UofL excels as a Top 100 public university in the nation

The University of Louisville has experienced a significant boost in its national standings, jumping 16 spots in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.  

UofL also placed once again in the top 100 of public universities.

UofL’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program was identified as a leader, ranking among the top 75, while business undergraduate programs stood out among the best 100 programs for overall national rankings. Making the top 200 include UofL’s undergraduate programs in engineering, psychology and computer science.  

As a Research 1 institution, UofL is at the forefront of driving innovation.

As outlined in the 2023-2025 strategic plan, UofL President Kim Schatzel said, “UofL has a stellar reputation for redefining student success, producing groundbreaking research and deeply connecting with our community.”

The U.S. News and World Report’s ranking system is based on two pillars. Schools are categorized according to their mission, determined by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and 17 indicators of academic excellence, such as social mobility and graduation rates.  

UofL’s scores increased in several categories, including average first-year retention rate up from 78% to 81%, an all-time high for the university.  

UofL’s jump in overall national ranking was the second highest among its peer institutions, moving to No. 179.

The 40th edition of Best Colleges evaluated more than 1,500 colleges and universities. More information about this year’s results is available at the U.S. News Press Room.