.” Out of the 439 national universities that were ranked — based on the extent schools enrolled and graduated students who received federal Pell Grants — Penn State tied for No. 403.
PSU was also not ranked among the “Best Colleges for Veterans,” which was a surprise, given the state-related university has historically done well in that category. Penn State spokesperson Wyatt DuBois said the university did not provide U.S. News the requisite information this year but is “taking proactive steps to improve our tracking of veterans across Penn State.”
“Along with the 5,600 students who have military ties as either service members, veterans or military dependents across all of Penn State’s campuses, including World Campus, Penn State faculty and staff members who serve or have served in the military are an ever-present and important part of the university community,” he said in an email. “Services include a range of student support through the Student Veteran Center, to help current and prospective Penn State student veterans access the variety of support and resources available to them at the university.
“For student veterans at every Penn State campus and online through the World Campus, the university offers peer counseling services and assists with VA benefits, the college application process, financial aid and living arrangements through our Office of Veterans Programs. In addition, the Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness is a valuable, interactive and comprehensive resource for professionals working with military families.”
All of PSU’s rankings
Here’s a closer look at all of PSU’s rankings. Please note that only flagship campuses are included in the Big Ten rankings, and a school might not be ranked if it doesn’t offer a particular major:
Best National Universities: t-77 (t-11th in Big Ten)
Best Public Schools (National Universities): t-31 (t-10th in Big Ten)
Best Value Schools (National Universities): 207 (14th in Big Ten)
Best Undergrad Nursing Programs: t-39 (t-9th in Big Ten)
Best Undergrad Teaching Programs: Unranked
Best Undergrad Engineering Programs: t-22 (t-6th in Big Ten)
Top Majors in Engineering Programs: Aerospace — 17; Agricultural — t-8; Chemical — t-21; Civil — 15; Computer — t-27; Electrical — t-23; Environmental — t-18; Industrial — t-10; Materials — 9; Mechanical — t-14; Petroleum — t-7
Best Undergrad Business Programs: t-23 (t-7th in Big Ten)
Top Majors in Business Programs: Accounting — t-28; Finance — t-31; Insurance — t-9; Management — t-14; Marketing — t-27; Supply Chain Management — t-4; Real Estate — 13; Production Ops Management — 10
Best Undergrad Computer Science Programs: t-37 (t-7th in Big Ten)
Most Innovative Schools (National Universities): Unranked
Best Colleges for Veterans (National Universities): Unranked
Best Performers on Social Mobility (National Universities): t-403
