Calvin Ranked #1 in Midwest
U.S. News & World Report has once again named Calvin University the top institution for undergraduate teaching in its Regional Universities Midwest category. The recognition, announced Sept. 23 in the 2026 Best Colleges Guidebook, marks the second consecutive year Calvin has received the #1 ranking.
“Professors at Calvin are passionate about their areas of study and are deeply committed to holistically caring well for their students. This unique pairing leads to a vibrant teaching and learning experience,” said Calvin University president Greg Elzinga. “We are grateful that this long-held commitment to students is yet again being recognized by a well-respected industry evaluator like U.S. News & World Report.”
U.S. News & World Report is a top global leader in quality rankings that empower consumers, business leaders and policy officials to make better, more-informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives and communities. Its Best Colleges Guidebook comes out annually and evaluates more than 1,500 four-year colleges and universities nationwide on up to 19 measures of academic quality and student outcomes, including first-year retention, graduation rates, faculty strength, and graduate indebtedness.
Calvin moved up in several categories from 2025 to 2026 while maintaining its #4 overall ranking among Midwest regional universities. Highlights are as follows:
- #1 – Best Undergraduate Teaching
- #4 – Most-Innovative Schools
- #4 – Overall Regional Universities Midwest
- #8 – Best-Value Schools
Engineering program reaches new heights
Calvin’s ABET-accredited engineering program climbed six spots to #38 nationally among nondoctorate-granting institutions—the highest ranking in the program’s history. This fall, the program added an aerospace concentration to its offerings, strengthening an already robust portfolio.
Additional recognition across disciplines
Two more undergraduate programs—nursing and psychology—were featured on U.S. News & World Report's “best of” lists for their fields, reflecting the university’s breadth of academic excellence.
Beyond U.S. News and World Report, Calvin continues to earn strong marks from other respected national guides, including the Fiske Guide to Colleges, Forbes, Money, Niche, Princeton Review, Washington Monthly, and the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education.
