And now for something completely different: Rankings

Love them or disagree with them, rankings make headlines and can influence how families think about schools. But not all lists measure the same things.

WSJ/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges list weighs heavily on student outcomes, emphasizing how well a college prepares students for financial success. The ranking gives additional consideration to learning environment and diversity.

Released Sept. 29, Best Colleges ranked UD among Ohio schools as No. 1 overall; No. 2 in Best Salaries; No. 5 in Student Experience; No. 5 in Social Mobility; and No. 5 in Best Value. Nationally, UD was No. 104 of 584 schools for the top spot overall.

Forbes also publishes a ranking of its top 500 schools, focusing on return on investment, average student debt and graduate outcomes. Its America’s Top Colleges rankings named UD No. 23 Midwest School, No. 93 Private College and No. 162 overall.

US News & World Report publishes perhaps the most well-known and often-maligned list, criticized for its changing methodologies and the promotion packages it sells for a pretty penny to universities that find themselves on top. Likewise, schools that chase the rankings have found themselves chastised in media reports.

Ah, but everyone wants to know how their alma mater stacks up: UD was named No. 41 among more than 1,700 schools in its 2026 Best Colleges list in the category Best Value Schools-National Universities. It also tied in No. 93 for Best College for Veterans-National Universities.

But the rankings students may love best come from The Princeton Review, which relies heavily on their comments to produce its report on academics, campus life and belonging. UD ranks No. 5 in Students Love Their School Teams and Top Entrepreneurship (for schools with fewer than 10,000 students), and in the top 25 for Best Campus Food, Best College Dorms, Lots of Beer, Best College Library, Lots of Hard Liquor, Happiest Students and Best-Run Colleges. Students are nothing if not honest, whether a school embraces a ranking or not.

And when you stop at Dayton, you’re guaranteed to be greeted by a smile — from a self-described happy student.

One thing is certain: If you read enough lists, you’re bound to find things you like, and things you don’t. It’s still good advice for families to visit before they deposit. And when you stop at Dayton, you’re guaranteed to be greeted by a smile — from a self-described happy student.