Western Pennsylvania’s Best Colleges for 2018: U.S. News & World Report

PITTSBURGH, PA - The new school year is in full swing, and as high school seniors plan the next big step in their lives, their attention is no doubt on what colleges best suit their educational and career ambitions. College rankings certainly play into that decision making as well, and for 2018, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Princeton University in New Jersey as the best national university for the seventh year in a row.

In Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University was the top-rated Western Pennsylvania institution of higher learning. The top five universities in the state are:

1. University of Pennsylvania
2. Carnegie Mellon
3. Lehigh University
4. Villanova University
5. Pennsylvania State University, University Park

Here’s how the top-ranked colleges and universities fared in the rankings

State rank: 2
National rank: 25 (tie)
Highest national rankings:
Quantitative analysis (2)
Management information systems (2)
Production-operation management (3)
Computers (4)
Most innovative (5)

University of Pittsburgh
State rank: 6
National rank: 38
Highest national rankings:
Top public schools (24)
Best colleges for veterans (34)
Best undergraduate engineering programs (49)
High school counselor ratings (90)

Duquesne University
State rank: 9
National rank: 120
Highest national rankings:
Best value schools (42)
Best colleges for veterans (75)
High school counselor ratings (106)
Business programs (151)

Robert Morris University
State rank: 11
National rank: 176
Highest national rankings:
Engineering programs (118)
Business programs (331)

Washington & Jefferson College
State rank: 25
National rank: 106 in liberal arts colleges

Grove City College
State rank: 27
National rank: 126 in liberal arts colleges

St. Vincent College
State rank: 31
National rank: 147 in liberal arts colleges

LaRoche College
State rank: 40

Chatham University
State rank: 56

Geneva College
State rank: 57

Photo:Jiuguang Wang via Creative Commons.