The 2025 U.S. News & World Report college rankings were released, giving high school students the opportunity to learn about colleges they may not have previously considered attending.
Two South Carolina universities were named to the national rankings, with Clemson University topping the state at No. 80. The University of South Carolina also made the national rankings at No. 121.
If you want to know if your college is ranked among the top, there are other lists that feature SC schools, such as national liberal arts colleges and regional college lists.
Here’s what you need to know about the rankings:
How are university rankings determined?
The rankings in this year’s report haven’t changed significantly from last year’s methodology, meaning many of last year’s top rankings are the same or similar. However, this year there are over 25 articles detailing the methodology used to determine the rankings. Borrower debt, first-year retention/graduation rates, financial resources, faculty resources/salaries, and the number of college graduates who earn more than their high school graduates are some of the factors used to rank colleges.
Clemson University
Clemson University is ranked 80th out of 436 national universities and is known for its average six-year graduation rate of 86% and a student-faculty ratio of 16:1. It also ranks 39th in the Top Public Schools category, 48th in Best Colleges for Veterans, 54th in Nursing, and 57th in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. Clemson’s current acceptance rate is 38%, making it a competitive university to get into.
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is ranked 121st out of 436 schools in the nation. It is also ranked #1 in International Business, #2 in Freshman Experience, #10 in Learning Community, and #39 in Nursing. The school has a four-year graduation rate of 69% and a student-to-faculty ratio of 19:1. Currently, the school has an acceptance rate of 61%.
What are the best nationally ranked liberal arts colleges in South Carolina?
45th place: Furman University
66th: Wofford College
∎ No. 147: Presbyterian University
153rd place: Claflin University
What are the Top 10 Regional Universities in South Carolina?
1st Place: The Citadel, South Carolina Military Academy
7th place: University of South Carolina Upstate
9th place: College of Charleston
12th place: Winthrop University
17th place: Bob Jones University
29th place: Columbia International University
34th place: Anderson University – Tie
Coastal Carolina University – Tie
North Greenville University – Tie
41st place: Columbia University (South Carolina)
What are the top 10 regional universities in South Carolina?
14th place: Lander University
15th place: Newberry College
34th place: North Greenville University
38th place: University of South Carolina, Beaufort
46th place: Erskine University
68th place: Voorhees College
73rd place: Coker University
76th place: Limestone College
80th place: Benedictine University
83rd place: Morris College
Top 20 National Universities
1st place: Princeton University (New Jersey)
2nd place: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3rd place: Harvard University (Massachusetts)
4th place: Stanford University (California)
5th place: Yale University (Connecticut)
6th place: California Institute of Technology – Tie
Duke University, North Carolina – Tie
Johns Hopkins University, Maryland – Tie
Northwestern University, Illinois – Tie
No. 10: University of Pennsylvania
11th place: Cornell University, New York – Tie
University of Chicago, Illinois – Tie
13th place: Brown University, Rhode Island – Tie
Columbia University, New York – Tie
15th: Dartmouth College, New Hampshire – Tie
University of California, Los Angeles – Tie
17th – University of California, Berkeley
18th place: Rice University (Texas) – Tie
Notre Dame, Indiana – Tie
Vanderbilt, Tennessee – Tie
Top 20 Liberal Arts Colleges Nationwide
No. 1: Williams College (Massachusetts)
2nd place: University of Massachusetts Amherst
3rd place: Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania)
4th place: United States Naval Academy, Maryland
5th place: Bowdoin College, Minnesota – Tie
Pomona College, California – Tie
7th place: Wellesley College (Massachusetts)
8th place: Carleton University, Minnesota – Tie
Claremont McKenna College, California – Tie
United States Air Force Academy, Colorado – Tie
West Point Military Academy, New York – Tie
12th place – Harvey Mudd College, California – Tie
Vassar College, New York – Tie
14th – Barnard College, New York – Tie
Davidson College, North Carolina – Tie
Hamilton College, New York – Tie
Smith College, Massachusetts – Tie
Wesleyan University, Connecticut – Tie
19th place: Grinnell College, Iowa – Tie
Middlebury College, Vermont – Tie
Washington and Lee University, Virginia – Tie
Nina Tran covers trending topics for The Greenville News. Reach her by email at ntran@gannett.com.
