U.S. News & World Report Ranks UCM Among Top 20 Public Schools in the Midwest

 

U.S. News and World Report has included the University of Central Missouri (UCM) among its top-ranked universities in several categories for 2026. 

U.S. News and World Report, a resource prospective students and their families use to help determine which institution best fits their higher education needs, released its 41st annual on Sept. 23.

was ranked #59 among Regional Universities in the Midwest and #19 among Top Public Schools, jumping 14 spots and three spots, respectively, compared to 2025. 

Regionally, UCM was also recognized as #57 in Best Value Schools, #27 in Best Colleges for Veterans and #85 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. Nationally, UCM was recognized among the best undergraduate Nursing programs, advancing 52 spots to #340, and was ranked #197 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. 

UCM continues to stand out as a regional institution committed to helping students graduate on time with less debt as they prepare for future careers. The university offers more than 150 academic programs, affordable tuition and numerous scholarship opportunities. More than 94% of full-time undergraduate students receive grants and scholarships. The university also offers tuition benefits for veterans and military members, plus in-state tuition for their dependents. 

 

“The U.S. News and World Report rankings provide validation for and serve as a testament to what we know to be true,” UCM President Roger Best said. “A degree from UCM is valuable and transformative because our academic programs are excellent and coupled with support services that help students successfully navigate the university experience. The tremendous engagement that our faculty and staff have with students as they prepare for what comes next helps students redefine what's possible, earn their degrees and become alumni who are highly successful in their professions while being leaders within their communities. Our commitment has been and will always be to help our students have better futures.”

Other UCM highlights from the 2026 Best Colleges report include:

• Among the 16 Public and Private Missouri Regional Universities in the Midwest, UCM ranked #4.

• Within those same 16 institutions, UCM ranked #1 in Faculty Salaries and #4 in Peer Assessment.

• Nationally, UCM also ranked #367 in Undergraduate Psychology Programs, #414 in Undergraduate Business Programs and #470-601 in Undergraduate Computer Science Programs.

• UCM saw improvements in every ranking category compared to last year’s report.

The national and regional rankings evaluate nearly 1,700 colleges and universities using up to 17 measures of academic quality. The rankings were divided into four regions: North, South, Midwest and West. The Midwest Region included 161 public and private institutions that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctoral programs.