SLU Named a National Best Value, Top Catholic University in America in Recent Rankings

With the start of the fall semester, it’s time for publications and websites to release their annual rankings of the best colleges and universities in America. Once again, SLU has been recognized as one of the nation’s best values in higher education and one of the leading Catholic universities in the country.

Two students walking through the Lipic Clock Tower Plaza and fountains with the sun shining through the fall leaves of a tree.

Two students walk through Lipic Clock Tower Plaza in October 2022. Photo by Sarah Conroy.

Most recently, the University was named a “Best Value School” for the eighth consecutive year by U.S. News in its 2024 Best Colleges rankings for undergraduate education released on Sept. 18. SLU ranked No. 52 among 211 schools on the best value list, which the publication calculates by comparing a school’s academic quality and its net cost of attendance.

Overall, in this year’s U.S. News undergraduate rankings, SLU ranked No. 105 among more than 430 national universities that offer a range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates.

Among the 523 business schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), SLU’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business had three undergraduate programs ranked in the top 20 nationally: International Business (No. 15), Entrepreneurship (No. 16) and Finance (No. 17).

The Trudy Busch Valentine School of Nursing ranked No. 67 out of 656 nursing schools with master's or doctoral programs accredited by either the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

SLU also ranked No. 22 among the best service-learning programs in the country — a listing based on recent surveys of college presidents, chief academic officers, and deans of students and admissions from more than 1,500 schools.

Below is a summary of some of SLU’s other most recent national rankings:

Wall Street Journal

SLU ranked No. 156 among the top 400 universities in the country in the Wall Street Journal/College Pulse America’s 2024 Best Colleges rankings published Sept. 6. The rankings score colleges based on student outcomes, learning environment and diversity using the latest data for analysis. The WSJ says its rankings emphasize how much a college improves its students’ chances of graduating on time and how much it boosts their salaries after graduation.

Princeton Review

In August, SLU was profiled in Princeton Review’s Best 389 Colleges, which includes only 15% of America’s four-year colleges. Schools are selected based on data collected from surveys of 2,000 college administrators. The annual guidebook also features rankings for various categories based on student surveys. SLU ranked No. 9 on the Top 20 Best Private Schools for Making an Impact list and No. 25 in the Students Most Engaged in Community Service category.

Niche

Also in August, the rankings and reviews website Niche.com ranked SLU No. 111 among the 936 Top Private Universities in America and No. 10 among the 160 Best Catholic Colleges in America. The website says its college rankings are based on an analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of student and alumni reviews.