WSJ and Times Higher Ed Rank Drexel in Top 8 Percent

Drexel University was ranked in the top 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities in a list compiled by The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education. Drexel placed 82nd overall out of 1,061 institutions.

The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education’s pioneering ranking of American colleges and universities is significant because its methodology emphasizes how ranked institutions enable student success. Unlike other “top” or “best” college lists, such as those released by U.S. News & World Report, this series of rankings values outputs (like students’ postgraduate success) more than inputs (like average SAT scores or acceptance rates). The list also ranks universities that are both private and public, as well as both research and liberal arts institutions, to provide a comprehensive benchmark of all of the different higher-ed options in the country.

Drexel’s ranking on this list is based on 15 factors spanning four categories: Student outcomes, such as what students do after graduation, make up 40 percent of the score; the school’s resources make up 30 percent; how well a university engages its students is worth 20 percent; and the university’s learning environment and diversity contributes to the final 10 percent.

“There’s no question that Drexel LeBow excels in these areas,” says Dean Frank Linnehan. “Due to the experiential nature of the education we provide, our students land great jobs after graduating. Furthermore, our student resources and commitment to diversity and inclusion are second-to-none.”

Scores were tallied using results from a national survey of 100,000 college students. The scores also used data from Times Higher Education’s Academic Reputation Survey to determine a university’s reputation for excellence in teaching.

Drexel’s ranking among the colleges and universities in Philadelphia is second only to the University of Pennsylvania.

Get the full breakdown of the methodology used for this ranking.