The University of Puget Sound placed seventh among Washington state colleges in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, released Aug. 24.
The private liberal arts school on North Warner Street also landed at No. 96 (tied) nationally among liberal arts colleges, No. 76 for best value and No. 180 (tied) for social mobility, according to U.S. News.
The state-level list, compiled by the Tacoma News Tribune, aggregates schools from different national ranking categories.
The University of Washington in Seattle topped it, followed by Gonzaga University, Seattle University, Washington State University, Seattle Pacific University and Whitman College. University of Washington Bothell, Whitworth University and Western Washington University rounded out the top 10.
U.S. News evaluated more than 1,700 colleges and universities using up to 17 factors, including graduation rates, borrower debt, financial resources and student-faculty ratio.
By the numbers
Puget Sound's sticker-price tuition and fees stand at $65,886. But 55% of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, bringing the average net price for federal loan recipients to $37,164.
The university's four-year graduation rate is 53%. Six years after graduation, alumni earn a median salary of $46,802, according to U.S. News.
Enrollment has been shrinking. The campus enrolled 380 first-time students in fall 2025, 50 fewer than the prior year and well below the 652 who arrived a decade earlier, according to The Puget Sound Trail.
The university's 2025-2026 Budget Task Force Report estimated that 78% of its budget comes from tuition and fees.
One bright spot: fall-to-fall retention climbed to 88%, up 4 percentage points from the prior year and 8 points higher than three years earlier.
Affordability context
Tim Whittum, vice president of enrollment at the University of Puget Sound, said in an Aug. 1 Tacoma News Tribune article on new federal financial aid rules that families need support beyond simply filing the FAFSA.
"Students still need assistance interpreting aid offers, understanding affordability, comparing institutions, completing verification or identity requirements when applicable, and navigating the enrollment process," Whittum said.
The university has a 10-to-1 student-faculty ratio. Fall 2026 enrollment figures have not yet been released. The next edition of the U.S. News rankings is expected in late summer 2027.
