New Academic Year Marked by Strong Showing in College Rankings

The WSJ/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. ranks only the top 12% of colleges and universities in the country, and Duquesne was ranked No. 144 on their list, based on a methodology that places a significant 70% on student outcomes. The WSJ methodology considers how well each college sets graduates up for financial success; how much a school improves students’ chances for graduating and their future earnings; and feedback from students on college life.

Duquesne also was named in the Princeton Review’s 2025 Best 390 Colleges list, which only includes approximately 10% of four-year institutions across the nation. Based solely on the company’s surveys of students attending the schools on its annual list, these rankings consider dozens of topics and students report on their experiences. For the 50 ranking lists in The Best 390 Colleges, the Princeton Review tallied surveys of 168,000 students—about 430 per school on average.

Feedback from Duquesne students in the Princeton Review lauded the University’s classes, faculty, Pittsburgh location and more, including: 

• “I was able to discover new subjects that I love learning about and tailor my academic experience to those interests”
• “The ‘informative’ and ‘hands-on’ clinicals and lab simulation opportunities are seen as some of the campus' best and most ‘one-of-a-kind’ academic features.” 
• “Professors are passionate about what they teach…and are always willing to meet and discuss material.”

Duquesne University ranked No. 165 among the nearly 1,500 national colleges and universities evaluated for the 2025 U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges list. Now in its 40th year, the rankings consider 17 measures of academic quality with emphases on social mobility and college graduate outcomes.

Highlights for the University this year include a 13-spot climb to No. 39 for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing; a 45-spot jump to No. 62 for the undergraduate engineering programs; and a No. 58 ranking for Duquesne in the Best Value Schools-National Universities category.

“Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing program prepares our graduates for the challenges of nursing today,” said Nursing Dean Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow. “The recently implemented clinical immersion helps our students acclimate to the practice environment and become the best nurses and problem-solvers they can be while putting empathy and compassion at the core of their clinical practice. We are ecstatic over the continued recognition by U.S. News!”

Dr. Ellen Gawalt, dean of Duquesne’s School of Science and Engineering, echoed Glasgow’s sentiment.

“We are proud that our long-standing Biomedical Engineering programs have been recognized for their outstanding outcomes, and we look forward to similar outcomes in our emerging programs in engineering,” Gawalt said.

Duquesne University

Founded in 1878, Duquesne is consistently ranked among the nation's top Catholic universities for its award-winning faculty and horizon-expanding education. A campus of nearly 8,200 graduate and undergraduate students, Duquesne prepares students by having them work alongside faculty to discover and reach their goals. The University's academic programs, community service and commitment to equity and opportunity in the Pittsburgh region have earned national acclaim.

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