Fordham rose 12 spots to No. 85 among national universities in the 2027 Best Colleges rankings released this week by U.S. News & World Report. The jump places Fordham in the top 20% of national universities ranked by U.S. News, advancing the University’s standing among the country’s top institutions.
The University earned strong rankings in several areas, including No. 40 for undergraduate teaching, No. 58 for undergraduate business education programs, and No. 74 for best value. Among Jesuit schools on the national universities list, Fordham ranks in the top four. The rankings also list Fordham as No. 46 on the inaugural list of top private schools.
A Commitment to What Matters Most
The U.S. News rankings rate schools on a number of measures, including peer assessment and student outcomes such as graduation rates and earnings.
Fordham President Tania Tetlow said the new rankings reflect the strong liberal arts education Fordham has provided for generations and the progress shaping the University today.
“We give our students an extraordinary education and innovative opportunities in the heart of New York City, all backed by a caring, supportive faculty and staff who want them to succeed,” Tetlow said. “This recognition is a reflection not only of our students’ success and our reputation among our peers, but of our strong Jesuit roots and our commitment to what matters most. We take pride in this accomplishment, knowing we still have more work to do.”
In addition to Fordham’s high placement for undergraduate business programs overall, many undergraduate programs within the Gabelli School of Business also received high rankings, several in the top 20: No. 14 for finance, No. 20 for business analytics, No. 20 for entrepreneurship, No. 18 for marketing, No. 21 for accounting, and No. 13 for international business. The Gabelli School was also ranked highly by Poets & Quants, placing No. 29 out of 110 undergraduate business schools nationally.
Record Applications, Strong Enrollment
The 12-spot jump comes at a time of strong momentum for Fordham. Following a University-wide rebrand that launched in 2025, Fordham welcomed its second-largest class ever this year, with about 2,650 students. At a moment when many universities are struggling with declining enrollment, applications for undergraduate admission rose sharply for the Class of 2030, increasing 23%, to 54,000, and the University’s acceptance rate dropped 11 percentage points, to 47%.
Fordham has made these strides while adhering to its longstanding tradition of welcoming students from all walks of life. Students in the Class of 2030 came from nearly all 50 states and more than 50 countries. About 7% of the class is international, while the number of incoming military-connected undergraduates increased more than 50% over the previous year.
Fordham ranked No. 53 nationally by U.S News among best colleges for vets, jumping 9 spots from last year. And U.S. Veterans Magazine named Fordham a 2026 Top Yellow Ribbon School, highlighting the many ways the University supports military-connected students and families.
