TU ranked top public institution in state by value

By Rebecca Kirkman on August 27, 2020

A top-100 public institution in the nation, Towson University again climbed in Money magazine’s annual ranking of the Best Colleges in America by Value.
 
The highest-ranking public institution in Maryland on the list, TU landed at No. 103 in the nation—four spots higher than its 2019 ranking—and second only to Johns Hopkins University in the state overall.

“I am proud to see Towson University recognized among the best values in higher education in the nation — particularly at a time when a pandemic has created a financial crisis for families across our nation,” says President Kim Schatzel. “TU’s relevant and rigorous degree programs are taught by world-class faculty, a combination that creates real-world opportunities for our graduates.”

Money weighed more than 20,000 data points for 739 four-year institutions, including tuition fees, family borrowing and career earnings, to find the schools that successfully combine quality and affordability. This year, given the economic outlook, the publication increased the emphasis on affordability in its rankings.

Not only is the university a great place to study, it’s a great place to work. In Forbes’ second-annual ranking of America’s best employers by state, Towson University was among the top 25 employers in Maryland.

Forbes partnered with market research company Statista to pinpoint those organizations liked best by employees. The list is divided into 51 rankings—one for each of the 50 states, plus the District of Columbia—and was compiled by surveying 80,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees.

And in its 2021 Best Colleges list, Niche.com ranked TU highly among Maryland universities—second in student life, fifth in value and sixth in diversity.

Nationally, the university was highlighted as one of the Best Colleges for Information Technology in America (No. 67) and Best Colleges for Sports Management in America (No. 70). It also made the top 100 Best Big Colleges in America.

In its Niche.com profile, TU earned high marks overall and “A” grades for diversity and student life. Students polled by the site described their “motivated” and “driven” peers, “diverse” campus and “passionate” faculty.

The recognition follows TU’s recent ranking among the top 9% of universities worldwide and among the best colleges in the Northeast.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland and Diverse and Inclusive Campus.