Where does Penn State belong among ‘Best Global Universities’? See US News’ latest rankings
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State tied for No. 92 among 2,438 universities in the rankings.
- U.S. News’ rankings measure academic research performance and international reputation.
- Penn State placed between Big Ten peers Maryland (t‑82) and Illinois (98).
Penn State cracked the top 100 in U.S. News & World Report’s latest “Best Global Universities” rankings, placing it firmly in the middle of the Big Ten and losing little ground from last year.
Penn State tied for No. 92 out of more than 2,200 universities in the rankings released Tuesday, placing it between conference peers such as the University of Maryland (t-82) and the University of Illinois (98). PSU tied for No. 91 in last year’s edition.
The rankings are designed to measure academic research performance and international reputation, differing it from other education lists that U.S. News publishes. Penn State generally fared better in the global rankings than the national rankings, as the latter takes into account measurables such as borrower debt and financial resources.
“This recognition reflects Penn State’s impact as a leading global institution and underscores the strength and excellence of our research enterprise, academic programs, and faculty and students,” university spokesperson Wyatt DuBois said in an email.
The global rankings weigh 13 different factors, such as citations and publications, while not considering elements that were unable to be compared internationally — such as graduation rates, acceptance rates and entrance exam scores. Additionally, more than 3,000 survey results were collected from academics to complement hard data involving scholarly research.
Universities cannot opt out of the rankings. Some 105 countries were represented in them, and 2,438 universities were considered.
The full rankings can be found at usnews.com/education/best-global-universities.
PSU’s best subjects
U.S. News & World Report’s list of “Best Global Universities” does not rank graduate or undergraduate programs. But it does rank subjects based on academic research performance rather than individual majors, departments or specific professional schools.
The complementary subject rankings were done with the help of Clarivate, a British-American analytics and data company that provided metrics to evaluate reputations and data involving research publications and citations.
“In this ranking U.S. News recognizes Penn State’s academic excellence, with eight disciplines ranked among the top 50 globally and 19 among the top 100,” DuBois wrote. “Nationally, 39 of our 45 ranked disciplines placed in the top 50 among U.S. universities, including 13 subjects ranked in the top 10.
“Rankings such as these reflect the world-class quality of Penn State’s faculty, staff, students and alumni, whose work advances knowledge, drives innovation, and makes a meaningful difference in Pennsylvania, across the nation, and around the world.”
Here is where Penn State ranked internationally in the 51 subjects that U.S. News & World Report listed, ranked from best to worst/unranked:
- Space Science: 20
- Arts & Humanities: 26
- Plant & Animal Science: 28
- Geosciences: 31
- Education & Educational Research: t-36
- General Social Sciences: 36
- Physics: 40
- Materials Science: 41
- Economics & Business: t-52
- Psychiatry Psychology: 58
- Water Resources: t-62
- Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences: 65
- Mathematics: 66
- Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology: 67
- Environment Ecology:t-68
- Agricultural Sciences: t-84
- Nanoscience & Nanotechnology: t-89
- Engineering: t-93
- Condensed Matter Physics: 96
- Energy & Fuels: 101
- Microbiology: t-104
- Physical Chemistry: t-104
- Biology & Biochemistry: t-112
- Molecular Biology & Genetics: t-114
- Green & Sustainable Science & Technology: t-120
- Computer Science: t-121
- Mechanical Engineering: 121
- Polymer Science: 125
- Chemistry: 128
- Chemical Engineering: t-149
- Civil Engineering: 151
- Ecology: t-152
- Cell Biology: t-155
- Surgery: t-161
- Environmental Engineering: 178
- Clinical Medicine: t-181
- Optics: 186
- Food Science & Technology: t-188
- Neuroscience & Behavior: t-189
- Artificial Intelligence Computer Science: 196
- Endocrinology & Metabolism: t-211
- Public Health: 242
- Oncology: t-260
- Electrical Engineering: 273
- Pharmacology & Toxicology: t-389
- Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems: N/A
- Gastroenterology & Hepatology: N/A
- Immunology: N/A
- Infectious Diseases: N/A
- Marine & Freshwater Biology: N/A
- Nuclear Medical & Medical Imaging Radiology: N/A
Big Ten rankings
Here’s a closer look at how Penn State compared to its Big Ten peers based on the “Best Global Universities” rankings:
- UCLA: 11th in Best Global Universities
- Washington: 12th
- Michigan: 21st
- Northwestern: 26th
- Wisconsin: 60th
- Ohio State: t-64th
- USC: t-74th
- Minnesota: 76th
- Maryland: t-82nd
- Penn State: t-92nd
- Illinois: 98th
- Michigan State: 127th
- Purdue: 152nd
- Indiana: t-155th
- Rutgers: t-155th
- Iowa: t-249th
- Oregon: 429th
- Nebraska: t-522nd
More reading
This is the 12th edition of the annual “Best Global Universities” rankings, which is relatively new when compared to the Best Colleges rankings that were first published more than 40 years ago. U.S. News explained in a news release that it decided to expand its rankings “because more students are exploring higher education options beyond their own borders.”
“While these rankings focus on academic research and reputation, prospective students looking for the right school for them can confidently assume that a ranked university has many highly respected faculty members,” a rankings FAQ read, adding these rankings should not be the lone determinant in choosing a school.
U.S. News & World Report publishes its weighted methodologies online, and the full rankings — overall, by country and by subject — can be found at usnews.com/education/best-global-universities.
