Emerson Rises to #7 in U.S. News Rankings

Emerson is tied at #7 among U.S. News & World Report’s Best Regional Universities (North), moving up one spot from last year’s ranking and holding on to its top-10 status in the category for the seventh straight year.

Within the Regional (North) division, the College also was named seventh Most Innovative School in a four-way tie, tied for #10 in Best Undergraduate Teaching, and made it into the top 10 schools with the most international students, at 15 percent.

“I am extremely pleased that once again, Emerson’s hard work and innovation in teaching and advancing communications and the arts has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report and its peer institutions,” Interim President William Gilligan said.

Read: Emerson (Again) Ranked #6 Best Film School by Hollywood Reporter

U.S. News looks at metrics in nine categories to determine its rankings: graduation and retention rates (20 percent), undergraduate reputation (20 percent), faculty resources (20 percent), financial resources per student (10 percent), graduation rate performance (8 percent), student selectivity (7 percent), social mobility (5 percent), graduate indebtedness (5 percent), and alumni giving (3 percent). All metrics are based on empirical data, apart from reputation, which is based on assessments from top administrators at peer institutions.

The Most Innovative Schools were chosen by asking university presidents, provosts, and deans of admissions to nominate up to 15 institutions that are innovating in the areas of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities. Best Undergraduate Teaching rankings likewise are based on feedback from top administrators at peer schools.

In the overall divisional ranking, Emerson tied with Bryant University in Rhode Island at #7. The College of New Jersey, SUNY-Geneseo, and ProArts Consortium partner and Boston neighbor Berklee College of Music join Emerson as seventh Most Innovative School, and Emerson tied with Manhattan College and SUNY-Oswego for Best Undergraduate Teaching.

In August, Emerson held on to its #6 berth in The Hollywood Reporter’s annual list of the Best Film Schools in the U.S. for the second year in a row.  

Emerson also made a number of Princeton Review lists for The Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition. The College (and WERS) landed at #4 among Best College Radio Stations; #8 for Best College Theater; #19 for both LGBTQ-Friendly and Most Politically Active students; and #22 for a College City that Gets High Marks. It also was ranked #26 among the Top 50 Green Colleges.