National Rankings Highlight Academic Excellence Across Campus

Each organization’s ranking methodology shows the strength of the University’s commitment to a horizon-expanding education and its stellar reputation as an institution where students are taught and mentored by faculty and staff who trust in their potential.

Being named among The Princeton Review’s Best 391 Colleges for 2026 places Duquesne among the top 15% of four-year institutions in the United States, based on student surveys and institutional data. This recognition highlights the University’s strong academics, supportive campus environment and commitment to student success. 

Duquesne is also included in The Princeton Review’s Best Mid-Atlantic Colleges list, which showcases academically outstanding institutions across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and surrounding states. 

Additionally, the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business was recently named among The Princeton Review’s Best Business Schools for 2025, with highlights including:

• Being listed as one of just 213 business schools for the Best On-Campus MBA Programs grouping
• Named No. 6 among 10 business schools named to the Greatest Resources for Women category.

“These latest recognitions by Princeton Review add to our list of external accolades and underscore the quality of our MBA and graduate programs, as well as our difference-making support of students,” said Duquesne Business Dean Dr. Dean McFarlin. “Few business schools can match the depth and breadth of the class-embedded corporate projects students tackle across our programs, giving them unparalleled opportunities to help organizations solve real business problems as part of their education. This is an impressive testament to the commitment, hard work and passion of our faculty and staff.” 

The Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University consistently remains highly ranked and nationally acclaimed in “Professor Accessibility” and “Career.” For the second year in a row, Duquesne Kline School of Law ranks in the top 10 for “Professor Accessibility,” and is ranked #39 for “Career” outcomes. These exceptional ranks from the TaxProf Blog are based on the recently released 2025 Princeton Review Law School ratings. The ratings are out of nearly 200 law schools in the United States. 

“These rankings reflect what we’ve always known: our faculty genuinely care about student success, and our career services team works closely with students from day one. We’re fortunate to have nearly 9,000 alumni and a thriving legal community in Pittsburgh and beyond that opens doors for our graduates,” said Dean April Barton.

In the newly released 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, Duquesne was ranked No. 169 among National Universities, No. 115 in Best Value Schools and No. 122 in Best Colleges for Veterans. These rankings reflect Duquesne’s strong performance across key indicators of student success, including graduation rates, post-graduate outcomes and social mobility.

Two standout programs received notable acclaim. The Undergraduate Engineering Program (non-doctorate) climbed two spots to No. 60, underscoring the University’s growing strengths in STEM education. 

“As our programs continue to grow, we are proud to be ranked among the Top 60 Undergraduate Engineering programs,” said Dr. Ellen Gawalt, dean of the School of Science and Engineering. “The Biomedical Engineering program has been an excellent program with exemplary outcomes and alumni on which to build our new Mechanical and Civil Engineering programs. The engineering programs are emblematic of the outstanding undergraduate programs in the School of Science and Engineering.”

Duquesne’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program was ranked No. 74, a testament to its reputation for preparing highly skilled and compassionate health care professionals. 

“In addition, the School of Nursing was recently recognized as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence—I am pleased that we continue to rank in the top 100 schools of nursing and continue our tradition of excellence in nursing education,” said Duquesne Nursing Dean Dr. Mary Ellen Glasgow. 

Also, Duquesne University is included among the top 31% of schools ranked in the just-released Wall Street Journal (WSJ)/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. list. One of the largest-ever independent surveys of college students in the United States, approximately 120,000 undergraduates offered their views on topics including career preparation, learning opportunities and campus life. The final rankings were based on the following weighted components: Student Outcomes (70%), Learning Environment (20%) and Diversity (10%).

Furthermore, Duquesne University has been named one of Money magazine’s Best Colleges in America for 2025. The publication evaluated colleges using 26 data points across three key categories: quality of education, affordability and outcomes. Duquesne’s inclusion among Money’s top 732 colleges nationwide emphasizes its high graduation rates, generous financial aid and strong alumni earnings—affirming its reputation as a smart investment for students and families.

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 more than 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.

It's time for bigger goals. Follow Duquesne University on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and LinkedIn.
www.duq.edu