UNE named to America's Best Colleges 2026 list by The Wall Street Journal
The University of New England has been named to the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 “Best Colleges in the U.S.” national list.
The national guide — developed in collaboration with research partners College Pulse and Statista — ranks undergraduate institutions by the value they provide to students using one of the largest independent surveys of college students in the United States, rating 584 eligible universities in the country based on around 120,000 surveys,
In its analysis, the WSJ awarded UNE above-average scores for experiential learning opportunities, career development opportunities, and modern learning facilities, among other key points of pride that UNE President James Herbert said are among the University’s top strategic priorities.
Herbert pointed to career preparedness as a central tenant of UNE’s educational focus helping to cement its status as a top national university. The University’s incorporation of workforce readiness across all of its academic and co-curricular programming, he noted, is a key factor in UNE’s consistent, yearslong rankings as Maine’s top college for student career success.
“An institution’s ability to prepare students for employment is an imperative today, not only for students and parents, but for faculty and those who champion higher education,” Herbert said. “Today, more than ever, that return on investment is important, and UNE’s ranking among the best academic institutions in the country by The Wall Street Journal is further validation that UNE’s hallmark approach to experiential learning through internships, fellowships, research, and collaboration with industry partners not only presents a unique, rich experience, but it helps deliver the hands-on training students need to step into careers and thrive.”
The University of New England consistently ranks among the top institutions in Maine and nationally for graduate outcomes and academic quality.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education recently reported that UNE graduates earn nearly $20,000 more annually compared to regional peers who didn't attend college, according to the organizations’ joint 2025 Student Access and Earnings Classification, a new ranking developed to evaluate how effectively colleges create pathways to economic mobility.
In August, UNE was recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation's best colleges for the 11th consecutive year, placing it among just 15% of four-year institutions nationwide. The ranking praised UNE’s return on investment — 95% of UNE undergraduates are employed or pursuing further education within one year of graduation — and UNE also recently earned the designation as a 2025-26 College of Distinction.
UNE continues to expand its educational access to students from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
Roughly 30% of incoming UNE undergraduates each year are the first in their families to attend college, reflecting the institution’s commitment to welcoming, supporting, and advancing students from diverse backgrounds. Last November, UNE announced it would begin covering tuition costs for students whose families earn less than $100,000 as part of its efforts to attract top talent to New England and expand access to benefits of a UNE education.
Finally, in health care, UNE serves as Maine's top provider of health care professionals and boasts Maine’s only medical college, physician assistant program, and pharmacy school — as well as Northern New England’s only dental college — and a variety of interprofessionally aligned allied and planetary health programs housed on New England’s only designated collaborative health sciences campus in Portland, Maine.