Towson University has been named the best public university in Maryland and the No. 15 public university in the country, . The publicationā€™s 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings heavily featured TU for its record of inclusive student success.  

Among both public and private Ā鶹“«Ć½, TU ranks second overall in Maryland and No. 40 in the nation. Beyond performance in traditional university metrics, WSJā€™s methodology weighed ā€œhow the school improves the trajectories of their studentsā€™ careers.ā€ This included four-year graduation rates and average earnings of recent alumni.  

The rankings also show TUā€™s momentum is on the rise ā€” one year ago, TU was ranked No. 50 among public Ā鶹“«Ć½ and No. 129 among all Ā鶹“«Ć½ nationwide.  

No longer is Towson University a ā€˜hidden gem' in higher education. These rankings affirm what our community has known for quite some time ā€“ 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.ā€ 

President Mark R. Ginsberg

WSJ also evaluated Ā鶹“«Ć½ 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, named TU the No. 1 ā€œBest Bang for the Buckā€ in Maryland and 19th-best value in the Northeast region. The list, which included 376 colleges from the north Atlantic, analyzed ā€œhow well [Ā鶹“«Ć½] help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.ā€ In addition, Washington Monthly listed TU as the No. 9 best ā€œMasterā€™s Universityā€ in the nation.   

In , 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. 

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TU is Maryland's university of opportunities, recognized nationally for academic excellence, inclusion and value.

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About Towson University

Towson University is Marylandā€™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, TUā€™s momentum is always accelerating, with nearly 20,000 students and 100 bachelorā€™s, masterā€™s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, business, education, health care, humanities and creative arts. 

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