September 23, 2025
U.S. News ranks Wheaton among the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges for 2026, affirming Wheaton’s legacy of offering Christ-centered liberal arts education.
The 2026 edition of U.S. News & World Report college rankings placed Wheaton College in the top 50 National Liberal Arts Colleges today out of 207 institutions in Overall Rank. The College’s psychology and economics undergraduate majors continue to place well in the USNWR’s listing for programs granting a medium-to-large number of degrees, ranking #265 among over 680 psychology programs and #174 out of over 250 economics programs. Undergraduate major rankings are based on peer assessments.
According to a USNWR press release, the methodology for this year’s rankings integrated both primary and secondary sources covering contributing factors such as graduation and first-year retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and financial resources. Among 191 National Liberal Arts Colleges on the list, Wheaton placed #35 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, climbing from last year’s #38 and #52 in the 2024 rankings releases. Social Mobility is determined by a college’s success in “advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants,” according to USNWR’s summary for the category.
“This honor commends our faculty, who are top Christian thought leaders in their fields and dedicated mentors of our students,” said Provost Karen Lee. “Their scholarly expertise, creativity, and biblical commitments bring to life a community of shared inquiry and spiritual formation for our students, who graduate ready to serve the world for Christ.”
Wheaton College also ranks in the top 10% of Niche’s Best Colleges in America this year, placing #161 out of 1,613 colleges and universities.