As college rankings emerge for the 2025-26 academic year, Slippery Rock University continues to earn high praise. Research.com has placed SRU as a top university for the year of 2026 in the following categories:
Research.com’s “Best Colleges” ranking system draws on data from reputable college information compendiums like the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and Peterson’s database for general school information and OpenAlex for school research activity. The rankings are compiled by a team of data scientists and serve to aid students through the college selection process by analyzing key factors such as academic excellence, range of degree programs, affordability and return on investment.
The “Most Affordable Colleges” ranking is comprised of institutions from the publication’s “Best Colleges” ranking. Those institutions are then sorted into their associated geographical regions (country, region, state, city) to assist students in selecting cost-effective schools in their desired locations.
The “Best Value Colleges” ranking scores institutions on their return-of-investment value, which is the ratio of the average salary in the first six months after a student’s graduation to the tuition and fees that the institution requires of its alumni.
SRU’s achievements in these rankings serve as evidence of the University’s commitment to supporting its students by providing a high-quality education at a low cost. SRU alumni reap the advantages of one of Pennsylvania’s top academic institutions at one of the lowest prices in the state and in the Northeastern region at large.
The full rankings and methodologies can be found on Research.com.