Case Western Reserve holds overall spot in U.S. News ranking of national universities
Some specialty rankings rise, while new categories position CWRU well
Case Western Reserve University maintained its position among national universities—#51—with some modest movement in certain specialties, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
Released today, the 2026 “Best Colleges” list ranks national universities—those offering degrees from undergraduate to doctoral—overall, as well as in particular areas of study or other categories. For example, Case Western Reserve’s biomedical engineering program moved up one spot to No. 17 in the U.S., while its nursing program dropped but remains strong at No. 13.
In addition, Case Western Reserve ranked No. 28 in the U.S. in a new category, Best Colleges for Veterans, and No. 56 in another new category, Best Value Schools.
“These rankings are partial indicators of the exceptional educational experience offered at Case Western Reserve, but they are only one small way we measure our success as a university,” said President Eric W. Kaler. “While these lists may help draw people’s attention to our campus, they cannot capture the knowledge, dedication and impact that our community members bring to our classrooms, labs and clinical spaces—and well beyond.”
Much of this year’s rankings held steady, following a major shakeup to the magazine’s methodology two years ago. This year, Case Western Reserve tied with five other universities for No. 51: Florida State (up three spots from last year), Texas A&M (no ranking change), Virginia Tech (no ranking change), Wake Forest (down five from last year) and William & Mary (up three from last year).
Case Western Reserve’s program rankings—which are heavily based on qualitative peer assessments instead of quantitative data—included:
- #13 in nursing (down four)
- #17 in biomedical engineering (up one)
- #41 in business (down one)
- #42 in undergraduate engineering programs (up one)
In addition, the university ranked No. 33 for first-year experiences and No. 44 for undergraduate research/creative projects—both declines from the year prior.
This ranking only includes undergraduate programs; graduate-level program rankings typically are released in the spring.
To view the full list, visit usnews.com/best-colleges.
