Lipscomb University jumps 22 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges ranking

Lipscomb University jumps 22 spots in U.S. News & World Report's 2026 Best Colleges ranking

Kim Chaudoin | 09/23/2025

Lipscomb University's reputation continues to rise as a top-tier, nationally recognized institution as it climbed 22 spots in the U.S. News 2026 Best Colleges National Universities rankings released today. The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluate more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.

In addition, Lipscomb jumped 50 spots in the Top Performers on Social Mobility - National Universities category and moved up nine spots in the Undergraduate Engineering Programs (No Doctorate) ranking. Lipscomb's undergraduate business and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs were also ranked in the 2026 Best Colleges rankings.

"These rankings reflect the momentum and excellence that define Lipscomb University today," said Lipscomb President Candice McQueen. "Our strong national reputation is the result of the commitment of our faculty, staff and students to academic rigor, innovation, and our Christ-centered mission. We are proud that Lipscomb continues to be recognized among the nation's leading universities, and we remain focused on preparing students for lives of purpose and impact."

U.S. News publishes the Best Colleges rankings each year to provide prospective students and their families with the comparative merits of the undergraduate programs at America's colleges and universities. The rankings offer detailed information about institutions and data on factors such as graduation rates, graduate indebtedness and post-graduate earnings.

"U.S. News' Best Colleges remains a reliable resource for prospective students and their families as they navigate the college selection process," said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News. "With over half of the ranking factors dedicated to student outcomes, the rankings and editorial content provide vital data, college advice and informed reporting to every student pursuing higher education."

Lipscomb continues to distinguish itself as one of the country's leading Christian universities. This summer alone, Lipscomb was named a 2025 Best College by Forbes, ranked the No. 13 Christian university in the nation by Niche.com, and awarded a four-star rating in Money magazine's 2025 Best Colleges.
Over the last year, Lipscomb made its debut in the Wall Street Journal's 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. ranking this past fall, with a top 5 ranking in character development and student satisfaction. Lipscomb was also recognized for the first time as a Great College to Work For, with only 2% of institutions across the country earning this prestigious designation. In addition, Lipscomb's College of Education and the College of Pharmacy and Pfeffer Graduate School of Business were all recognized by U.S. News & World Report as being among the best in the nation. Lipscomb's Honors College was named an ACTA Hidden Gem; the College of Business was ranked among the top 50 undergraduate programs in the nation for the ninth consecutive year and No. 1 in Tennessee by Poets&Quants for Undergrads in its annual Best Undergrad Business Schools 2025 rankings; and for the 13th consecutive year, the College of Education was recognized as one of the most effective teacher and leader preparation programs in Tennessee as it earned high marks on the 2024 Teacher Preparation Report Card released by the Tennessee State Board of Education. The 2024 Animation Career Review ranked Lipscomb No. 13 Top Bachelor of Arts in Animation Program in the U.S., No. 1 Top Private Animation School in Tennessee, and No. 39 Top Private Animation School in the U.S.

Lipscomb is a university on the move as it once again set enrollment records this fall. First-day enrollment numbers reflected the largest Day 1 total enrollment in university history with 4,840 students. Contributing to this record is the largest class of new freshmen in university history for the third consecutive year, with nearly 750 first-time freshmen and about 900 total new students joining the Bison Herd; first-day graduate enrollment numbers indicating an 11% increase in total graduate enrollment, including a 16% increase in new graduate students, over this time last year; a record first-day freshman-to-sophomore retention rate of 87.4%; the largest number of new students in Lipscomb Online programs; and the largest total number of military-connected students ever with 412 students.

Located in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee, Lipscomb University is a Christ-centered community that is one of the few institutions in the nation offering educational pathways from age two through the doctoral level. Students can begin their journey at Lipscomb Academy's SEED School and continue through a full spectrum of undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs-making Lipscomb a unique two-year-old to Ph.D. institution. With an enrollment of more than 4,800 university students and over 1,400 at Lipscomb Academy, the institution is deeply embedded in the Middle Tennessee community, committed to shaping lives of character, leadership and service. Its rigorous academic programs are paired with life-transforming experiences, all guided by a mission to prepare students for lives of purpose. For more information, visit https://www.lipscomb.edu