UConn Drops in US News 2025 Ranking

[Chuck]

UConn rankings are trending in the wrong direction. I mentioned a huge drop in the WSJ ranking in the thread about that ranking here. UConn went from #46 and the #9 public school to #99 and the #41 public school in the WSJ ranking.

You can add a decent drop in the US News rankings that came out today. Last year UConn moved up to 58 nationally from 67. UConn maintained it's 26 spot amongst public schools which would imply the national improvement was due to the methodology change that favored public schools. But for 2025 UConn has moved back to 70 nationally and 32 amongst public schools.

2025 is the first time in a long time that I can remember UConn not being the highest ranked New England public school. URI is higher in the WSJ ranking and UMass in the US News. Rankings shouldn't matter, but they do. UConn is falling behind some peer schools and headed in the wrong direction amongst multiple methodologies. I'm not sure why.

 

[CL82]

UConn rankings are trending in the wrong direction. I mentioned a huge drop in the WSJ ranking in the thread about that ranking here. UConn went from #46 and the #9 public school to #99 and the #41 public school in the WSJ ranking.

You can add a decent drop in the US News rankings that came out today. Last year UConn moved up to 58 nationally from 67. UConn maintained it's 26 spot amongst public schools which would imply the national improvement was due to the methodology change that favored public schools. But for 2025 UConn has moved back to 70 nationally and 32 amongst public schools.

2025 is the first time in a long time that I can remember UConn not being the highest ranked New England public school. URI is higher in the WSJ ranking and UMass in the US News. Rankings shouldn't matter, but they do. UConn is falling behind some peer schools and headed in the wrong direction amongst multiple methodologies. I'm not sure why.

A lot of schools deliberately try to gain the metrics to get a higher ranking. For example, state money for capital projects will goose up your ranking.

 

[Kolumbo]

There is definitely some maneuvering going and I wouldn't expect such drastic changes. But URI? These rankings are suspect!

 

[KryHavok]

I know some faculty at URI and have been friendly with them. When I was getting my doctorate, there was a professional competition/collaboration between my dept and the corresponding one at URI. That said, with our size, it's absurd how we could be lagging behind them. I realize Maric hasn't been UConn's prez for that long, but this is something that she shouldn't have let slip.

 

[JerseyAlum]

A lot of schools deliberately try to gain the metrics to get a higher ranking. For example, state money for capital projects will goose up your ranking.

Or just Northeastern that gamed the system to rise. USNews is easy to game: go below 20 students to professor ratio by eliminating some majors, have faculty publish more research, etc. That's what they did and it's been well documented.

 

[Chuck]

Or just Northeastern that gamed the system to rise. USNews is easy to game: go below 20 students to professor ratio by eliminating some majors, have faculty publish more research, etc. That's what they did and it's been well documented.

A lot of schools game the system. They always have. The US News criteria changed significantly two years ago, and generally favored public schools because of a shift towards rewarding upward mobility type criteria. Why such a large drop in one year (both overall and amongst public schools)? At one point, I believe UConn was ranked as the #18 public school. Dropping to #32 over the years is a big hit.

My kids both decided not to attend UConn (although one was close to going). It just wasn't right for them and they went with liberal arts schools. And I'm old enough that the ranking doesn't matter to me professionally. It doesn't seem like anyone else really cared about the drop from what I've seen online and UConn didn't address the issue. It's a great school, but they should try to get those rankings up. Love them or hate them, I believe they do matter.

 

[JerseyAlum]

I am in the same boat: went there for undergrad and enjoyed the life of 3 season of playing tennis for them (junior year ACL + MCL).

Anyway, living in NJ now, so eldest in Rutgers and youngest still not in college mode as a HS frosh so we shall see.

I do not think going to UConn as an out of stater is wise ($$$) unless on a scholly of course. But I need to visit Storrs soon to see the aggregate changes in the campus from thirty years since being there.

 

[Chuck]

I am in the same boat: went there for undergrad and enjoyed the life of 3 season of playing tennis for them (junior year ACL + MCL).

Anyway, living in NJ now, so eldest in Rutgers and youngest still not in college mode as a HS frosh so we shall see.

I do not think going to UConn as an out of stater is wise ($$$) unless on a scholly of course. But I need to visit Storrs soon to see the aggregate changes in the campus from thirty years since being there.

I'm also in NJ. Rutgers is a great school. And the price is right when you live in state. It was just too much (big and spread out) for one of my kids that was looking at bigger schools at one point.

Sounds like you graduated around the same time as me. UConn and Storrs is MUCH nicer than 30 years ago. Storrs still isn't a true college town, but there's a lot more stuff in town now. It's a nice option if the price difference isn't a deal breaker and RU isn't the right fit.

If your eldest at RU isn't a freshman, you might be interested to know that RU started taking the common app. That, along with its increase in rankings resulted in a huge increase in applications and a lower acceptance rate. Good luck to your kids!

 

[JerseyAlum]

I'm also in NJ. Rutgers is a great school. And the price is right when you live in state. It was just too much (big and spread out) for one of my kids that was looking at bigger schools at one point.

Sounds like you graduated around the same time as me. UConn and Storrs is MUCH nicer than 30 years ago. Storrs still isn't a true college town, but there's a lot more stuff in town now. It's a nice option if the price difference isn't a deal breaker and RU isn't the right fit.

If your eldest at RU isn't a freshman, you might be interested to know that RU started taking the common app. That, along with its increase in rankings resulted in a huge increase in applications and a lower acceptance rate. Good luck to your kids!

Thanks - yeah left UConn in '93. Daughter is frosh @ Rutgers studying genetics in SEBS and she loves that campus plus on a partial scholly so the price is right. I mean isn't that why the states have U of State? Also most state schools are "close enough" for kids to come home and she is a little homesick. Though we just went to homecoming/parents weekend and I can dig the campus...much different than UConn but similar in some aspects (when at the more rural campuses).

 

[CL82]

I'm also in NJ. Rutgers is a great school. And the price is right when you live in state. It was just too much (big and spread out) for one of my kids that was looking at bigger schools at one point.

Sounds like you graduated around the same time as me. UConn and Storrs is MUCH nicer than 30 years ago. Storrs still isn't a true college town, but there's a lot more stuff in town now. It's a nice option if the price difference isn't a deal breaker and RU isn't the right fit.

If your eldest at RU isn't a freshman, you might be interested to know that RU started taking the common app. That, along with its increase in rankings resulted in a huge increase in applications and a lower acceptance rate. Good luck to your kids!

Neither of my kids particularly liked Rutgers on the visit there. Part of it is that each individual campus has its own areas so there aren't things like a single big student union that make an eye popping impression. Also riding on a bus on a highway a campus tour is a buzz kill.

Those are little things, and they don't impact the academic value of Rutgers, but they definitely make an impression.