North Park University Ranks Higher in U.S. News Rankings

Chicago, Sept. 22, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- North Park University has seen significant improvements in its rankings on U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges list, with the university climbing to new heights in several categories. The most notable gain came in the Social Mobility, Regional Universities (Midwest) category, where North Park University (NPU) moved to the #5 spot, marking its highest ranking in recent years. This improvement reflects the university’s commitment to helping students from economically underprivileged backgrounds achieve a higher earnings bracket following graduation.

NPU also climbed to the #13 position in the Best Value, Regional Universities (Midwest) category, a 12-spot jump from its appearance in the 2026 rankings. The university’s progress is particularly noteworthy, as it marks its first appearance in this category in recent years. NPU also rose eight spots to the #46 (tied) position among Regional Universities (Midwest) and was placed at the #36 (tied) position in the Top Private Schools, Regional Universities (Midwest) segmentation.

This year’s gains, especially in social mobility, align closely with the North Park Promise, the university’s strategic plan for 2025-30. The plan’s Flourishing Students pillar is dedicated to helping every student persist and graduate through proactive advising, affordable access, and career preparation, outcomes that the social mobility ranking measures. The North Park Promise was affirmed by the North Park University Board of Trustees and the Evangelical Covenant Church Executive Board and was officially launched this fall. However, the work has already been underway, including the introduction of a new required first-year course titled “Flourishing Student Experience,” which began in the fall of 2025.

These rankings provide important external validation of the progress taking place across North Park for its students. The university’s improvement, especially in social mobility and best value, demonstrates that its focus on affordability, persistence, and long-term student outcomes is making a measurable difference that students and their families are drawn to.

North Park University welcomed 576 traditional undergraduate students to its community at the start of the fall 2025 semester, including 445 first-year students and 131 transfer students. The university is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st-century America. Visit us at northpark.edu and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

The rankings are based on measures such as graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, financial resources, and social mobility outcomes. North Park University’s strategic plan for 2025-30, the North Park Promise, centers on four pillars, with Flourishing Students at the core. This pillar commits to helping every student persist and graduate through proactive advising, affordable access, and career preparation, outcomes that the social mobility ranking measures.