The 2027 U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings report published today, with Hope College repeating in several impressive spots among 1,700 colleges and universities nationally involved in the survey, and improving in rank positions from the previous year. The annual report uses up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.
Hope’s ranking in the overall “National Liberal Arts Colleges” category that reviewed 203 liberal arts schools, improved by six spots from the previous year, scoring at #78. This latest ranking in this category highlights a 34-point increase since 2020.
Hope also appeared in two new categories introduced by U.S. News & World Report: “Top Private Colleges-National Liberal Arts” (Hope ranked #74) and “First-Year Experiences” (Hope ranked #60 – acknowledged for programs and seminars that bring smaller groups of first-year students together with faculty and staff regularly to engage and support them early on).
Hope College ranked high nationally in other institutional categories as well:
- #32 – Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects
- Hope’s national reputation for undergraduate research continues to advance among institutions of all types — including major research universities and Ivy League schools. Hope has been included on the nation’s top undergraduate research/creative project list every year since the category debuted in the 2003 edition.
- #40 – Most Innovative Schools – National Liberal Arts Colleges
- College presidents, provosts and admissions deans were asked to nominate up to 15 peer colleges or universities in their U.S. News “Best Colleges” ranking category, that they believe are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.
- #41 – Undergraduate Teaching Programs-Among National Liberal Arts Colleges
- Recognizing Hope’s commitment to utilizing faculty in teaching its undergraduate students.
- #93 – Best Value for National Liberal Arts College
- Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.
- #140 – Top Performer in Social Mobility (up 10 spots)
- A college ranked with strong social mobility is one that enrolls a significant number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who then graduate into steady-paying jobs.
In specific undergraduate academic programs, Hope College rankings revealed:
- #71 – Engineering (up 11 spots)
- #129 – Psychology (up 67 spots)
- #288 – Nursing (BSN) (up 97 spots)
The 2027 Best Colleges edition collectively evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities – across four categories: National Liberal Arts Colleges, National Universities, Regional Universities and Regional Colleges. The annual review uses up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success. The U.S News’ transparent, rigorous methodology provides a foundation for navigating the complex landscape of higher education.
“Higher education is an investment in a student’s future, and we’re proud to recognize the institutions that continue to raise the bar for academic excellence,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for education at U.S. News & World Report. “The Best Colleges rankings celebrate schools that demonstrate outstanding commitment to student success, providing prospective families with a roadmap to discover high- performing institutions that align with their specific academic, career and personal goals.”
Other National Rankings News
These latest national rankings from U.S. News & World Report come on the heels of other national and Michigan rankings highlighting Hope College:
- Niche also ranked Hope College in this year’s higher-education rankings as the 14th best Christian college and the #48th best liberal arts college in America. In Michigan, Niche ranked Hope College the #1 Christian college and #1 private university for the second consecutive year.
- The newest Forbes: 2027 America’s Top Colleges guide ranked Hope 57th in the Midwest and #153 nationally among private colleges. The guide includes metrics such as alumni salary, debt, graduation rate, return on investment, retention rate and academic success.
- Money magazine includes Hope among the 732 four-year colleges that it analyzes in its Best Colleges guide, awarding the college four stars.
Hope College maintains a more extensive listing of college rankings on its website at hope.edu/rankings.