Indiana University of Pennsylvania has been selected as one of the top 14 universities in Pennsylvania by Washington Monthly for its 2021 College Guide and Rankings, based on “what universities do for the country.”

IUP is also the only public university in Pennsylvania selected for the publication’s “Best Bang for the Buck” (northeast) rankings.

“Our rankings consist of three equally weighted portions: social mobility, research, and community and national service,” editors said. “This means that top-ranked colleges need to excellent across the full breadth of our measures, rather than excelling in just one measure.”

Data for the guide and rankings comes from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

Selection for the “Best Bang for the Buck” rankings is focused on the social mobility score, which is calculated based on a college’s graduation rate over eight years, weighted in favor of the number of Pell-eligible graduates. This score is designed to reward colleges that successful serve large numbers of students from lower-income families. The social mobility score also considers the number of students at the university receiving Pell grants and overall university affordability. Federal Pell grants are awarded to undergraduate students who have exceptional financial need.

IUP is routinely selected by independent national publications for excellence. In August, IUP was included in the Princeton Review’s Best Colleges 2022 guidebook for the twenty-first consecutive year. IUP also has been selected for national rankings that recognize value in online programs.

IUP offers more than 120 undergraduate majors and more than 60 graduate programs, including 14 doctoral programs. In addition, students can complete more than 65 minors and scores of specialized tracks and certificate programs, including certificates in athletic coaching, gerontology, photography and digital imaging, popular music, and public history.

IUP continues to add state-of-the-art programs of study for its students. Its newest undergraduate majors are public health and environmental engineering, both in-demand careers in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation.