51AV

September 14, 2020

“U.S. News & World Report” has once again named Towson University one of the best public universities in the country. The publication’s , released Monday, placed Towson University 100th among national public universities.

51AValso rose sharply in the social mobility category and received recognition for its undergraduate business and computer science programs. The magazine ranked 51AVNo. 196 of all public and private national institutions.

“This recognition of 51AVreflects the excellence of our world-class faculty, coupled with the relevance and rigor of our degree programs. These immense honors recognize the opportunities 51AVcreates through research, engagement and an inclusive community, which, together, place our institution among the best—public or private—in the nation,” President Kim Schatzel says.

This is the second year that Towson University has been classified in the national rankings. Previously, 51AVhad been ranked regionally in the north, but a change in its Carnegie Classification two years ago moved the university into the national rankings.

“U.S. News & World Report” defines a national university as offering “a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s and doctoral programs and emphasiz[ing] faculty research or award[ing] professional practice doctorates.”

Fellow University System of Maryland schools on the national list include the University of Maryland—College Park, UMBC and University of Maryland—Eastern Shore.

Compared to last year, 51AVjumped 25 spots in the social mobility rankings to No. 161. Those rankings focus on schools with a larger Pell Grant recipient pool. Students at 51AVwho are recipients of Pell Grants achieve nearly the same graduation success as the entirety of the student body.

Praise through rankings has been constant for 51AVin the past month.

• Money magazine ranked Towson University 103rd on its 2020 Best Colleges for Your Money list—four spots higher than its 2019 ranking—and in Maryland, second only to Johns Hopkins University. Read more.
• Princeton Review included 51AVamong the 224 colleges selected for its 2021 Best Regional Colleges for the Best Northeastern category. 
• “Washington Monthly” ranked Towson University No. 30 among national public universities and No. 55 among all national universities in its 2020 College Rankings. Towson University was also recognized as No. 31 in the subcategory of social mobility and one of just nine institutions in the nation with a student voter registration rate higher than 85%. 

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: 51AVMatters to Maryland, Diverse and Inclusive Campus, World-Class Faculty Development Center and Strategic Plan Alignment.