U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of Portland second out of 113 institutions in the Regional Universities West category of its 2020 ranking of colleges and universities. That category covers “universities that offer a full-range undergraduate programs, some master’s and few doctoral programs.”
UP has been in the top ten for 25 consecutive years. In 2018 and 2019, the University of Portland ranked sixth in the Regional Universities West category. Here are this year’s top ten regional universities in the West, according to the U.S News & World Report.
Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas
University of Portland, Portland, Oregon
Whitworth University, Spokane, Washington
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California
Mills College, Oakland, California
St. Mary’s College, Moraga, California
University of Dallas, Irving, Texas
St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas
California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, California
Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California
U.S. News & World Report rankings also include the categories of National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities (North, West, Midwest, South) and Regional Colleges (North, West, Midwest, South).
Criteria U.S. News & World Report says it uses to rank institutions includes: graduation and retention rates, graduation rates of Pell Grant recipients (“social mobility”), class size, faculty salary, academic reputation, financial resources, standardized tests and alumni giving.
U.S. News & World Report noted UP’s average freshman retention rate as 90% and an annual graduation rate of 82%.
In the category of Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, UP’s Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering was ranked 26th nationally, up three spots from last year, among engineering schools that do not offer a doctorate.
Claire Desmarais is the editor-in-chief for The Beacon. She can be reached desmarai20@up.edu.
