University enters Top 500 for the first time 

Cleveland State University has once again been selected by The Wall Street Journal as one of the best universities in the United States, further highlighting its elevation to the upper ranks of national universities.

In the latest edition of The Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education (THE) College Rankings, Cleveland State was ranked in the top 500 for the first time, out of over 2,400 four-year colleges and universities in the United States. CSU was included in the “400 tier” of the rankings, including schools ranking between 401 and 500. Previously, CSU was included in the “600-700 tier,” featuring schools ranking 601-800. In explaining the rankings, The Journal and THE cited CSU’s commitment to access and student success as well as its expanded research and community engagement initiatives.

“Cleveland State’s continued advancement in The Journal/THE rankings is yet another example of the University’s elevation as a first-in-class urban research university, with a focus on student success, community connectivity and societally-relevant scholarship,” says Harlan Sands, president of CSU. “I would like to thank the dedicated students, faculty and staff of this great institution for their tremendous contributions to our growing national reputation.”

This latest national recognition follows several other major news announcements highlighting Cleveland State’s unique educational mission and central role as an anchor and beacon institution for Northeast Ohio. For example a recent study by The New York Times and the Urban Institute found that CSU’s graduation rate is seven percentage points higher than expected, compared to other universities with similar student populations. The report sought to highlight the growing college dropout problem and identify universities that are exceeding their peers in helping students graduate on time with less debt.

“We are extremely proud to receive this recent recognition and are confident that our newly announced strategic priorities will assist us in furthering our mission to provide the best education possible for our students, for the ultimate benefit of our community and society as a whole,” Sands adds.

The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking uses 15 individual performance metrics, grouped into four pillars representing resources, engagement, outcomes and environment (10%). These indicators have been selected in order to answer the questions that matter the most when choosing a university. Data sources include the Times Higher Education U.S. Student Survey and Academic Reputation Survey, along with public data from IPEDS, the College Scorecard and Federal Student Aid on areas including completion rates and graduate employment. The full methodology can be found on the Times Higher Education website.