On the Quad: St. Thomas Nationally Ranked

The University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis-St. Paul continues to land in the top national rankings, climbing higher each year in certain categories. It's a sign of the university's achievements and goals outlined in St. Thomas’ 2025 strategic plan. Here is a look at some of those rankings.

St. Thomas joins 58 other institutions in the 2021-22 First-gen Forward cohort due to its strong commitment to assisting and cultivating successful experiences for first-generation college students. The Proud to Be F1RST committee offers advice, resources and peer events. The university, which has approximately 18% of its students identifying as the first in their families to go to college, received the First-gen Forward designation from the Center for First-generation Student Success.

Nationally Noticed. Additionally, U.S. News & World Report in 2021 ranked St. Thomas among the top 20 national Catholic universities and in the top third of all national universities (No. 136). St. Thomas was also ranked No. 67 on the Best Value list, placing it among the top 12 Catholic universities in the country in that category.

The University of St. Thomas School of Law once again ranked among the top 25 law schools in the nation for scholarly impact, coming in at No. 23 on the list that ranks the top third of ABA-accredited law schools. St. Thomas Law tied with George Mason University, Fordham University and Boston University. 

It is up from No. 39 in 2015, according to the report compiled by law professor Gregory Sisk. The findings are based on the mean and median of total law journal citations to tenured faculty scholarship over a five-year period.

“Our scholarly culture shapes the student experience by bringing our students into the conversations at the center of legal reform,” law school Dean Robert Vischer said. 

St. Thomas is the only Minnesota school
to make this year’s Princeton Review list for top undergraduate entrepreneurship programs. The university advanced 10 spots to No. 23 in the latest national rankings. 

The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship landed first among Catholic universities and colleges for students studying entrepreneurship.

“Our values-based, mission-driven approach is drawing students who want to make an impact on the world,” Associate Dean Laura Dunham said. “[A]nd we are passionate about preparing the next generation for success.”

Undergraduate alumni of the past 10 years have started more than 150 companies, raising more than $73 million in funding.

St. Thomas has earned a Military Friendly School designation for the past four years. The university also has ranked in the top 100 schools in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges for Veterans list for three years in a row, moving up to No. 82 from No. 93 in a year. 

For the first time, St. Thomas also landed on the U.S. Veterans Magazine’s “Top Veteran-Friendly Schools” list and received its first Military Friendly Gold Star Award. 

As a Yellow Ribbon School, St. Thomas also covers financial gaps for veteran students. Those who receive the maximum benefit from the Post-9/11 GI Bill won’t have to pay tuition and fees to attend the university. In addition, they receive a monthly housing stipend and a flat rate for books and supplies.

St. Thomas has the most international students (641) among private universities in Minnesota and remains fourth in the state overall for international enrollment, according to the 2021 Open Doors report issued by the Institute of International Education.

St. Thomas saw an increase of 11% to 187 undergraduate international students during a time when total undergraduate international enrollment across the country decreased. The number of new international undergraduate students in fall 2020 at St. Thomas also increased by 23%, whereas it decreased nationally.

The fall report, which also tracked study abroad participation for the 2019-20 school year, found that St. Thomas ranks seventh in the nation based on the percentage of the graduating student body and 18th in the nation for the overall number of undergraduate students from doctoral institutions who studied abroad for academic credit. St. Thomas ranks first among private institutions in Minnesota.

Prioritizing sustainability pays off. For the fourth year in a row, St. Thomas is among the top green colleges in North America, according to the Princeton Review’s latest annual Guide to Green Colleges. 

St. Thomas’ “Green Rating” continues to trend upward, receiving this year a 93 rating out of 99 – the highest possible score, compared to 89/99 in the 2020 edition. St. Thomas was among the top five Minnesota institutions appearing in the 2022 edition, ahead of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and just below Macalester College, according to St. Thomas’ analysis. Analysis also reveals that the university scores among the top 10 of select Catholic peer institutions.