By Neneh Burnside

New U.S. News & World Report rankings put the University of Maryland at No. 17 among public universities, a drop from last year’s No. 16.

Although UMD moved down one spot from last year’s ranking, it continues to receive national recognition. UMD has 65 top-25 rankings across its undergraduate and graduate programs.

UMD also ranked No. 3 for learning communities, No. 17 for Best Colleges for Veterans and No. 25 for Most Innovative Schools, according to President Darryll Pines in his campuswide email Tuesday.

Some students said the rankings don’t necessarily affect them, pointing to the university’s community and their personal experiences as more impactful than its national ranking. 

Julia Mandabrandja, a freshman accounting major, said the university provides students with opportunities to find communities where they feel comfortable.

“Currently, I really love the community. It’s so positive, and I feel so welcome,” Mandabrandja said.

Zena Coronado, a Ph.D. student who attended UMD as an undergraduate studying anthropology said the ranking does not reflect their experience at the university.

“I don’t think I’m reading too much into the decrease from one year to another,” Coronado said. “And my personal experience at the university has been great.”

While Coronado said the ranking drop has not changed their personal opinion of UMD, they said rankings could still matter to prospective students.

As competition for college admissions increases, Coronado said rankings could become more important for prospective students when choosing where to apply. 

“I think it’s increasingly becoming more important to Gen Z and the generations to come, especially as it becomes more competitive to get into college broadly,” Coronado said.

This is the case for Tamunoitekenam Noble-Pepple, a freshman electrical engineering major. He said he worries about how people could view his degree if UMD’s ranking continues to fall.

“The ranking definitely does matter to me because I don’t want it to be when I graduate that people are going to look and see UMD as a place where students who aren’t that good go to,” Noble-Pepple said. “I feel like the name and ranking of your school matter a lot.” 

Noble-Pepple hopes the university can address what contributed to the drop.

The rankings are only one way to measure a university’s performance.

“Exellence at Maryland isn’t defined by one number,” Pines said in his email. 

UMD was also ranked No. 1 for best value among Maryland public universities and No. 13 among U.S. public institutions and No. 32 overall in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best Global Universities rankings.

Pines encouraged students to take advantage of the opportunities available at UMD, both inside and outside the classroom.

“Rankings are one way of measuring our progress, but they are ultimately a reflection of the people and work behind them,” Pines said. 

Featured Image: UMD students and faculty walking across McKeldin Mall on Sept. 16. Photo by Audrey Bengtson