Rankings & Achievements

We're Top Ranked

U.S. News and World Report

2023 Best College Rankings placed TU:

• No. 6 in Best Public Universities in the North
• No. 5 in Best Colleges for Veterans in the North among public and private schools
• No. 21 in Best Value in the North among public and private schools
• No. 64 in Social Mobility in the North among public and private schools

TU also received recognition as a top performer in social mobility and for its excellent undergraduate programs in business administration, computer science and nursing by U.S. News & World Report.

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The Wall Street Journal

The 2025 College Rankings named TU:

• No. 1 public university in Maryland and second overall, public or private
• No. 15 among public universities nationwide
• No. 37 in social mobility in the U.S.
• No. 40 among all U.S. institutions, public or private

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Forbes

The America’s Top Colleges 2024 list ranked TU:

• the second-best public university in Maryland
• No. 78 among all U.S. public colleges, based on return on investment and outcomes for students

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Washington Monthly

The 2024 College Guide and Rankings placed TU:

• No. 9 in Best Master's University nationwide
•  No. 1 at Best Bang for the Buck among all Maryland schools

TU was celebrated in the roundup of America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting. TU was honored for having a student voter registration rate above 85%.

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Other Notable Mentions

• The Center for World University Rankings (CWUR) placed Towson University among the top 9% worldwide in its 2024 World University Rankings.
• Princeton Review included TU among the best colleges in the Mid-Atlantic in its 2025 Best Colleges: Region by Region rankings. The Mid-Atlantic list includes 97 universities across 5 states and the District of Columbia.
• TU received recognition from Money in the 2024 Best Colleges Rankings, receiving a 4.5-star rating and named as one of America's Best Public Colleges.

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Awards and Achievements

Academic Excellence

• TU was named the nation's 9th-best "Master's University" by Washington Monthly. 
• In its 2023-24 Best Graduate Schools rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked TU No. 3 among public Maryland institutions in the Best Education Schools list.
• TU ranked No. 35 in the U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Master in Education Programs—the only Maryland university in the top 200.
• TU ranked No. 65 in the U.S. News & World Report's Best Online Master in Computer Information Technology Programs. 
• TU ranked No. 26 in Poets & Quants Best Undergraduate Business Schools.
• TU ranked No. 8 in Best Colleges Best Online Speech Pathology Programs.

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Inclusive Excellence

• TU was ranked as the sixth-best in the world and the top among all U.S. institutions in gender equality in the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
• TU has been recognized by Insight into Diversity with a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award for four consecutive years dating back to 2020.
• TU boasts a five-star ranking from Campus Pride Index, which scores universities on their efforts to create a safe, inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ students.

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Best Value

• Washington Monthly ranked TU the No. 1 Best Bang for the Buck in its 2024 College Guide and Rankings. TU ranked No. 19 in value among 376 universities in the Northeast.
• TU is ranked as one of the nation's best public universities with a 4.5-star rating by Money magazine.