U.S. News Ranks Neumann for Social Mobility, Undergraduate Teaching

Published on: September 24, 2025

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U.S. News Ranks Neumann for Social Mobility, Undergraduate Teaching

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U.S. News & World Report has ranked Neumann University among the Best Regional Universities in the North for social mobility and undergraduate teaching in its Best Colleges 2026 issue.

Neumann has been ranked among the best for social mobility for six consecutive years since the magazine first included rankings for this category in 2021.

The ranking identifies colleges that are successful at enrolling and graduating significant proportions of economically challenged students who are eligible for Pell Grants. Among first-year fall 2024 students at Neumann, 63 percent received Pell assistance.

For 2026, U.S News analysis placed Neumann #96 in the North and #11 in Pennsylvania in the social mobility category.

“This ranking reflects the positive reality of the Neumann experience – career-oriented and high-quality higher education,” said Dr. Chris Domes, Neumann’s president. “We are especially proud of our social mobility ranking because of the large number of first-generation college students that we serve.”

In the fall of 2024, 65 percent of Neumann’s freshmen were first-generation college students.

Neumann was also recognized as #20 in the North and #4 in Pennsylvania for undergraduate teaching. This ranking is based on a survey of college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans, who were asked to nominate schools whose faculty have “a remarkably strong commitment to undergraduate teaching.”

According to Francesca Reed, vice president for enrollment management and marketing, “The rankings reflect Neumann’s meticulous focus on personal attention and academic quality to help students achieve their educational and career goals.”

The majority of Neumann’s undergraduate classes have fewer than 25 students, and the student-faculty ratio is 13:1.

U.S. News defines Regional Universities as those that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master's programs but few doctoral programs. Neumann offers dozens of undergraduate programs, nine master's degrees, and three doctoral programs.

In addition to its academic majors, Neumann University requires students to complete an internship or clinical experience related to their field of study and offers extensive opportunities for community service. Dr. Domes cites service learning and internships as critical components of undergraduate success for first-generation students.

Extracurricular activities at Neumann include 19 Division III NCAA athletic teams and more than 30 student clubs.

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