The University of Delaware ranks #26 overall among 500 colleges and universities nationwide and #10 out of 235 in best public universities, according to The Wall Street Journal’s 2025 WSJ/College Pulse best colleges in the U.S. rankings. The 2025 rankings reflect immense growth in UD’s accomplishments and reputation, rising from #86 overall in the nation in the 2024 survey. 

“This prominent recognition by The Wall Street Journal of the University of Delaware’s excellence is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our outstanding faculty and staff to prepare our students for success in their careers and throughout their lives,” said President Dennis Assanis. “Student success has always been — and will continue to be — a critical focus for the University.” 

According to The Wall Street Journal, the ranking “measures how well each college sets graduates up for financial success. We look at how much a school improves students’ chances of graduating and their future earnings, balancing these outcomes with feedback from students on college life.”

Over the past two years, the WSJ/College Pulse survey has increased its focus on the importance of student outcomes, primarily graduation rates and graduates’ salaries. The survey puts more emphasis on the value added by colleges and universities — not only students’ success but also the contribution the institution makes to that success.

Assanis noted that these metrics in the survey recognize the advancements that UD has made over the past several years. 

“I’m extraordinarily proud of the investments we have made in strengthening our faculty ranks, providing accessible pathways for students to achieve their educational goals, expanding our research enterprise to propel discovery and innovation in so many critical fields, and engaging with people here in Delaware and around the world to help solve our most complex challenges,” Assanis said. “We will continue to build on these achievements to make an even greater impact on the future.”

In the WSJ/College Pulse survey, UD also ranked #48 for best salaries and #86 for best value. 

UD boasts a 73% four-year graduation rate, which is among the best in the nation, according to the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS 2022-23 graduation rates survey. Additionally, 94% of students are employed or continuing their education within six months of their graduation from UD. 

In August, UD made The Princeton Review’s Best 390 Colleges list for 2025. UD was also listed among the Best Mid-Atlantic Colleges. The Princeton Review has also recognized UD as one of the Best Value Colleges 2024 and UD’s excellent undergraduate entrepreneurship program was recognized as #3 in the Mid-Atlantic and in the top 50 nationally in the 2024 Entrepreneurship Rankings.

About UD rankings

A complete listing of UD’s high-profile rankings is available on  UD’s Institutional Research and Effectiveness Rankings webpage. Please note that programs and specialties used in rankings might vary slightly from the names of degree programs used by UD.