Tag: Nationally ranked

USF News

WalletHub Ranks USF as a 2025 Top Illinois University

Joliet, Ill. – The University of St. Francis (USF) was once again ranked as one of the best schools in Illinois according to WalletHub’s 2025 Best Colleges and Universities rankings.

In this year’s WalletHub report, which was compiled by comparing more than 800 higher education institutions across 30 key measures within seven categories that included Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes, USF was recognized as one of the top seven of the twenty-four ranked colleges and universities in Illinois. WalletHub’s rankings also placed USF as the top-ranked Illinois university in the “Campus Safety” category for a fourth consecutive year, and in the top four of twenty-four ranked Illinois schools in the Cost & Financing category. To view the list in its entirety, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750.

For more information on USF programs, financial assistance options or to learn more about registration, visit www.stfrancis.edu/admissions-aid/.

The University of St. Francis is also consistently ranked among the best when it comes to quality education, affordability, and accessibility. Visit www.stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked/ to view USF’s most recent national accolades.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Featured in The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2025 Edition

Aerial view of USF's main campus in Joliet, Ill.

Joliet, Ill. – The Princeton Review®, known for its many education services and resources for college-bound students, features the University of St. Francis (USF) in the new 2025 edition of its online resource, The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges.

Accessible for free at www.princetonreview.com/green-guide, the Guide profiles 511 colleges that foster a culture of environmental responsibility and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.

The Princeton Review chose the colleges for this edition of the Guide based on a survey it conducted in 2023-2024 of administrators at nearly 600 colleges about their institutions’ sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company also surveyed students attending the colleges about their “green” campus experiences. The school selections were based on more than 25 data points from the surveys.

“We are delighted to recommend the University of St. Francis to students who want their ‘best-fit’ college to also be a ‘green’ one,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief. “USF, which offers excellent academics, also demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability in its campus programs, policies and practices.”

USF has completed several sustainability-focused projects over the past several years, including the creation of a pollinator garden, maintenance of on-campus beehives, study and restoration of the Charlotte Codo Prairie in Frankfort, composting, and the creation of community garden.

“It is an honor for the University of St. Francis to continue to be recognized for its sustainability efforts by The Princeton Review. This recognition serves as a nice acknowledgement of our efforts to increase the campus’s sustainability projects and awareness,” said Dave DiLorenzo, USF Director of Community and Employee Relations.

Franek also noted that The Princeton Review is seeing substantive interest among college applicants in attending green colleges. Of the nearly 8,000 college-bound students the company polled for its 2024 College Hopes & Worries Survey, 61% said having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply to or attend a school. A report on the survey is at http://www.princetonreview.com/college-hopes-worries.

The Princeton Review has published its Guide to Green Colleges annually since 2010. Information on how the company selected the schools for the Guide and tallied the Guide’s Top 50 Green Colleges ranking list is here. The education services company is also known for its other resources for college applicants including its dozens of other categories of college rankings, and its annual book, The Best 390 Colleges, (2025 Edition published August 2024).

About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college- and graduate school–bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. These include online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors; online resources; more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, The Princeton Review is now in its 43rd year. The company’s Tutor.com brand, now in its 24th year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 27 million tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York, NY. For more information, visit www.princetonreview.com/.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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U.S. News & World Report Honors USF in 2024-2025 Best Colleges Rankings

Joliet, Ill. – U.S. News & World Report continues to recognize the University of St. Francis (USF) as a top university in the United States. This year’s recognition in the publication’s 2024-2025 Best Colleges rankings marks USF’s sixth year in the “National Universities” category, and the twenty-first consecutive year that USF has been honored by U.S. News & World Report.

According to usnews.com/education, “Schools in the ‘National Universities’ category offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs. These colleges also are committed to producing groundbreaking research.”

USF in the top 300 schools in the “National Universities” category (#296) of this year’s publication. The ranking placed USF thirteenth among all Illinois schools included in the report, eighth among private Illinois schools, and third among Illinois’ ranked Catholic schools.

USF is also once again Will County’s only school included in U.S News & World Report’s 2024-2025 “National Universities” rankings.

“U.S. News & World Report’s continued recognition of USF acknowledges the quality of a University of St. Francis education,” said USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D. “Rankings such as this help to validate the efforts of our faculty and provide us with many points of pride. These rankings are also more important now than ever before as high school students critically weigh their post-graduation options. USF graduates are considered top prospects by employers, and find jobs that launch their careers. This certainly validates our value proposition of the return on investment realized by USF graduates.”

U.S. News & World Report also ranked USF as one of the top 100 universities in the country in its Top Performers for Social Mobility list for sixth consecutive year. The ranking recognizes USF as a school that supports and assists economically disadvantaged students. According to usnews.com, “Some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The vast majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000.”

USF was also included in the publication’s Best Undergraduate Nursing rankings for a fourth consecutive year.

Visit usnews.com/colleges for more information on the U.S. News and World Report 2024-2025 Best Colleges rankings.

Visit stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked for more information on additional national accolades earned by USF.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Named in America’s Best Colleges 2025 Report by Wall Street Journal

USF's Tower Hall

Joliet, Ill. – The Wall Street Journal and College Pulse recently released their America’s Best Colleges 2025 report in recognition of the nation’s top colleges and universities. The University of St. Francis (USF) was once again honored on the annual list, continuing a long tradition of national program and institutional recognition.

USF was ranked at 135 of the 500 higher education institutions honored in this year’s report. USF also ranked in the top nine of the 22 Illinois institutions honored in the report, which can be viewed at https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/best-colleges-2025.

“Recognition of USF and its programs by organizations such as the Wall Street Journal acknowledges the quality of a University of St. Francis education,” said USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D. “Rankings such as this help to validate the efforts of our faculty and provide us with many points of pride. These rankings are also more important now than ever before as high school students critically weigh their post-graduation options. USF graduates are considered top prospects by employers, and find jobs that launch their careers. This certainly validates our value proposition of the return on investment realized by USF graduates.”

WSJ conducted one of the largest-ever independent surveys of college students in the U.S. with around 110,000 undergraduates offering their view on topics like career preparation, learning opportunities, and campus life. The report aims to guide prospective students and recognize the colleges doing an outstanding job in higher education. The report rankings are based on components in three main areas: student outcomes (70% of the overall weighted score based on data in the areas of salary impact, years to pay off net price, and graduation rate impact), learning environment (20% of the overall weighted score based on data in the areas of learning opportunities, preparation for career, learning facilities, recommendation score and character score), and diversity (10% of overall weighted score based on data in the areas of opportunities to interact with students from different backgrounds, ethnic diversity, inclusion of students with lower family earnings, and inclusion of students with disabilities).

Visit stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked for more information on additional national accolades earned by USF.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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Money Names USF in Best Colleges in America 2024 Ratings Report

USF's Centennial Gateway

Joliet, Ill. – Each year, Money recognizes colleges and universities from across the country that successfully combine quality and affordability and recognizes them in its annual Best Colleges in America ratings report. This year’s report included over 700 four-year colleges and universities, including the University of St. Francis and 33 other Illinois-based institutions.

The methodology utilized by Money to create its Best Colleges in America 2024 ratings report examined schools according 25 factors in three weighted categories – quality of education (30% of weighting), affordability (40% of weighting), and outcomes (30% of weighting). Based on the results of that analysis, the schools are then assigned a star rating on a scale of one to five stars (five stars is the highest rating possible). USF was one of fifteen Illinois schools to earn a rating of 4.5 stars or higher in this year’s ratings report.

“Money‘s analysis showcases the country’s top colleges based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries and more. There isn’t one ‘best’ college for every student, but our star ratings can help you build a list of standout schools that fit your budget,” said a spokesperson for Money.

Eric Ruiz, USF Vice President of Admissions & Enrollment Services, recognizes that much attention is paid to the anticipated return on investment when examining post-secondary options.

“High school students and parents looking at college, and adults looking at graduate school are right to be cautious about investing time and money into an educational program. A college degree can be worth millions of dollars over the course of one’s career. USF has designed degree programs that help our graduates launch truly valuable, meaningful careers,” he said.

“The value of a degree from the University of St. Francis continues to climb, which demonstrates a significant return on that investment,” Ruiz added.

Visit money.com/best-colleges/ to view Money’s Best Colleges in America rankings.

For more information on USF programs, financial assistance options or to learn more about registration, visit stfrancis.edu/admissions-aid.

The University of St. Francis is consistently ranked among the best when it comes to quality education, affordability, and accessibility. Visit stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked to view USF’s most recent national accolades.

: :

The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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USF Recognized in 2024-2025 Best Graduate Schools Rankings

Joliet, Ill. – U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2024-2025 Best Graduate Schools rankings, and the University of St. Francis (USF) was recognized on two lists in the report.

Lists on which USF is recognized includes: Education – one of eleven Illinois schools recognized and Nursing (Master’s) – one of eleven Illinois schools recognized.

“USF offers incredibly valuable, nationally-recognized graduate degree programs, which is certainly validated through recognition from organizations such as U.S. News & World Report,” USF President Arvid C. Johnson, Ph.D., said.

Visit https://www.stfrancis.edu/masters for a full list of graduate programs available at USF.

Visit https://www.stfrancis.edu/nationally-ranked/ for a comprehensive listing of USF.

Visit https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools to review the U.S. News & World Report 2023-2024 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

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The University of St. Francis, in Joliet, Ill., serves close to 3,300 students nationwide and offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs in the arts and sciences, business, education, nursing and social work. There are over 53,000 USF alumni across the globe. For information, call 800-735-7500 or visit stfrancis.edu.

University of St. Francis: Bigger thinking. Brighter purpose.

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