TU named No. 1 public university in Maryland

Towson University has been named the best public university in Maryland and the No. 15 public university in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. The publication’s 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings heavily featured TU for its record of inclusive student success.  

Among both public and private universities, TU ranks second overall in Maryland and No. 40 in the nation. Beyond performance in traditional university metrics, WSJ’s methodology weighed “how the school improves the trajectories of their students’ careers.” This included four-year graduation rates and average earnings of recent alumni.  

The rankings also show TU’s momentum is on the rise — one year ago, TU was ranked No. 50 among public universities and No. 129 among all universities nationwide.  

No longer is Towson University a ‘hidden gem' in higher education. These rankings affirm what our community has known for quite some time – TU is among the very best, not just in our state, but in the nation. More important than any acclaim, however, is the proven transformational impact TU creates for Marylanders and for students from all walks of life.” 

President Mark R. Ginsberg

WSJ also evaluated universities on social mobility, student experience and best value. TU was the top university in Maryland and No. 37 in the U.S. for social mobility, which focuses on the number of students from low-income families, graduation rates, cost of attendance and graduate salaries. This is the second-straight year TU has been No. 1 in Maryland for social mobility.  

TU also ranked third-best in the state for both student experience and best value.  

This is the latest prominent recognition for TU this fall. Earlier this year, Washington Monthly named TU the No. 1 “Best Bang for the Buck” in Maryland and 19th-best value in the Northeast region. The list, which included 376 colleges from the north Atlantic, analyzed “how well [universities] help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.” In addition, Washington Monthly listed TU as the No. 9 best “Master’s University” in the nation.   

In Forbes’ annual “America’s Top Colleges” rankings, TU was named the second-best public university in Maryland and No. 78 in the country. Rankings were based on student outcomes and return on investment. 

About Towson University

Towson University is Maryland’s university of opportunities. With more than 155 years of experience pushing possibilities, TU is a nationally recognized leader in inclusive excellence, social mobility, research and discovery. As the largest university in greater Baltimore, TU’s momentum is always accelerating, with nearly 20,000 students and 100 bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, business, education, health care, humanities and creative arts.