U.S. News & World Report, a global authority in education rankings, announced the 2025 Best Colleges on Sept. 24, with Arizona State University landing itself at a lower rank than the previous year. 

The national rankings evaluate nearly 1,500 colleges and universities using up to 17 measures of academic quality, a press release explained, and this year’s edition continues to prioritize social mobility and post-graduate success.

“By considering factors such as social mobility and post-graduate success, we aim to help students choose schools that not only provide a quality education but also prepare them for a successful and fulfilling future,” LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said in the release.

ASU previously ranked at 105 in 2024’s rankings, but for 2025, the school has landed at 121 in 2025, sharing the rank with 10 other schools like Chapman University in California and Elon University in North Carolina, according to the report.

On the other hand, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University, ASU’s other public counterparts in the state, recorded upward progress in the latest rankings.

The University of Arizona ranked 109 — a tie shared with several other universities like San Diego State University and The University of Texas – Dallas. This is up from last year’s ranking where the university ranked 115.

NAU came in at 244, another tie with 14 other universities, sharing the recognition with schools like Loyola University New Orleans and the University of Colorado Denver. The school went up five ranks this year, after ranking 249th in last year’s report.

The 2025 Best Colleges methodology is calculated using up to 17 key measures of academic quality for National Universities and 13 indicators for the National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities and Regional Colleges, the release noted.

The formula uses data universally reported by schools or obtainable from third-party sources, and schools’ eligibility to be ranked is not contingent on participation in U.S. News’ surveys.

To order a copy of the "Best Colleges 2025" guidebook, visit the online U.S. News store.