SU Still Best Value in State

For the second consecutive year, Seattle University is the top-ranked university for best value in Washington state among national universities in the just-released 2026 undergraduate U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings. SU is also the highest ranked among private universities in the state for social mobility for the second year in a row.

Overall, Seattle University was the third-highest ranked university in the state.

“We are delighted to see Seattle University receive this national recognition of what we already knew—that we are an outstanding academic institution that provides tremendous value for our students as well as a powerful vehicle for social mobility,” says SU President Eduardo Peñalver. “Rankings and their methodologies are highly imperfect tools for assessing the excellence of an academic program, but it is gratifying whenever we are recognized for the opportunities we provide for students.”

Several individual Seattle University undergraduate programs were also recognized with high national rankings: 

Albers School of Business and Economics:
–Analytics (#19)
–Marketing (#30)
–Accounting (#30)
–Finance (#34)

College of Science and Engineering:  
–Engineering (#38)

Albers’ Analytics program was the highest rated among Washington state universities, while Finance was #2 in the state and Marketing was tops in the state among private universities. The Engineering programs also ranked #2 in the state.

The best value and social mobility rankings are based on formulas that consider outcomes and progress of work universities put into ensuring they are institutions providing great value to a diverse population. 

In the Best Value Schools category, Seattle University ranked #65 nationally, an improvement of 11 spots over its 2025 rankings. Value is determined by academic quality to price, the percentage of its undergraduates receiving need-based aid as well as scholarships or grants (such as the Pell Grant or Washington College Grant) and its average discount. 

U.S. News rated social mobility on schools that successfully enroll and graduate large proportions of students from disadvantaged backgrounds awarded with Pell Grants. 

“The recent U.S. News rankings confirm the value of a Seattle University education, underscoring the success of our inclusive academic excellence that is transformative in the lives of our students and contributes to the common good of our communities,” says Provost Shane P. Martin.

The rankings come on the heels of the Niche "Best College" rankings that saw Seattle University as the top-ranked private university in Washington state and #16 among Catholic universities in the U.S. SU also ranked in the Top 100 in Best College Location (#29), Best Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (#31), Best College for Nursing (#41), Best College for Criminal Justice (#42) and Best College for Art (#98).