Recognizing Excellence Across Our University

Dear Campus Community,

At Maryland, we define excellence. It's in the pioneering research taking place in our labs, pushing the boundaries of what's known and what's possible. It's in our classrooms, where world-class faculty shape the next generation of leaders. It's in our students, new and returning, who bring open minds and fresh perspectives. And we find it in our staff, who work every day to sustain and strengthen our mission.

Today, we're proud to share that the University of Maryland is once again ranked among the top 20 public universities in the nation, coming in at No. 17 in U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges rankings, one of many measures this year that reflect the strength of a Maryland education.

A Top-tier Academic Experience

Excellence at Maryland isn't defined by one number. It shows up across the many experiences that shape a student's time here, and this year, several of those experiences earned national recognition. Across our undergraduate and graduate programs, UMD now holds 65 top-25 rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

Among public universities, UMD ranks:

• No. 3 for Learning Communities, recognizing our excellence in living and learning programs 
• No. 17 for Best Colleges for Veterans, highlighting our commitment to supporting the success of our student veterans 
• No. 25 for Most Innovative Schools, reflecting our strength in discovery and entrepreneurship and building on more than a decade of recognition as a Top 10 school for entrepreneurship by The Princeton Review

UMD has also been recognized as one of the nation’s best value colleges for in-state students, including the No. 1 best value among Maryland public universities, a recognition that considers academic quality, affordability and financial aid.   

Read more about all of our U.S. News’ Best Colleges rankings in Maryland Today.

Leading Across All Measures

The University of Maryland continues to be recognized across disciplines and by leading organizations for our academic excellence, bold research enterprise and unwavering commitment to student success. 

Beyond these latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report, we continue to earn recognition across numerous areas:

• No. 7 in the nation for promoting student entrepreneurship, according to 2026 rankings by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine
• No. 9 among public doctoral institutions for retention of first-time, full-time undergraduate students, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education's 2026–27 Almanac
• No. 9 among public institutions in research spending among all U.S. institutions in the National Science Foundation’s latest Higher Education Research and Development survey
• No. 10 among public institutions for patents awarded in 2025, according to the National Academy of Inventors
• No. 13 among U.S. public institutions, and No. 32 overall in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's list of 2026-27 Best Global Universities
• No. 14 among public institutions in Forbes' 2025-26 rankings of America's Top Colleges
• No. 22 among public universities for Pell Grant recipients' graduation rates in the 2026-27 edition of The Chronicle of Higher Education's 2026-2027 Almanac
• Three dozen top-25 placements across overall and specialty categories in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 Best Graduate Schools rankings

Rankings are one way of measuring our progress, but they are ultimately a reflection of the people and work behind them. We are proud of what we have built together and grateful to everyone who continues to move Maryland fearlessly forward.

For our students, we hope these recognitions inspire you to explore all that Maryland has to offer. Take advantage of the many opportunities to learn, discover, connect and grow, both inside and outside the classroom.

Sincerely,