Augustana Ranked No. 1 Regional University in Best Value by U.S. News & World Report

Augustana has been ranked the No. 1 Regional University in the Midwest in Best Value for the second year in a row by U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best College Rankings - viewed as the gold standard in college rankings lists. For the past three years-in-a-row, Augustana has been ranked in the top five in the same category. According to U.S. News & World Report, these rankings "emphasize student outcomes, academic resources and reputation."

Augustana University works hard to ensure an affordable education for its students as 100% of full-time undergraduates receive scholarships and/or grants. The value of an Augustana education is evident as 99% of its recent graduates achieved a positive career outcome, and many of these graduates chose to continue their education with 26% enrolled in graduate school or professional programs. Upon graduation, recent alumni employed full time reported earning a median income of nearly $55,000.

"Augustana graduates are prepared to launch careers, pursue advanced degrees and serve their communities. Students leave Augustana with core competencies that reflect the needs of today's employers - making our graduates highly sought after in the workplace," said Director of the Augustana Student Success Center Mary Toso '90.

In addition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Augustana No. 7 in Best (Overall) Regional Universities in the Midwest. AU is listed in other Best Regional Universities Midwest categories, including No. 6 in Most Innovative and No. 7 in Best Undergraduate Teaching.

U. S. News offers these rankings as "a foundation for navigating the complex landscape of higher education." Like U.S. News & World Report, Augustana hopes these rankings serve as "a tool for helping future undergraduates understand the academic quality of 4-year baccalaureate programs throughout the United States."

"This recognition reflects Augustana's commitment to affordability and providing a high-quality, personalized education and student-life experience that prepares our graduates with the desired skills that produce a lifetime of returns on their investment," said Augustana Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Adam Heinitz '99.

In its 41st edition, U.S. News ranked schools according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. More than 1,700 U.S. 4-year bachelor's degree-granting institutions were surveyed on 17 factors - measuring academic quality and graduate success.

To place each school in its ranking, U.S. News maps its categories to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education's Basic Classification system, which is the accepted standard in U.S. higher education. The U.S. Department of Education and many higher education associations use the Carnegie system to organize or label their data.

Augustana Rankings in Other Publications

• The Princeton Review recently ranked AU as one of its 2026 Best Regional Colleges.
• Niche ranked Augustana among the 2026 Best Colleges in South Dakota - giving the university a grade A- or above in academics, athletics, diversity and student life. Niche also ranked AU in the Top 20 for Christian Colleges in America and No. 1 College in South Dakota for academics, student life and nursing.
• AU has been designated a 2025-26 Silver Military Friendly ® School.
• Augustana has been named a Hidden Gem College in the U.S. and Hidden Gem College in the Plains Region, as well as a Division II Hidden Gem College for 2026 by College Raptor. College Raptor also ranked AU No. 1 overall and in Student Life in South Dakota.
• WalletHub ranked Augustana as one of its 2025 Best Universities - the top university in South Dakota and No. 115 out of more than 700 universities nationwide, as well as No. 17 in the Midwest.

For more rankings related to Augustana University, visit augie.edu/rankings.