The University of Tulsa has advanced an impressive 21 places in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report’s Best College rankings released Tuesday. UTulsa is tied with Kansas State, among other national universities, and outranked nearby Oklahoma State, Arkansas and North Texas.
UTulsa moved up 12 places among the best colleges for veterans, rose four places in undergraduate engineering programs and edged up to secure the No. 3 position in undergraduate petroleum engineering programs. (The university was named the No. 1 graduate program in the United States for petroleum engineering earlier this year.)
UTulsa also saw an ascent of 29 spots for “Top Performers on Social Mobility” for successfully enrolling and graduating large proportions of economically disadvantaged students. Among national universities, UTulsa remains in the top 100 for best value schools.
U.S. News’ Best Colleges ranking has been used for more than four decades to advise students and families during the college decision making process. Through extensive assessment of up to 17 factors, more than 1,700 American universities were evaluated for the 2026 edition to measure academic quality and success.
“The University of Tulsa’s rise in the latest rankings reflects our achievements and offers assurance to students and their families as they evaluate college choices,” said Interim President Rick Dickson. “The positive recognition UTulsa receives alongside top national universities indicates our commitment to providing high academic quality and excellent support to students.”
Tuesday’s U.S. News ranking is one of many accolades UTulsa has acquired this year, including:
- Profiled in The Princeton Review’s 2026 edition of “The Best 391 Colleges”
- Named a Top 10 pick among the nation’s most generous universities by Forbes magazine
- Listed as in Money magazine’s annual Top Colleges ranking
Learn more about what makes UTulsa the region’s No. 1 private university at utulsa.edu/admissions.