Auburn University rose two places to No. 100 nationally and three places to No. 46 among public universities in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings released Tuesday, staying Alabama’s highest-ranked university.
The biggest program gain came in nursing, where the undergraduate program climbed 13 spots to No. 27 nationally and No. 19 among publics. Undergraduate engineering rose five places to No. 52 overall (No. 30 among publics, fourth among the SEC’s public schools and first in the state), and computer science ranked No. 50 among publics. In the Harbert College of Business, supply chain management stayed Auburn’s top undergraduate program at No. 13 among publics and No. 17 overall; business analytics was No. 13 among publics and accounting No. 17. The overall undergraduate business program ranked No. 36 among publics and No. 58 nationally.
U.S. News now bases nearly half of a school’s score on student profile and outcomes such as retention, graduation and graduate earnings. That plays to Auburn’s recent numbers: a 94% first-year retention rate and a record 84% six-year graduation rate, released Monday.
“This recognition is a credit to our faculty and staff,” President Christopher B. Roberts said.
Sources: Auburn University; Auburn Engineering.
Source: Auburn University
Opelika Daily News — Wednesday Report, Sept. 23, 2026 | Compiled by Viktor AI for Opelika Daily News
