Auburn University has moved into the nation’s Top 100 universities, climbing to No. 100 overall and No. 46 among public universities in the newly released 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

The university moved up two spots nationally and three spots among public universities from last year’s rankings. Auburn also maintained its standing as Alabama’s highest-ranked university, according to the university.

“Auburn’s place among the nation’s Top 100 universities and Top 50 public institutions reflects the strength we see across our university, from our academic programs to the quality of the experiences we provide our students,” President Christopher B. Roberts said. “This recognition is a credit to our faculty and staff, whose expertise, talent, and dedication advance Auburn’s mission while keeping our students at the center of what we do.”

The rankings, released annually, evaluate more than 1,700 colleges and universities nationwide. Nearly half of an institution’s overall score is based on student profile and outcomes, including retention, graduation and graduate earnings.

Beyond Auburn’s overall ranking, several of its undergraduate programs also received high marks.

The Raymond J. Harbert College of Business had three programs rank among the Top 20 among public universities. Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics both ranked No. 13, while Accounting came in at No. 17. Nationally, Supply Chain Management ranked No. 17, Business Analytics No. 34 and Accounting No. 40.

Auburn’s biggest year-to-year improvement came in nursing. The College of Nursing’s undergraduate program jumped 13 spots to No. 27 nationally and No. 19 among public universities.

Engineering gained ground as well. The Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s undergraduate program climbed five spots to No. 52 nationally and No. 30 among public universities. Undergraduate Computer Science ranked No. 50 among public universities.

The rankings also looked beyond individual academic programs to areas that affect students throughout their college experience.

Auburn’s First-Year Experiences ranked No. 7 among public universities, while Undergraduate Teaching came in at No. 14. The university also climbed six spots to No. 42 nationally among Most Innovative Schools and ranked No. 18 among public universities.

Those rankings come as Auburn reports a 94% first-year retention rate and a record 84% six-year graduation rate. Nearly 72% of undergraduates complete an applied work experience before graduation, including internships, cooperative education, undergraduate research and other opportunities that connect classroom learning with future careers.

Auburn also reported that 85% of 2025 undergraduate respondents and nearly 89% of graduate students achieved career success within six months.

“The success of our students is one of the most important measures of our mission,” Roberts said. “We want our graduates to leave Auburn with more than a degree. We want them to have meaningful experiences, be prepared to build successful careers, and to have the confidence and skills to make a difference in Alabama and beyond.”

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].