Penn keeps No. 7 spot in U.S. News Rankings for second year

Penn placed No. 7 in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 ranking of universities across the country, maintaining its spot from last year.

After tying with Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Northwestern University last year, Penn is now the only university at the No. 7 spot, according to the Sept. 22 rankings. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology claimed the top spot — ending Princeton University’s 15-year streak, which moved down to second place.

The third and fourth spots went to Harvard University and Yale University, respectively. The California Institute of Technology and Stanford University were tied at fifth place. This year, Duke moved to eighth while Johns Hopkins and Northwestern descended two ranks to a tied ninth place.

Penn remained at fourth place among the Ivy League universities.

The Wharton School continued its No. 1 spot in the Top Undergraduate Business Programs category. Last year, Wharton shared that distinction with MIT, which has now moved to second place.

The School of Nursing climbed to the top spot for undergraduate nursing programs, alongside Emory University and the University of Washington. The School of Engineering and Applied Science moved down five spots to No. 26 for undergraduate engineering programs that offer a doctorate.

Penn also entered the rankings for Most Innovative School this year. According to the U.S. News website, this category is determined by making the “most innovative” changes to academic curricula, student life, facilities, and other factors.

The College of Arts and Sciences is preparing for a transition to a new undergraduate curriculum that will take effect next fall, its first overhaul since 1987. In April, College faculty voted to implement the program for the Class of 2031.

Penn is also carrying out several major construction projects on campus, including the new Platt Student Performing Arts Center and renovations to 1920 Commons and David Rittenhouse Laboratory.

For its 2027 rankings, U.S. News implemented updates to its methodology. Specifically, the publication introduced an “Earnings by Major” metric, evaluating graduates’ salaries four years after graduation, particularly among those who received federal financial aid.

In March, Penn Career Services’ annual Post-Graduate Outcomes report showed a slight decrease in the mean and median starting salaries for the Class of 2025. Graduates that year had a median starting salary of $103,418 and a mean starting salary of $101,125.

In 2024, U.S. News ranked Penn No. 10, its lowest showing since 1997.

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