Raeanne Raccagno
Staff Writer
The U.S. News & World Report released its 2025 Best College Rankings on Sept. 24, naming the College No. 1 in the Regional Universities North category.
Regional universities are classified as schools that offer a vast range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs, but few doctoral programs, according to the U.S. News and World Report website. It splits them into four geographical regions: North, South, Midwest and West.
Since 1991, the College has been sitting on the podium for being the best public college in the North region, but this year it triumphed over all public and private institutions, being named the top school overall.
“We’ve always focused on providing the highest quality education and are gratified that U.S. News has acknowledged that consistency in this way,” said Luke Sacks, head media relations officer for the College.
The 40th annual ranking of Best Colleges takes into account the qualities students consider while picking a school, like academic reputation, cost of attendance and return on investment. U.S. News and World Report factored in these components after reading survey results by Why Higher Ed? by Strada and Gallup, and Factors That Influence Student College Choice by the U.S. Department of Education.
In a recent interview with The Signal, President Michael Bernstein said, “I’m certainly not putting down on the elite privates like Princeton…Good for them, [but] that’s not us. We’re delivering a remarkable experience for students at more than half the cost.”
After the U.S. News and World Report updated its ranking procedure, more than half of a school’s rank now depends on outcome measures related to a school’s success with enrolling, retaining and graduating students from diverse backgrounds with manageable debt and post-graduation success.
The College’s current retention rate is 90%, with a 76% graduation rate for four years and an 86% graduation rate for six years.
“We continue to focus on student success and keeping students on track to graduate on time through advising, mentoring and our other student support services,” Sacks said.
Research considered in the ranking system concluded that students will participate and learn more in classes with skillful professors.
“TCNJ’s faculty members are strongly committed to the teacher-scholar model and to maintaining both high-quality teaching and an active and productive program of scholarship,” Sacks said.
While U.S. News and World Report reviews all these elements for its ranking, it also addresses how student preferences are immensely important. According to its website, U.S. News and World Report pairs its rankings with user reviews, detailed profiles and a search feature — taking into account the availability to students to access clubs, activities and the ease of fitting in on campus.
Not only was the College recognized in the U.S. News and World Report, but it was also named one of the best 390 colleges in the nation by The Princeton Review. Additionally, The Wall Street Journal ranked the College in the top 20 percent of all institutions in the country.