The University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) has been ranked No. 5 among the 2026 Top Public Schools - Regional Universities (Midwest) by U.S. News & World Report, among other accolades highlighting the institution’s affordability, strong student outcomes and opportunities, return on investment, and academic strengths.

“The University of Minnesota Duluth continues to earn top accolades with U.S. News & World Report and other agencies,” Chancellor Charles Nies said. “That’s a testament to the incredible work of our faculty, staff and our student scholars. Those of us here at UMD know what an amazing place this is, and the transformational education journeys our scholars achieve here, and rankings like these help to share a small bit of that story more broadly.”

U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America’s colleges and universities. The rankings offer detailed information about the institutions and data on factors such as graduation rates, graduate indebtedness and post-graduate earnings.

The 2026 edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.

Key Points

In the 2026 edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, UMD was:

• #5 in Top Public Schools - Regional Universities (Midwest)
• #8 in Best Colleges for Veterans - Regional Universities (Midwest)
• #18 in Overall Rank - Regional Universities (Midwest) (tied)
• #32 in Best Value Schools - Regional Universities (Midwest)
• In the 100 best Top Performers on Social Mobility - Regional Universities (Midwest) (#96)
• Recognized for top programs in undergraduate business (tied #254), computer science (tied #245), engineering (tied #46 among non-doctorate institutions) and psychology (tied #265) programs.

“U.S. News’ Best Colleges remains a reliable resource for prospective students and their families as they navigate the college selection process,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News. “With over half of the ranking factors dedicated to student outcomes, the rankings and editorial content provide vital data, college advice and informed reporting to every student pursuing higher education.”

The U.S. News and World Report results reflect a wide variety of criteria, including graduation rates, student debt, faculty resources and expert opinion. To learn more, visit UMD’s page on U.S. News & World Report.

Alongside UMD’s ranking among U.S. News Best Colleges, the institution recently celebrated recognition as an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Classifications, for fostering student success and high post-graduation earnings. For other accolades and announcements, visit UMD’s online news feed.

Header image: UMD Campus from above looking at the Solon Campus and Kirby Student Centers. Credit: University of Minnesota Duluth