Temple University's status as Philadelphia’s public research university has always been a point of great pride for the institution. It is also a point of continued distinction. 

In the latest edition of the Best Colleges U.S. News and World Report ranking, Temple ranks No. 49 in the category of Top Public Schools. This is the third straight year that Temple has ranked among the top 50 public institutions. 

“This year’s ranking from U.S. News and World Report is especially important given our role as an institution deeply connected to our community and public mission,” Temple President John Fry said. “It serves as validation that the work we do here at Temple is both consequential and, most importantly, it makes a difference in the lives of our students. I am grateful to all our faculty and staff members who help carry out our mission on a day-to-day basis. This university's success is a direct reflection of their efforts.” 

Temple is also ranked No. 102 in the national universities category and No. 81 in the Best Value category. The latest round of rankings was released Tuesday, Sept. 23. 

“I am extremely proud of Temple’s impact, and this acknowledgement recognizes the continued excellence across our campuses,” said Interim Provost David Boardman. “Our community is focused on the future, engaging in innovative teaching and research, and committed to providing life-changing opportunities to people from all walks of life.” 

U.S. News has published annual Best Colleges rankings since 1983, and in recent years, the publication started placing a greater weight on outcome measures of quality.  

This is an area where Temple has historically performed well. This year, for instance, Temple is a top 50 performer in the graduation rate performance metric at No. 46. This metric is scored by calculating how a school’s actual graduation rate exceeds its predicted graduation rate. The predicted rates are modeled by U.S. News from students’ socioeconomic and academic backgrounds. 

Several other academic programs were also highlighted in the recently released rankings. The Fox School of Business’ undergraduate programs of insurance (No. 7), international business (No. 15) and management information systems (No. 19) all received strong rankings. 

Additionally, the College of Liberal Arts’ psychology program was ranked No. 43 in the best undergraduate psychology category, up 25 spots from last year.  

Temple also ranked No. 67 in the category of Best Colleges for Veterans-National Universities.