U.S. News Ranks Benedictine College as a Top 10 Best College
Atchison, Kan. (Sept. 22, 2026) – Benedictine College has again been named to the Top 10 in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings of “America’s Best Colleges,” coming in at #10 in the Midwest. The rankings, published by U.S. News Media Group, list 94 colleges in the Midwest Division of Best Regional Colleges. Benedictine College has been a U.S. News “Best College” since 2007 and is currently the highest ranked Catholic college in the division and the highest ranked college or university in Kansas. The complete rankings are available online at www.usnews.com/colleges.
The annual rankings – in which U.S. News groups schools based on categories created by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching – provide a resource for parents and students considering higher education opportunities. Using a proprietary methodology, the annual U.S. News rankings represent the most comprehensive look at how schools stack up based on a set of 19 indicators of excellence and help consumers evaluate and compare data compiled from more than 1,500 accredited four-year schools.
Benedictine College was also recently listed by The Wall Street Journal as the sixth most highly recommended school in the nation by its current students and young alumni. The Cardinal Newman Society named Benedictine as one of the Top 20 Catholic colleges in America. College Raptor named the school as a “Hidden Gem.” With consistent enrollment growth over the past 20 years, the college has more than doubled in size.
“Benedictine College is pleased to be named a Top 10 college by U.S. News & World Report,” said Stephen D. Minnis, president of Benedictine College. “Additional recognition from The Wall Street Journal, Kiplinger’s, Forbes, The Newman Guide, and others is a clear indication that we are recognized nationally as a great Catholic college and a first choice for high-achieving students.”
Benedictine College’s image and awareness are at an all-time high with record-setting enrollment and a plan to build an authentically Catholic school of osteopathic medicine on the Atchison campus. The Independence Hall-inspired Moritz Library in D’Aniello Hall is now complete, tripling the amount of student space of the old facility and offering a look at our nation’s history with a replica of the Liberty Bell and the Assembly Room where the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were signed in Philadelphia. Recent renovations and additions to Westerman Hall, the science building, provide students with one of the top STEM facilities of any small college in America.
Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, Benedictine, residential, liberal arts college located on the bluffs above the Missouri River in Atchison, Kansas. The school is honored to have received a top 10 ranking by U.S. News & World Report, to be ranked in the nation’s 10 most-recommended colleges by The Wall Street Journal, and named one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by the Newman Guide. It prides itself on outstanding academics, extraordinary faith life, strong athletic programs, and an exceptional sense of community and belonging. Benedictine College is dedicated to Transforming Culture in America through its mission to educate men and women within a community of faith and scholarship.
