The University of Nebraska–Lincoln continued to build positive momentum in the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings, building on strengths in national reputation, value, veteran supports and academics.
Released Sept. 14, the 2021 rankings place Nebraska in the top third nationally in comparisons of all public universities. Among public universities, Nebraska is No. 62, an advancement of two positions from a year ago. The public/private institution survey lists Nebraska at 133, up from 139 in the 2020 survey.
Nebraska is the only Big Ten institution to show improvement in the peer assessment score in back-to-back years, improving to 3.3. The peer assessment — which is based on a survey of top national academic officials (presidents, provosts and deans of admissions) — was 3.1 in 2019 and 3.2 in 2020. The 3.3 peer assessment places Nebraska in the top 25% of all national universities.
“It’s rewarding to see other higher education leaders rank us in the top quarter of all national universities,” Chancellor Ronnie Green said. “Our rise in each of these metrics is directly connected to our positive momentum as an institution and the dedication of our faculty and staff.”
Nebraska continues to show strength in supporting veterans and in the cost of earning a degree. Among all national universities, Nebraska ranked No. 93 in the U.S. News and World Reports Best Colleges for Veterans list, and No. 101 in its Best Value Schools ranking.
In specific academic areas ranked in the 2021 survey, Nebraska is at 53 for undergraduate business programs; 90 for undergraduate engineering programs; and 96 for undergraduate computer science programs.
The 2021 rankings evaluated universities nationwide based on 17 factors — including graduate/retention rates, peer assessments, financial resources for students, and graduate debt. The complete survey is available at http://www.usnews.com.
