UD ranked 29th in Forbes' list of best public universities

5:28 p.m., July 30, 2015--For the second time this month, the University of Delaware has been ranked among the top schools in the nation, with Forbes placing UD 29th among public universities in its "America's Top Colleges Ranking 2015."  

Earlier this month, Money magazine named UD the 21st among public universities in its list of "Money's Best Colleges." 

Campus Stories

From graduates, faculty

As it neared time for the processional to open the University of Delaware Commencement ceremonies, graduating students and faculty members shared their feelings about what the event means to them.

Doctoral hooding

It was a day of triumph, cheers and collective relief as more than 160 students from 21 nations participated in the University of Delaware's Doctoral Hooding Convocation held Friday morning on The Green.

• Doctoral hooding
• Old Swedes
• Summer SAT, ACT prep
• 'Opus 13' pre-sale

For its rankings, Forbes worked with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity in Washington, D.C., to identify the nation's top colleges. According to the Forbes website, the "list of 650 schools distinguishes itself from competitors by our belief in 'output' over 'input.' … Our sights are set directly on ROI: What are students getting out of college?"

The University of Delaware is ranked at 142 overall, out of 650 schools, and comes in 65th among research universities and 66th in the Northeast. 

The Forbes ranking is based on student satisfaction (25 percent), postgraduate success (32.5 percent), student debt (25 percent), graduation rate (7.5 percent) and academic success (10 percent).

Social media impact

In connection with its rankings, Forbes published a blog post on July 30 focusing on the impact of social media in choosing a college. The blog mentions UD's Social Media Ambassador program where students share their campus experiences online through Blue Hen Twitter accounts. 

Meredith Chapman, digital communications director at UD, is quoted, "We're finding that students are really relating to their peers putting out content."