Bucks Co. University Jumps 13 Spots In Latest U.S. News Rankings

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — Delaware Valley University jumped 13 spots in the latest U.S News & World Report rankings of colleges and universities released earlier this month.

The college, located in Doylestown, says it was boosted by gains in its peer assessment score, a low student-to-faculty ratio, and the academic strength of the new freshman class.

In the 2020 rankings, DelVal tied for 119th place in the Best Regional Universities-North category.

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The university has been the subject of various recent accolades.

It was recently highlighted in the “Top Performers for Social Mobility” list, which recognizes schools for advancing social mobility of students.

“Our focus is on students, not rankings, but it’s gratifying to receive external recognition of our progress,” said DelVal President Dr. Maria Gallo. “With our award-winning experiential learning program and commitment to accessibility and affordability, we look forward to giving the opportunity of a DelVal education to even more students.”

Earlier this year, the University was named as a national leader in experiential learning by the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE). The University was also named to the Princeton Review’s 2020 “Best in the Northeast” list.

According to a statement from the university, a new strategic plan will expand on recent gains and strengthen DelVal across a variety of areas. "The University plans to further enhance and expand its experiential learning opportunities for students. DelVal’s other strategic priorities include advancing student success, engaging all learners, enhancing faculty and staff excellence, and expanding community and industry partnerships."

A total of 1,400 colleges nationwide were included in the 2020 rankings. (You can read the full methodology here)

U.S. News & World Report ranked University of Pennsylvania is the state's best national university. A total of 18 Pennsylvania colleges were featured on the national list with the highest-ranking college — University of Pennsylvania — coming in at number six.