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UMD Rises in U.S. News’ Rankings of National Universities

Maryland Is No. 19 Among Public Schools, Jumps Nine Spots in Overall Rating

By Maryland Today Staff

students walk near Ed St. John building

UMD President Darryll J. Pines and Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice credit the increase in the university's national ranking in part to increases in faculty compensation and to high graduation rates for first-generation students and students who receive Pell Grants.

Photo by John T. Consoli

The University of Maryland has earned its highest-ever ranking among national universities from U.S. News & World Report, cracking the top 50 for the first time.

UMD rose nine spots since last year to No. 46 in the national listing and held steady at No. 19 among public schools in the influential 2023-24 "Best Colleges" report released on Monday.  The university now has a combined 69 top-25 undergraduate and graduate programs, according to U.S. News, which began its annual rankings 40 years ago.

The rankings represent “a measure of progress in the investments we are making: investments in our people, in making high-quality education accessible and affordable, and in recruiting and retaining an academically talented and diverse student body,” said university President Darryll J. Pines and Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer King Rice in an email to the campus community. “We are proud of our community’s work to achieve excellence in all we do.”

[U.S. News Ranks UMD Graduate Programs Highly]

Changes in this year’s rankings methodology placed stronger emphasis on metrics related to social mobility, faculty research and outcomes for graduating students, which are areas that UMD prioritizes and excels in. 

“The work we have done and continue to do in alignment with our strategic plan, Fearlessly Forward, is reflected in our rankings, from increases in faculty compensation to our high graduation rates for first-generation and Pell-recipient students,” said Pines and Rice. 

U.S. News also examines several academic fields and undergraduate programs in its rankings, which many prospective students rely on during their college searches. UMD received high marks in the following categories:

Business

  • UMD rose to 21st overall, and No. 11 among public institutions, improving in four top-25 specialties:
    • Entrepreneurship: No. 21 overall; No. 9 among publics 
    • Management information systems: No. 6 overall, No. 5 among publics
    • Management: No. 20 overall, No. 13 among publics
    • Supply chain management/Logistics: No. 14 overall, No. 11 among publics

Computer Science

  • UMD ranked No. 18 nationally and No. 9 among public institutions, with three specialties in the top 25:
    • Artificial intelligence: No. 15 overall, No. 9 among publics
    • Cybersecurity: No. 11 overall, No. 7 among publics
    • Data analytics/science (new): No. 13 overall; No. 7 among publics 

Engineering

  • UMD rose to No. 19, and No. 11 among public institutions, with improvements in six top 25 specialties:
    • Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical: No. 11 nationwide, No. 7 among publics
    • Biomedical engineering: No. 21 nationwide, No. 8 among publics
    • Computer engineering: No. 18 nationwide, No. 11 among publics
    • Electrical/electronic/communications engineering: No. 20 nationwide, No. 12 among publics
    • Mechanical engineering: No. 14 nationwide, No. 9 among publics
    • Materials engineering (new): No. 24 nationwide, No. 15 among publics

UMD was also ranked as the 19th best public college for veterans and the 26th for veterans among all colleges (up one spot from last year). Its living-learning communities were listed as a “Program to Look For.” 

Over the past year, Maryland has received the following recognitions for its academic programs, research enterprise, workplace environment and student experience. These include:

  • No. 1 for Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ Students by the Campus Pride Index
  • No. 7 in Maryland on Forbes' list of America's Best Employers By State
  • No. 12 among U.S. public institutions, according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities
  • No. 13 among publics in Forbes' list of America’s Top Colleges, which spotlights schools that offer an excellent education at a great price, graduate high-earners and propel students to become successful entrepreneurs and influential leaders in their fields
  • No. 14 among U.S. public institutions for patents awarded in 2022 along with other USM institutions, according to the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association
  • No. 16 among public four-year institutions for "Colleges with the Best 6-Year Graduation Rates for Pell Students” in The Chronicle of Higher Education's Almanac
  • Four-star America's Greatest Workplaces, according to Newsweek; UMD is one of only eight higher education institutions to earn four or more stars

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