Chapman is now ranked among the top universities in the country, including Princeton University, Harvard University, the University of Southern California and New York University. 

U.S. News & World Report released their annual Best Colleges Rankings, which – in the past – Chapman had been in the west regional category. This year, Chapman received a ranking in the national category. 

“Being a national university means you are among the most prestigious universities,” said Chapman University President Daniele Struppa. Chapman was placed 125 on the ranking of about 400 universities in the national category and was 40 in undergraduate teaching ranking. 

Chapman is tied with four other schools for number 125, which include DePaul University, Simmons University, University of New Hampshire and University of the Pacific. Chapman previously held the fifth spot as the best regional university in the west region. 

The university has entered the national ranking after receiving the R2 Carnegie Classification, which U.S. News & World Report uses to rank schools. 

According to the U.S. News & World Report website, national universities, “offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and doctoral programs and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates.” The R2 classification was given to Chapman due to the increase in research and graduate programs, according to Tom Piechota, the vice president for research. 

Currently, Chapman has 68 graduate programs, according to the university website. Chapman will continue to move upwards in ranking in a way that is consistent with focus and attention to students, Struppa said. 

“One of the areas where we don’t have a very high scoring is peer reputation and that is because we are new in the group,” Struppa said. 

Chapman Forward, a research publication, is distributed to other universities around the nation to let them know what Chapman is doing and to help enhance reputation, Piechota said. 

“We want to be the best that we can be,” Struppa said. “(Rankings) impact the way we think about ourselves and the way other people think about us.” 

The new ranking for Chapman is not only beneficial for prospective students who are looking to go to the university, but current students as well. 

“It makes us a stronger candidate for the incoming class and it makes students here prouder alumni,” said Brianna Callagy, a senior business administration and economics double major. “People will know about Chapman more than when I was a freshman. The more employers and people know about Chapman becoming a better and better school, they will be more impressed and learn why we would be good candidates for jobs.”