Loyola University Maryland Rankings and Accolades
Loyola's reputation for excellence is reflected in our accreditation credentials and high rankings in major national, international, and regional studies, reports, and surveys. Here are a few of our recent accolades and rankings.
Best 388 Colleges
Loyola has ranked in the annual Best Colleges list by the Princeton Review for three decades running for best undergraduate academics and regionally, as a Best Northeastern College. This year’s list analyzed more than 2,000 colleges and universities in the country. Loyola is also named No. 15 on the list of Great College Dorms.
No. 4 in the North
Loyola University Maryland has once again made U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges list (2023), earning the No. 4 spot among Best Regional Universities in the North. Loyola, which has been ranked in the top five for more than a decade, is also named among the best schools in the region for Undergraduate Teaching... as well as Innovation and Value. Learn more.
No. 1 School for Veterans
Loyola ranks No. 1 among the best colleges for veterans in the North region by U.S. News & World Report (2022). The ranking was based on participation in federal initiatives that help make pursuing a college degree more affordable for veterans and active-duty service members. Learn more.
Nationally Ranked for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Loyola University Maryland is named among schools recognized by U.S. News & World Report for focus on and commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching for the fourth year running. Loyola has ranked in the top five of U.S. News’ Regional Universities North list for more than a decade. Learn more.
Top 28%
The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Ed's placed Loyola University Maryland at No. 223 out of 796 colleges and universities nationwide in their annual college ranking—citing outcomes as one of Loyola’s strongest areas. Greyhounds rank highly for graduation rate and the average salary of alumni at the 10-year mark. Learn more.
Best School for Your Money
Loyola University Maryland is once again recognized in Money Magazine’s annual list of higher education value rankings. Loyola ranked 365/739 of U.S. colleges and universities—and in the top 40% of private universities nationally—based on three primary factors: quality of education, affordability, and outcomes. Learn more.
Best Business School
Loyola’s Sellinger School of Business and Management is recognized as a Best Business School by the Princeton Review—and among business schools with the Best On-Campus MBA. In addition to making the list of 244 programs, Sellinger was one of 68 programs ranked on the list of Best Business Schools in the Northeast (2021). The Sellinger School has also consistently been ranked by U.S. News and World Report in their Best Graduate Schools list. PayScale.com ranked Loyola in the top 3% nationally in their 2021 College Salary Report for best undergraduate business universities by salary.
Top Fulbright Producer
Recognized as a Fulbright Top Producing Institution, Loyola set a new university record for Fulbright winners with eight awards in 2019-20. Learn more.
Top 10% in the Country for Value
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance recognizes Loyola among just 400 U.S. institutions that offer an exceptional education that is accessible to students who demonstrate financial need. Kiplinger analyzes student-to-faculty ratio, test scores of incoming students, graduation rates, low student debt at graduation, and median job earnings following graduation. Learn more.
Top 2% for Long-Term Return on Investment
A Loyola University Maryland degree is one of the most valuable in the country, according to a 2019 study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Loyola ranks in the top 2% in the nation for long-tern return on investment (ROI), based on the average earning potential of alumni, relatively low average student debt, and a top four-year graduation rate (83%). Furthermore, a 2022 study conducted by Georgetown’s CEW ranked Loyola in the top 2% of nearly 3,400 private and public U.S. colleges and universities for long-term return on investment specifically for low-income students, finding a Loyola degree among the most valuable in the country for Pell Grant recipients. Learn more.
Top 7% for Mid-Career Salary
Loyola University Maryland is ranked in the top 7% nationally for highest mid-career salary potential of graduates in PayScale’s 2021-22 College Salary Report—and, separately, No. 2 among colleges in Maryland, second only to the United States Naval Academy. Loyola ranks No. 95 on PayScale’s list of more than 1,500 schools, with graduates who hold bachelor’s degrees reporting mid-career earnings of $125,800. Learn more.
Unmatched Preparation for Professional School
Loyola students are accepted to medical and dental schools at a rate that is twice the national average. Since 2016, the acceptance rate for Loyola students to med school is 88% (compared to a 39% acceptance rate nationally); Greyhounds are accepted to dental schools at a rate of 81% (the national annual average is 41%). Loyola seniors average a 90% law school acceptance rate, including to Top 25 and Top 50 programs each year. Learn more about Pre-Health and Pre-Law programs at Loyola.
Recognized for Contribution to the Public Good
Loyola University Maryland was recognized as a Top Performer on Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report (2020) for enrolling and graduating underrepresented students who are Pell Grant recipients—and by Washington Monthly’s 2022 Master’s University Rankings for our contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and providing opportunities for public service. Furthermore, Loyola ranked in the top 16% of private universities nationally on Forbes’ 2021 America’s Top Colleges list, which this year focused on affordability and opportunities for low-income students.
Leader in Innovation
Loyola is again recognized as a leader among colleges and universities making promising innovations in technology, curriculum, and other areas by U.S. News & World Report in their 2022 rankings—ranked No. 10 for Most Innovative Schools. Learn more.
Best Campus in Maryland
Sprawling 81 wooded acres in the heart of a residential neighborhood in North Baltimore, Loyola’s Evergreen campus is, quite simply, what you picture when you think of a college campus—and why ours ranks No. 1 in Maryland (and in the top 10% for Best College Campuses in the country!)—by research site Niche. Explore the Evergreen campus.
Best Catholic College in America
Loyola is named a Best Catholic College in America by Niche, placing 15 out of 164; College Consensus ranks Loyola in the top 5 of the best 25 Catholic schools in the country; and PLEXUSS named Loyola the No. 1 Faith-Based School in Maryland. While you don’t have to be Catholic to attend Loyola, which welcomes people of all faith backgrounds, Catholic colleges have long been an international standard for academic quality and rigor.
No. 3 in the Nation for Study Abroad
Loyola ranks third in the nation among master’s institutions for study abroad, according to an Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange (2018). Two-thirds of Greyhounds participate in Loyola’s more than 60 study programs in 25 countries around the globe. Loyola has earned a place in Open Doors Report’s top three since 2015. Learn more.
Best College for Getting a Job
Loyola is the Best College for Getting a Job in Maryland, according to career research site Zippia. In its 2020 report, which ranks schools in each state, Zippia ranks recent Loyola grads at a 94% placement rate. In fact, 98.8% of Greyhounds are employed, enrolled in professional or graduate school, or completing full-time service within six to nine months of receiving their diplomas. Learn more.
Top 8% of Private Schools for Earning Potential
We supply demand—with bigger earning potential. PayScale.com ranks Loyola 75 out of 965 private colleges and universities across the country for salary potential of alumni with bachelor’s degrees in their College Salary Report (2021). When expanded to include alumni who hold master’s and doctoral degrees, Loyola ranks in the top 9% nationally. Learn more.
One of the Lowest Student Loan Default Rates in the Country
At 2%, Loyola has a drastically lower rate (which is provided by the U.S. Department of Education) than the average for four-year public (9.6%) and private (6.6%) schools in the U.S. We are proud of our graduates, who go on to earn competitive salaries and see growth in their career trajectory and income, allowing them to successfully pay off student debt.
Top School for Service-Learning
Tied No. 14 out of 1,466 universities recognized nationally for service-learning, U.S. News & World Report’s most recent Best Colleges Guide ranks Loyola highly as a school for which community engagement is an instructional strategy and a requirement of students’ coursework. Loyola has also received the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the U.S. government’s highest recognition for community service, for nine years and counting.
#4 Among All NCAA D-I Teams
Go Hounds! Loyola’s 95% Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for student-athletes is the fourth highest among 357 Division I schools in the nation—and first among schools from the State of Maryland. The university’s GSR has ranked in the top six nationally in all 17 years of the report's existence. Learn more.
Great Place for Sports
Loyola fares among the best colleges for sports and athletes, earning accolades for Best College Athletics in Maryland and a Best College for Student-Athletes by research site Niche—and landing a spot in the top 10% of more than 1,500 schools nationally for Best Value Colleges for Sports by PayScale.com in its 2021 College Salary Report.
Nationally Ranked Graduate Programs
Loyola is consistently named by U.S. News & World Report in their Best Graduate Schools list, with graduate business programs in accounting, marketing, finance, and management consistently ranking among top programs in the country. Loyola’s M.S. of Data Science is among the Top 50 Master's in Data Science Degree Programs in the country; the Emerging Media program is recognized among only 35 programs in the country for career preparation; and the Doctorate in Psychology (Psy.D.) program is recognized by U.S. News in their national list of best health schools.