Wilkes University is once again ranked among top national universities in U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges ranking of American colleges and universities. Wilkes is ranked 234 among 440 national universities in the 2023 edition. This is the 19th consecutive year that Wilkes has been ranked and its fourth year as a national university.
Among the highlights is recognition for social mobility, which measures how well schools educate and graduate students who receive Pell grants, the federal aid program reserved for the most financially needy students. Wilkes ranks among the top 20 percent of national universities at number 82 of 439 institutions.
Wilkes was also recognized by U.S. News and World Report for:
- engineering bachelor’s-degree programs among institutions that do not offer doctoral degrees in the engineering field. Wilkes ranks 205.
- the bachelor of science in nursing degree in which Wilkes ranks 413 of 681 institutions.
- “A+ Schools for B Students” which recognizes schools in the top three-fourths of their ranking category and their average first-year student retention rate.
“Though we are proud to be recognized, we acknowledge that rankings tend to be limited in their assessment,” said Wilkes President Greg Cant. “As an institution that boasts an average class size of less than 20 students, we put much more emphasis on the personal stories and individual successes we see every day. We find that students’ personal experiences at Wilkes, which lead to excellent careers in well-paying jobs, are much more meaningful to graduates and their families.”
Various rankings and recognitions
Washington Monthly ranked Wilkes 245 among 442 national universities based on what they are doing for the country. Wilkes was also ranked in Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck” ranking, which recognizes schools that help non-wealthy students obtain marketable degrees at affordable prices.
In considering this ranking, Wilkes illustrated strength related to graduate earnings 10 years after entering college (ranking 136th of national universities) and its ROTC investment where Wilkes is ranked 10th among national universities. These stats are key factors for the social mobility and service components of the ranking.
Wilkes was also recognized by the following organizations and outlets in recent weeks:
- NICHE ranked Wilkes in three categories: “Best Colleges in America” (747), “Top Private Universities in America” (446) and “Best Value Colleges in America” (425).
- Princeton Review named Wilkes one of 224 “Best Northeastern” schools in 2023.
