SU falls 1 spot in U.S. News and World Report ranking

Syracuse University fell one spot in the 2020 U.S. News and World Report ranking of best national universities.

The university is now ranked No. 54, tying with Santa Clara University and Ohio State University, Columbus. The best national university rankings are published annually with a variety of other lists, including best colleges for veterans and best value schools.

Last fall, SU jumped eight spots to No. 53 from its 2018 ranking at No. 61. SU’s first-year retention rate is 91%, according to this year’s rankings. The university’s predicted graduation rate is 74%, nine percentage points below its actual graduation rate of 83%.

SUNY-ESF now claims the No. 121 spot alongside Iowa State University, the University of Tulsa and the University of Vermont. The university was rated No. 106 this year and No. 97 in 2018.

Top-ranking universities this year include Princeton University and Harvard University, which claimed the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Both Ivy League universities maintained their positions from the previous year. Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University all tied for the No. 3 spot for 2020.

The ranked colleges are grouped according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, according to U.S. News and World Report. Among other updates, the classification used for the best colleges ranking was updated in December 2018. Approximately 13% of schools were put in new categories.

The ranking’s methodology weighs outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinions, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving.