Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. President | St. John's University website

St. John’s University has improved its standing in the U.S. News & World Report education rankings of the nation’s top universities. In the recently released Best Colleges 2025 guidebook, St. John’s University advanced to #152 on the list of national universities, up from last year’s ranking of #163. This marks the highest ranking for St. John’s since the 2019 edition published in Fall 2018.

“With talented faculty scholars and researchers committed to providing students with an engaging and elevating learning experience, the reach of the academic experience at St. John’s is limitless,” stated Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

The Best Colleges 2025 edition by U.S. News & World Report used 17 key measures of academic quality for national universities, including retention and graduation rates; student-to-faculty ratios; earnings and debt; and standardized tests. Besides institution type and geographical location, U.S. News editors ranked colleges in other groupings such as Best Value Schools, Top Public Schools, and Best Colleges for Veterans.

St. John’s is noted as a “Top Performer on Social Mobility,” ranked #35 (up from #42) among national universities—surpassed by only one other private institution in New York and one other Catholic institution in the United States in this measure.

The University also received recognition for “Best Value Schools” (ranked #183, up from #191); “Best Colleges for Veterans” (ranked #106, up from #113); and “Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs” (ranked #229, up from #264).

U.S. News ranked nearly 1,500 US four-year bachelor’s degree-granting institutions within 10 distinct overall rankings. The colleges and universities were compared with schools that share their academic mission.

This year, U.S. News slightly adjusted its methodology by removing the graduation rate of first-generation students from the formula. Last year, outcomes tied to first-generation students were included but were excluded this year due to inconsistent data across institutions.

According to U.S. News & World Report, most schools surveyed continued to report data: 78.1 percent of nearly 1,500 ranked institutions returned their statistical information in spring and summer of 2024 compared to about 79.9 percent last year. This includes 99 of the top 100 ranked national universities and 96 of the top 100 national liberal arts colleges.