For the third straight year, Emory University secured the No. 24 spot in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report’s (USNWR) “Best Colleges” ranking for national universities. This year, Emory is tied with Georgetown University (D.C.) in the “Best Colleges” ranking.
The University has gradually declined in the “Best Colleges” ranking since 2016, when it last held the No. 20 spot in USNWR’s ranking. Emory fell from No. 20 to No. 21 in 2017 and dropped to No. 22 in 2022. The University has remained at No. 24 since 2023.
Finishing at No. 24 keeps Emory at its second-worst rank, with the University only being ranked lower in 1994 when it placed No. 25. Last year, Emory tied with Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.), University of Virginia and Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) in the USNWR rankings. Carnegie Mellon, Virginia and Washington University moved to No. 20, No. 26 and No. 20, respectively.
The Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing took the No. 2 spot in the “Best Bachelor of Science (BSN) in Nursing” ranking, dropping from the No. 1 spot last year and finishing behind Duke University School of Nursing (N.C.).
Goizueta Business School’s undergraduate program rose two spots this year on USNWR’s “Best Undergraduate Business” program rankings to finish at No. 12 after earning the No. 14 spot last year.
Additionally, USNWR ranked Emory at No. 21 for the “Best Value” school, rising from No. 22 last year. Emory also rose 14 spots in its ranking for “Most Innovative,” obtaining the No. 31 spot in the ranking.
Lauren Yee (she/her) (24Ox, 27C) is a managing editor at The Emory Wheel. She is from Hong Kong, majoring in religion and German. Outside of the Wheel, Yee is the president of the Hong Kong Student Association and the managing editor for In Via, Emory's Christian thought journal. In her free time, you can find her playing the saxophone, watching musicals, listening to Taylor Swift or enjoying a pumpkin cream chai!
