Abilene Christian University emerged with a strong showing in its first year as a National University in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2022-23 rankings. ACU was one of only 19 U.S. institutions ranked in the top 50 nationally in both Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects and Undergraduate Teaching, alongside Carnegie Mellon, Dartmouth, Duke, Harvard, Princeton, Rice, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Yale.
“We aspire to be the best at combining a world-class academic education in a Christ-centered environment where students grow in their faith and come to know God more fully and his call for their lives,” said Dr. Phil Schubert, president. “It’s exciting that U.S. News & World Report rankings affirm ACU’s position as one of the nation’s top Christian universities. Our commitment to a holistic student experience, excellent academics, top-tier research opportunities and talented faculty distinguish ACU. I look forward to embracing the new opportunities that come along with our growing national reputation.”
In the Best National Universities list, ACU is #250 (tied) out of 440 institutions, making it the 10th highest ranked Texas university and one of only six private Texas universities to make the top 250.
“These aren’t just 440 general universities but the top tier of doctoral research universities in the nation,” said Dr. Robert Rhodes, provost. “Out of approximately 4,000 colleges and universities across the country, the National University category comprises the top 440. These are the very best research universities in the nation – in essence, the top 10% – and we entered with a strong national ranking. And, among the 34 Texas schools in the National Universities category, it’s a significant honor to be the 10th highest ranked.”
In addition, for the fourth year in a row, ACU is the highest-ranking university in Texas in the “Academic Programs to Look For” benchmarks focused on student success – placing in six of eight categories this year. Abilene Christian has been recognized among the nation’s best each year since the benchmark’s debut in the 2020 edition. According to U.S. News & World Report methodology, this designation highlights “universities and colleges that offer well-regarded study abroad, service learning and other special programs that, research shows, are linked to student success and positive learning outcomes while fostering a successful undergraduate student experience.”
ACU earned a spot in the top 10 of three categories – the only Texas university to do so – and was ranked in six out of eight highlighted categories, more than any other Texas college or university. These rankings span all sizes and classifications of U.S. institutions.
Top 10 rankings:
- SERVICE LEARNING: (1) Berea College; (2) Tulane; (3) Elon; (4) Duke; (5) Abilene Christian; (6) Notre Dame; (7) Boston College; (8) Portland State; (9) Michigan State, Stanford
- FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE: (1) Agnes Scott College; (2) Elon; (3) South Carolina; (4) Amherst College; (5) Berea College; (6) Georgia State; (7) Bates College; (8) Abilene Christian; (9) Princeton; (10) Baylor
- LEARNING COMMUNITIES: (1) Elon; (2) Yale; (3) Agnes Scott College; (4) Michigan State; (5) University of Michigan – Ann Arbor; (6) Princeton, Vanderbilt; (8) University of Maryland, College Park; (9) Abilene Christian, Bucknell, Dartmouth College, Georgia State, Miami University – Oxford, Spelman College and Syracuse
Other “Academic Programs to Look For” categories in which Abilene Christian ranked
- #22 in SENIOR CAPSTONE (only Texas university named to this category)
- #28 in UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH (tied)
- #35 in STUDY ABROAD (tied)
In the Best Undergraduate Teaching (National Universities) list, ACU tied for #41.
The 2022-23 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges assessed an all-time high of 1,500 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions.
Learn more about ACU’s national rankings.
— Wendy Kilmer
Sept. 12, 2022