Central earns recognition across academic programs U.S. News & World Report 2027 Rankings

Central is ranked among the top regional universities in the North in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, with additional recognition for academic programs in five disciplines and for its efforts in promoting social mobility.

Central is ranked No. 107 among 164 Regional Universities North and No. 33 among Top Public Schools in the region. The university also ranks No. 114 among Top Performers on Social Mobility (North). U.S. News bases its social mobility rankings on two factors: Pell Grant graduation rates and Pell Grant graduation rate performance. The rankings recognize colleges that enroll and graduate large proportions of students who receive Pell Grants, which are awarded primarily based on family income and other measures of financial need.

Central’s academic programs earned recognition in several fields. The university ranks No. 140 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs among schools where doctoral Engineering degrees are not offered; No. 243 in Nursing; No. 310 in Psychology, No. 350 in Computer Science; and No. 390 in Business Programs. Central’s rankings in Nursing, Engineering, and Psychology are in the top half of the overall rankings for each category.

U.S. News evaluates institutions within their respective Carnegie Classification categories using up to 17 measures of academic quality. The methodology incorporates factors related to student outcomes, academic resources and other measures of institutional performance, drawing on data from institutions as well as federal and other external sources.

To view Central’s full profile and rankings, visit the university’s U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges page online.