U.S. News Best Colleges: See Which Ohio Schools Made The List

COLUMBUS, OH — As students and colleges across the nation grapple with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, U.S. News & World Report on Monday remained steadfast with the release of its 2021 edition of Best U.S. Colleges, a list that includes several schools in Ohio.

Despite how the pandemic has forced current and potential students to alter college plans, U.S. News said in a news release that it must “continue providing students and their families with the tools they need to help find the right school for them.”

To rank colleges, U.S. News first placed each school into a category based on its mission and, in some cases, its geographical location in the United States. U.S. News then evaluated more than 1,400 colleges and universities on 17 indicators of academic quality. The colleges are ranked based on their overall scores.

The data used for this year’s rankings was gathered in spring and early summer 2020; however, the publication noted that the pandemic did not affect the numbers.

This year’s edition also includes several methodology updates. The new measures look at timely topics such as student debt, social mobility and test-blind admissions policies. U.S. News also added new weights and indicators to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and added a new ranking for computer science programs.

See more detailed methodologies and frequently asked questions about the rankings.

These Ohio colleges and universities were included in this year’s rankings:

National Universities

• Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland. Ranked No. 42
• The Ohio State University, Columbus. Ranked No. 53
• Miami University, Oxford. Ranked No. 103
• University of Dayton. Ranked No. 133
• Ohio University, Athens. Ranked No. 176
• Kent State University, Kent. Ranked No. 217
• University of Findlay. Ranked No. 241
• Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green. Ranked No. 258
• University of Akron. Ranked No. 272

National Liberal Arts Colleges

• Kenyon College. Ranked No. 28
• Oberlin College. Ranked No. 36
• Denison University. Ranked No. 44
• College of Wooster. Ranked No. 69
• Ohio Wesleyan University. Ranked No. 93
• Wittenburg University. Ranked No. 153

Midwest Regional Universities

• John Carroll University. Ranked No. 2
• Xavier University. Ranked No. 5
• Baldwin Wallace University. Ranked No. 10
• Franciscan University of Steubenville. Ranked No. 15
• Cedarville University. Ranked No. 21
• Otterbein University. Ranked No. 21
• Capital University. Ranked No. 30
• Walsh University. Ranked No. 39
• Muskingum University. Ranked No. 46
• Ursuline College, Ranked No. 46
• Ashland University. Ranked No. 51
• Malone University. Ranked No. 71
• Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Ranked No. 71
• Mount St. Joseph University. Ranked No. 80
• Ohio Dominican University. Ranked No. 103
• Youngstown State University. Ranked No. 112

Regional Colleges

• Ohio Northern University. Ranked No. 3
• Marietta College. Ranked No. 8
• University of Mount Union. Ranked No. 10
• Hiram College. Ranked No. 15
• Heidelberg University. Ranked No. 21
• Bluffton University. Ranked No. 28
• Wilmington College. Ranked No. 38
• Defiance College. Ranked No. 49

Princeton University is once again No. 1 among National Universities, and Williams College remains in the top spot among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

For Top Public Schools, the University of California - Los Angeles is No. 1 among National Universities. The United States Naval Academy ranks No. 1 for Top Public Schools among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

See all of 2021’s Best U.S. Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.