Dominican University Ranks 11th Among Nearly 160 Midwest Universities, #1 for Best Value in the Region in New U.S. News Rankings

Dominican University advanced its position among the top universities in the Midwest while becoming #1 in the region for educational value and maintaining its place as #1 in the state for social mobility and innovation, according to new rankings from U.S. News and World Report’s prestigious 2024 Best Colleges report.    

Dominican ranked #11 among nearly 160 regional universities in the Midwest, advancing four places from the previous year and maintaining a spot among the top 15 Midwestern universities.   

Dominican was also ranked #1 in the Midwest for Best Value, advancing three places. For three consecutive years, Dominican has ranked #1 in the state of Illinois in this category, which compares, among other factors, a school’s academic quality and the percentage of full-time undergraduates receiving needs-based financial aid. One hundred percent of Dominican undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid in order to complete their education.   

In the category of Social Mobility, which measures a school’s commitment to moving economically disadvantaged students up the economic ladder, Dominican maintained a #1 ranking in Illinois for the second year in a row and rose three spots to #2 in the Midwest. The category ranks how well schools enroll and graduate students who receive federal Pell Grants compared to the graduation rate of students who do not receive Pell Grants.  

For Dominican, where nearly half of students are the first generation in their families to attend college, closing the equity gap among students remains a high priority. The university recently announced an expansion into Chicago’s Pilsen community, creating a new campus and a hub for community-based programs designed to build connections to career paths for students. 

Dominican also maintained its position as the #1 Most Innovative School in Illinois. U.S. News ranks Most Innovative Schools based on improvements that have been identified in curriculum, technology, campus life, faculty, students or facilities – areas that Dominican has intentionally advanced and invested into further student success.   

“We are extremely proud to continue to be ranked among the top schools in the Midwest, to be #1 in Best Value among all Midwestern schools, and to maintain our #1 state rankings in such important areas as social mobility and innovation,” said Dr. Glena G. Temple, president of Dominican University. “Once again, these rankings only affirm our commitment to providing an equitable, affordable, and supportive education to all. Seeing our students achieve so that they may join in the creation of a more just and humane world is both our mission and our everyday practice.”  

U.S. News & World Report bases its rankings on a system that evaluates a number of indicators, including academic excellence, graduation and retention rates, assessment by institutional peers and high school counselors, student selectivity, ratio of students to faculty, and alumni giving.