Outcomes and National Recognition
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is devoted to providing its students with a transformational learning experience and a bright future. Year after year, the University and its students are recognized for everything from academic excellence to commitment to service.
National Recognition
- The University was named a Best College for 2026 by U.S. News & World Report and has been among the 10 top master's universities in the North for 32 consecutive years. In the most recent edition, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ ranked No. 8.
- In national rankings, U.S. News included Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ among the nation’s:
- "Best Undergraduate Programs in Analytics" (No. 38)
- "Best Undergraduate Programs in Accounting" (No. 40)
- "Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs"
- "Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs" (where a doctorate is not offered),
- "Best Undergraduate Business Programs"
- "Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs"
- U.S. News gave Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ high marks in several regional categories, including:
- "Best Colleges for Veterans" (No. 3)
- "Best Undergraduate Teaching" (No. 9)
- "Most Innovative Schools" (Tied for No. 13)
- The Princeton Review has included Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ among its "Best Colleges" for the past 25 years.
- For the past 21 years, the University's Kania School of Management has been included among The Princeton Review's "Best Business Schools." In 2026, the Kania School was one of 208 schools selected to the "Best On-Campus MBA Programs" list.
- Over the past 10 years, The Princeton Review has recognized the University as a "Top Green College" for its commitment to sustainability, and among the top 25 for:
- Best Campus Food
- Best Science Labs
- Best-run Colleges
- Students Most Engaged in Community Service
- Students Love These Colleges
- Students Who Love Their School Teams
- Students Getting Outside and in the Great Outdoors
- Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
- Most Religious Students.
- Forbes places Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ on its 2027 list of "America's Top Colleges," marking the 18th year the university has made the list.
- Washington Monthly ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ No. 10 among the 604 master's universities in the nation in the "community and national service" category. The publication also ranked the college No. 30 for its contribution to the public good, No. 37 for research and No. 183 for social mobility.
- The Wall Street Journal has ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ No. 112 out of 500 institutions in its "2026 Best Colleges in the U.S." and recognized the University for its impact on graduation rates and graduates' salaries.
- Time magazine included Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ in its inaugural "Best Colleges" rankings. The university was ranked No. 150 for its student outcomes, and No. 241 overall for 2026-2027.
- The University is among the "Best Catholic Colleges" according to:
- Catholic Colleges: No. 14 Catholic college in the nation and No. 3 in Pennsylvania.
- College Factual: No. 17 in its 2022 list of “Best Colleges Affiliated as Roman Catholic Nationwide.”
- Niche.com: No. 24 in its list of 2023 Best Catholic Colleges in America.
- College Choice: No. 23 on its list of Top Catholic Colleges and Universities in the nation.
- The Huffington Post ranked the University among "The Friendliest Colleges" in the country.
- Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ was named among the top 26 "Healthiest U.S. Colleges," according to Greatist.com.
An Outstanding Value
- U.S. News ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ No. 55 as a "Best Value Regional University in the North," which compares academic quality of programs to cost of attendance. This is the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News has recognized Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ as a "Best Value" school.
- Forbes magazine has ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ as one of America's Top Colleges for value for 13 years.
- MONEY magazine gave Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ its second highest star rating (4.5 stars) in its selection of the 2023 “Best Colleges in America” based on value. The University was one of just 189 in the nation to receive this rating.
Master's Recognition
- In its 2026 Best Graduate Schools rankings, U.S. News & World Report featured several master's and doctoral offerings ranked nationally in their respective categories, including:
- Best Rehabilitation Counseling Programs (tied for 43rd)
- Best Occupational Therapy Programs (tied for 59th)
- Best Healthcare Management Programs (tied for 53rd)
- Best Nurse Anesthesia Programs (tied for 99th)
- Our online Master of Accountancy degree is one of the top such programs in the United States.
- Fortune magazine ranked it No. 9 in the nation in its inaugural Best Master's in Accounting Programs for 2023.
- Intelligent.com ranked the degree No. 4 in the nation in 2024.
- Our online master's in health informatics is among the top in the nation.
- Forbes ranked the program No. 6 in the U.S. in 2024.
- Best Colleges ranked it No. 7 in the nation in 2023.
- In U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 “Best Online Graduate Programs,” Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s MBA in Finance tied for 14th in the nation, and its MBA in Business Analytics tied for 16th. The University also tied for 76th in Best Online Master’s in Business Programs and tied for 152nd in Best Online MBA Programs. This is the 15th consecutive year that U.S. News ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s online programs among the best in the nation. The publication also ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s Online Master’s in Business Programs No. 7 in student excellence and No. 47 in student engagement.
- U.S. News ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ ranked No. 72 in the country for “Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans” in 2023.
- Fortune ranked the University’s online MBA program at No. 62 in the nation in its 2022 ranking of the “Best Online MBAs.”
- Our online MBA specializations continue to garner top accolades.
- Forbes ranked our online MBA specialization in international business one of the top four programs in the country in 2024.
- Intelligent.com ranked our online MBA specialization in healthcare management No. 13 in the nation in 2024.
Academic Excellence
- Since 1972, 131 graduates of The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ have earned Fulbrights.
- The Chronicle of Higher Education has consistently listed the University among the "top producers" of Fulbright awards for American students.
- In the last 15 years, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ students earned five Truman Scholarships, 12 Goldwater Scholarships
and - Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ's first-year retention rate is 87 percent. The average rate, nationally, for selective bachelor's/master's institutions is 82 percent. (Please note that the "average rate" is the average of the last four years.)
- The University has earned accreditation from 16 different accrediting agencies, including recognition by the nation's most prestigious bodies in the fields of business and management, nursing, computer science, physical therapy, occupational therapy, chemistry
and - The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1, and the average class size is 20.
- 90 percent of faculty members hold doctoral degrees and 61 percent are tenured. Members of the faculty hold degrees from 306 different universities in 29 countries on five continents.
- Carrying on a tradition that spans more than three decades, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ students from nearly every undergraduate degree program have studied abroad. To date, students have studied in 53 countries and on every continent except Antarctica. A few hundred Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ students study abroad each year.
- The University's NCAA Division III intercollegiate athletics program has produced 44 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans since 1981. In addition, 17 graduates have earned NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships since 1974.
- The classes of 2024 and 2025 completed internships with 902 unique organizations in 35 states, Washington, D.C., and 4 countries.
- Students from other countries have studied at the University for more than 50 years. Forty-three states and 29 foreign countries are represented in the University's student body
Successful Outcomes
- 99% of the Class of 2024 were employed, continuing their education or engaging in service within one year of graduating.
- The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce ranked The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ among the top 7% of colleges in the country for return on investment (ROI) 20 years after enrollment.
- The analysis also showed "the median ROI of liberal arts colleges is nearly $200,000 higher than the median for all colleges."
- Over the past 20+ years, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ applicants have been accepted to schools of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, podiatry, optometry and pharmacy.
- Over the past 10 years, 94% of graduating seniors have gained acceptance to one or more law schools. Students are accepted into some of the nation’s most prestigious schools, such as Georgetown Law, Notre Dame Law School, University of Michigan Law School and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
- Since 1983, a total of 614 Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ graduates have chosen to spend a year or more in full-time volunteer service immediately after graduation. Of these alumni, 304 have volunteered with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.
Superior Salaries
- An October 2015 report by The Economist ranked The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ No. 22 in the nation (top 2% of four-year colleges) for the impact a Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ education has on the earnings of its graduates.
- The New York Times ranked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ 16th out of 578 selective private colleges for median student income at age 34.
- The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, published in October 2015, ranked The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ among the top 100 colleges in the nation for the increase in annual earnings it contributes to its graduates at 10 years after enrollment.
- Another Brookings report, published in April 2015, placed Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ among the top 50 colleges in the nation based on its earning scale for alumni at mid-career level.
- According to PayScale’s most recent salary report, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is in the top 16% of universities listed by the median salaries of their alumni.
Commitment to Service
- The University’s Center for Service and Social Justice has a roster of over 2,800 students who perform well over 175,000 service hours each year.
- Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is one of only 100 colleges and universities in the nation to be named to Templeton Foundation’s Honor Roll of Character-Building Colleges.
- Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ is among 237 colleges in the nation, and one of only 20 colleges in Pennsylvania, to be named to the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement in 2026. This recognition is awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to institutions that work to advance meaningful and impactful community engagement.
- The University was one of just 766 colleges in the nation named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for 2014, the highest federal recognition colleges and universities can receive for their commitment to volunteering, service learning and civic engagement.
Economic Impact
- According to a study conducted by the Institute for Public Policy and Economic Development in 2024 based on data from the 2022-2023 academic year, the University's overall economic impact on Northeastern Pennsylvania totaled $277 million.
- On average, each student spends $36 per month dining out downtown.
- Community organizations held more than 10,000 events at the University since 2014.
- The University partners regularly with local agencies to address community-identified needs through community-based learning, averaging about 100 courses.
- The University engages with the local community through direct service, including programs run at the new Rev. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., House on Clay Avenue.
- In recent years, the University has invested more than $302 million in campus improvements, either completed or underway.
- In 2011, Pilarz and Montrone Halls, which house nearly 400
upperclass students and a fitness center, opened. - The new Loyola Science Center was completed in two phases in 2011 and 2012.
- Edward R. Leahy Jr. Hall, which houses the departments of physical therapy, occupational therapy
and exercise science, was dedicated in September 2015. - The Rev. Kevin P. Quinn, S.J., Athletics Campus, the $14 million, 11-acre home for the University’s soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, baseball
and softball Division III NCAA teams, was dedicated in May 2018. - In Hyland Hall, 5,000 square feet of new mechanical engineering labs and shop area were added to enhance the engineering programs.
- In 2011, Pilarz and Montrone Halls, which house nearly 400
- The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Small Business Development Center (SBDC) provided 1,761 consulting hours to 244 clients in the City of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ in 2023-24, with a total of more than 14,000 hours in the past 40 years.
- Student, physician and nurse volunteers in the Leahy Clinic provide free health care services to Lackawanna County's uninsured residents -- 202 patients in the spring of 2024, when it reopened after being closed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Students completed 796 volunteer hours in spring 2024.