LOYxMinerva University

For the first time since its founding, Minerva enters the U.S. News rankings and lands at the top.

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Announcement highlights

Minerva earned three No. 1 distinctions in its first appearance in the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.
The University ranked No. 1 overall and No. 1 for Best Value among 73 Regional Colleges in the West, as well as No. 1 among private institutions in the category (tie).
The recognition reflects Minerva’s strong student outcomes and highly interactive academic model, including a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 87% of classes enrolling fewer than 20 students.
The rankings build on a year of momentum that includes Minerva’s fifth consecutive WURI recognition as the world’s most innovative university and an A+ overall grade from Niche.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 22, 2026 — When Minerva University set out to build a different kind of higher education, the goal was never to fit an existing mold. This week, U.S. News & World Report confirmed the model is working. In its first appearance in the publication's annual Best Colleges rankings, Minerva earned three No. 1 distinctions in the Regional Colleges West category, including the top overall spot.

Minerva ranked No. 1 overall, No. 1 among private institutions (tie) and No. 1 in Best Value Schools, topping a field of 73 institutions. U.S. News evaluates regional colleges using up to 13 factors, including graduation and first-year retention rates, peer assessment, faculty resources and financial resources.

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For a university that has spent more than a decade proving that seminars held across multiple cities on different continents can rival, and outperform, a traditional campus experience, the recognition lands as validation from one of higher education's most established authorities.

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"These rankings are meaningful because they signal that Minerva's model is working at a time when higher education needs new approaches," said Mike Magee, president of Minerva University. "Our students build critical thinking and judgment through small, active seminars and real-world projects in cities around the world. Faculty and staff make that happen every day, and this recognition is theirs as much as it is Minerva's."

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The numbers behind the ranking tell their own story. Minerva maintains a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and 87% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students, figures that reflect a university built around close contact between students and faculty. Minerva's four-year graduation rate stands at 79%.

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The U.S. News recognition builds on a year of momentum. Earlier this year, Minerva was named the world’s most innovative university by the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI) for the fifth consecutive year. Minerva also received an A+ overall grade in Niche’s 2027 rankings and was named the No. 2 hardest college to gain admission to in the United States.

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The 2027 edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluated more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success. The full rankings are available here.

About Minerva University

Minerva University is redefining global higher education through a bold, outcomes-focused model designed to empower the next generation of leaders, thinkers and changemakers. Headquartered in San Francisco, Minerva offers an intensive undergraduate experience that combines rigorous academics, real-world engagement and a global rotation that immerses students in diverse cultural and professional contexts.

Minerva’s interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes critical thinking, creative problem-solving, effective communication and global collaboration. Through fully active, discussion-based seminars and applied learning projects in major cities around the world, students develop the habits of mind and practical skills needed to address the most pressing challenges of our time.

The university has built a vibrant international student body representing more than 100 nations, and graduates have gone on to launch high-impact startups, lead civic initiatives, earn Rhodes, Schwarzman and Knight-Hennessy scholarships, and pursue graduate study at institutions such as Oxford, Harvard and Stanford.

Minerva also offers graduate and executive education programs that equip working professionals with the tools to drive innovation and impact throughout their careers.

Minerva is ranked No. 1 overall in the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings for Regional Colleges in the West. It has also been named the world’s most innovative university for five consecutive years by the World University Rankings for Innovation (WURI). Minerva is pioneering a scalable, equitable and transformative model of higher education for the 21st century.

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For media inquiries, contact:

Minerva University

pr@minerva.edu

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