‘U.S. News’ places TU as a national leader in inclusive excellence

U.S. News & World Report rankings place TU among top 100 public institutions for third consecutive year

By Rebecca Kirkman on September 13, 2021

science complex
Students gather in the new Science Complex at Towson University.

U.S. News & World Report has again ranked Towson University among the best public institutions in the country. The publication’s 2022 Best Colleges rankings, released Monday, placed Towson University No. 99 among national public universities, and in the top 100 for social mobility, value and veterans support.

TU also jumped in the social mobility category and received recognition as a top college for veterans and for its undergraduate nursing, computer science and business administration programs.

Among national public universities, TU climbed to No. 70 in social mobility, which looks at the number of Pell Grant recipients and compares their graduation rates to those of non-Pell Grant recipients at the university. TU’s minority and Pell-eligible student populations far exceed the national average for academic success.

“Towson University is a national leader in inclusive excellence,” President Kim Schatzel says. “This recognition of TU reflects the excellence of our world-class faculty, the relevance and rigor of our degree programs, the impact of research and our leadership as an anchor institution for our region and our state. All of this acknowledges Towson University is among the best universities in the nation.”

TU was also recognized for value (No. 78 among national public universities) and outstanding undergraduate programs in nursing, computer science and business. In the first year nursing programs have been ranked by the publication, TU was the second-highest-ranking university in Maryland. And in a testament to the work done by the TU Military & Veterans Center, the university was ranked No. 97 among the best national public universities for veterans.

It's the third year that TU has been classified as a national institution. Previously, TU had been ranked regionally in the north, but a change in its Carnegie Classification moved the university into the national university category.

U.S. News & World Report defines a national university as offering “a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral programs and emphasiz[ing] faculty research or award[ing] professional practice doctorates.”

Fellow University System of Maryland schools on the national list include the University of Maryland—College Park, UMBC and University of Maryland—Eastern Shore.

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Learn more about how TU compares nationally

TU consistently ranks among the top schools in the U.S. Last month, the university was rated No. 58 among national universities by Washington Monthly.