Elon named #1 National University for Teaching Excellence in new U.S. News & World Report rankings

Elon University is ranked #1 for excellence in undergraduate teaching and received a #9 ranking in the Most Innovative category among the nation’s most prestigious comprehensive universities. The university ranked #83 overall among national universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” guide, which released its 2022 rankings on Monday, Sept. 13.

For a seventh straight year, Elon is the leader in the “Focus on Student Success” feature — the only college or university in the country ranked in the top 20 in all eight categories of high-impact academic programs.

“This year’s #1 national ranking for teaching excellence is a testament to the strong relationships faculty mentors build with their students inside and outside the classroom,” said President Connie Ledoux Book. “Teaching and mentorship are central to an Elon education, and with the support of staff across the university, Elon’s highly-skilled faculty are impacting the lives of their students on a daily and lifelong basis.”

Since moving into the national universities category in the 2020 rankings, Elon has ranked #1 or #2 each year in a list with elite universities that demonstrate the highest quality of undergraduate instruction.

Top 10 National Universities recognized for excellence in undergraduate teaching:

#1 Elon University

#2 Georgia State University

#3 Princeton University

#4 Brown University

#5 Dartmouth College

#6 Rice University

#6 University of Maryland — Baltimore County

#8 Boston College

#9 William & Mary

#10 Arizona State University

Elon led all other institutions in the “Focus on Student Success” feature that is based on a survey of top college and university leaders from across the nation. Elon has the following top-20 rankings in the eight academic and cocurricular programs proven to enhance student success:

#1 Learning Communities

#1 Study Abroad

#2 First-year Experiences

#2 Service Learning

#3 Senior Capstone

#6 Internships/Co-ops

#13 Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects

#16 Writing in the Disciplines

“These recognitions speak to the quality of the broad range of opportunities that are integral to an Elon education,” Book said. “Thanks to the mentorship provided by Elon faculty and staff, Elon students are positioned to thrive in all aspects of academic and campus life as they prepare for success following graduation.”

With Elon ranked in the top 20 in eight categories, Duke University, Stanford University and Agnes Scott College were ranked in the top 20 in seven categories, and Carleton College, Yale University and Boston College in six categories.

Elon remains in among the top 10 of the Most Innovative National Universities. These are universities that are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.

The Top 10 “Most Innovative” National Universities are:

#1 Arizona State University

#2 Georgia State University

#3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#4 Georgia Institute of Technology

#5 Carnegie Mellon University

#6 University of Maryland — Baltimore County

#7 Stanford University

#8 Purdue University — West Lafayette

#9 Elon University

#9 University of Michigan — Ann Arbor

The “Most Innovative” rankings for other North Carolina schools include Duke University (#16), N.C. A&T State University (#46), N.C. State University (#70), the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (#70), the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (#70) and Wake Forest University (#70).

In the overall National Universities category, Elon is ranked #83 and #51 among private universities based on strong scores in several areas of the “Best Colleges” methodology. Elon ranks #19 in alumni annual financial support and #73 in graduation and retention rates, with 90 percent of first-year students returning for their sophomore year and 79 percent going on to graduate within six years. Elon is one of only 15 schools with zero percent of classes larger than 50 students.

North Carolina colleges and universities included in the overall National Universities rankings include:

#9 Duke University

#28University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#28 Wake Forest University

#79 North Carolina State University

#83 Elon University

#187 University of North Carolina at Wilmington

#213 East Carolina University

#227 University of North Carolina at Charlotte

#239 University of North Carolina at Greensboro

#277 Campbell University

#277 North Carolina A&T State University

#277 Gardner-Webb University

#291-391 Wingate University

Elon moved to the National Universities category in 2019 after being classified as a Doctoral/Professional University by the Carnegie Classification of Colleges. The top schools in the National Universities category this year are, in rank order: Princeton University, Columbia University, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Stanford University, the University of Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania.

U.S. News & World Report has been producing college rankings since 1983. The rankings are based on an extensive annual data survey of institutions along with opinion surveys of university faculty and administrators.