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Three nationwide college rankings placed Syracuse University in their 2021-22 editions.

The Daily Orange looked at the rankings produced by Forbes, U.S. News & World Report and the Wall Street Journal. Here’s how they ranked SU.

Morgan Sample | Design Editor

Forbes: #113

Forbes ranked SU 113th out of 600 on the list of top colleges in the country, which was an increase of 43 from 2019 — the last time Forbes published the rankings — when they were ranked 156th of 650.

To create the ranking, Forbes took into account alumni salary figures six and 10 years after employment, student debt, graduation rate and return on investment — how long it takes, on average, for students to pay their college costs. 

The methodology also took into account how many alumni from each school made it into Forbes’ various leadership and entrepreneurship lists, as well as individuals who went into public services or received a prestigious honor or award in their field.

In Forbes’ profile of SU, the university is described as being known “for its vibrant academics and athletics.” Forbes also mentioned the over 300 student organizations and more than 40 research centers that SU offers. The publication noted the over 100 undergraduate majors, especially in the “elite” Newhouse School of Public Communications. 

U.S. News & World Report: #59

SU tied with the University of Maryland, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Washington for the 59th spot out of 392 schools in the U.S. News & World Report national rankings — a decrease of one from last year’s edition.

“Few schools are associated with a color as strongly as Syracuse University,” U.S. News’ entry on SU reads. “A brilliant shade of orange is tied into campus life.”

The report also mentioned SU’s extensive list of student organizations, Greek life and study abroad opportunities.

The factors that U.S. News & World Report used to create their rankings included outcomes for students (which looked at factors such as graduation rates), faculty resources, financial resources, student excellence (determined from standardized test scores and selectivity in enrollment), alumni giving and expert opinion — which solicited input from top academics at peer institutions.

Wall Street Journal: #117

Made in collaboration with Times Higher Education, the Wall Street Journal’s 2022 college rankings ranked SU 117th out of 600 in the nation, tied with North Carolina State University and the College of the Holy Cross. 

The ranking marks an increase of seven places from WSJ’s 2021 list, which had SU tied 124th out of 600 with Babson College and Stony Brook University.

The WSJ/THE methodology revolved around resources — defined as the capacity to effectively deliver teaching — student engagement, outcomes for graduates and environment, which includes diversity and inclusion of the campus community.

In a survey of SU students run by THE, the WSJ ranked SU out of 10 in three distinct categories as part of their description of the university: “right choice,” “inspiring” and “worth the cost.” SU received 7.7, 7.3 and 6, respectively.

Published on September 23, 2021 at 12:14 am

Contact Richard: rcperrin@syr.edu | @richardperrins2