MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s academic undergraduate programs in applied engineering, business, nursing, computer science and psychology gained national rankings in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 list of the nation’s best colleges and universities.

MTSU tied with Louisiana State University for the magazine’s No. 6 spot for Top Public Schools in the South, and also earned regional notice for service to veterans, best value for in-state students and social mobility.

“This recognition from U.S. News & World Report underscores the hard work and dedication by our faculty and staff in providing quality and affordable higher education that changes the trajectory of our students for the better,” MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee said of the recent rankings.

In its national categories, which evaluate roughly 1,500 institutions across the country, U.S. News & World Report ranked MTSU:

• No. 106 for Undergraduate Engineering (Non-Doctorate) for programs in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences
• No. 230 for Undergraduate Business for programs in the Jennings A. Jones College of Business
• No. 288 for Undergraduate Nursing for programs in the School of Nursing in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences
• No. 350 for Undergraduate Computer Science for programs in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences 
• And among the best for Undergraduate Psychology (no ranking number provided) for programs in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences

Among colleges and universities in the South, the magazine recognized MTSU at:

• No. 6 in Top Public Schools
• No. 6 for Best Colleges for Veterans, recognizing the work of the Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center
• No. 14 for Best Value for In-State Students
• No. 16 for Regional Universities (public and private)
• No. 41 for Social Mobility
• No. 54 for Best Value Schools

Joining MTSU in the Top 10 list of Best Public Schools in the South were:

• No. 1: The Citadel, Charleston, South Carolina
• No. 2: Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina
• No. 3: College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
• No. 4 (tie): Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, Georgia, and Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, North Carolina
• No. 6 (tie): MTSU and Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana
• No. 8 (tie): Radford University, Radford, Virginia, and University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida
• No. 10: Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida

“With families increasingly scrutinizing the true cost and return on investment of a college degree, our goal is to provide clear, actionable data,” said the magazine’s education editor, LaMont Jones, of the rankings.

— Andrew Oppmann ([email protected])