This year University of St. Thomas climbs up the list of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” with a ranking of 28. Every year since 1994, the University of St. Thomas has been named to the top tier of universities offering master's degrees in the Western region by Guide among the 123 schools in its category.  In 2007, UST was ranked 29th.  

This division includes schools who provide a full range of undergraduate and master’s programs, but few, if any doctoral programs. University of St. Thomas offers eight master’s programs and one doctoral program in philosophy. The 572 universities in this category are ranked within four geographic areas – North, South, Midwest and West – because, in general, they tend to draw students heavily from surrounding states.  

For years, various organizations have undertaken statistical and reputation rankings of colleges in an attempt to provide information to perspective students. Comparing colleges is a daunting task for parents and students. These annual rankings – in which U.S. News groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching – provide an unmatched resource for parents and students contemplating one of life’s most challenging financial decisions. 

Using a proprietary methodology, the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings represent the most comprehensive look at how schools compare based on a set of 15 widely accepted indicators of excellence, and help consumers evaluate and compare data compiled from more than 1,400 accredited four-year schools. 

UST’s low student to faculty ratio of 13:1, small class sizes and the high percentage of freshmen who were ranked in the top quarter of the high school graduating class were key factors in St. Thomas’ ranking. 

“Our ambition is to become one of America ’s finest Catholic universities within the next 25 years.” said Dr. Robert Ivany , UST president. “Our goal is to continue to strengthen the academic excellence of UST faculty and students as well as the quality of education at the University of St. Thomas .”

University of St. Thomas , dedicated to building leaders of faith and character, is a private institution committed to the liberal arts and to the religious, ethical and intellectual tradition of Catholic higher education.