U.S. News & World Report’s latest rankings name Elmhurst University the No. 3 school in the Midwest among Top Performers for Social Mobility, and No. 7 overall among the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest.
In the Best Regional Universities–Midwest category, which includes 161 colleges and universities in 12 states, Elmhurst is the only Illinois university in the top 15.
Elmhurst also ranks No. 3 in the Best Colleges for Veterans category and No. 14 for Best Value in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges rankings, which were released on Tuesday, Sept. 23.
Also noteworthy this year was the dramatic rise of Elmhurst’s undergraduate nursing program. In the Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs rankings, which are determined nationally rather than by region (Duke University is ranked No.1), Elmhurst University shot up 51 spots from last year, to No. 294 out of 686 programs.
U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to help prospective students and their families compare 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 evaluates more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.
Elmhurst’s rankings underscore the University’s historic commitment to student success and educational value, President Troy D. VanAken said.
“Our academic and pre-professional programs, combined with our student-centered approach and overall campus experience, are central to how we can best prepare our students for success both on campus and beyond,” he said.
The Top Performers for Social Mobility category describes colleges and universities that have been the most successful at advancing students’ social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of economically disadvantaged students. More than half of Elmhurst’s undergraduate students are the first in their families to attend college, and nearly all receive some form of financial aid.
The Best Colleges for Veterans rankings provide data on top-ranked schools that make pursuing a college education more affordable for veterans and active-duty service members. Schools included in the ranking must be certified for the GI Bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. At Elmhurst, a $3.4 million gift helps support veteran and military students on campus and is introducing more science, technology and mathematics majors to potential careers in national security and defense. This fall, the Jans Family Veterans and Military Center, a resource center and dedicated gathering space for veteran and military students, moved to a prominent new location in the recently opened Health Sciences Building.
Calculating the Best Value Schools rankings involves considering a school’s academic quality (according to its 2026 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking) and the 2024-2025 net cost of attendance for an out-of-state student who received the average level of need-based scholarship or grant aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.
The full U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2025-2026 report can be found at usnews.com/best-colleges.