For the seventh consecutive year, Bemidji State University has been named one of the top 30 public universities in the Midwest region by U.S. News and World Report.
The U.S. News 2025 Best College rankings, released September 24, show BSU tied for 30th amongst public universities in the Midwest region, which includes institutions in North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Amongst all institutions in the region, Bemidji State is tied for 91st. BSU has been ranked among the Top 100 schools in the Midwest region each year since 2019, and has been regionally ranked each year since 2009.
Other Rankings
In addition to the overall rankings, BSU also appears in several other program-specific U.S. News rankings:
- BSU ranked 142nd regionally in social mobility, which measures a school’s success at enrolling and graduating financially disadvantaged students.
- Nursing ranked 507th nationally.
- Psychology was ranked in the second tier, among programs ranked between 500th and 681st nationally.
- Online bachelor’s degree programs were ranked in the second tier, among programs ranked between 262nd and 339th nationally.
- Online master’s in education programs were ranked in the second tier, among programs ranked between 229th and 303rd nationally.
- Online MBA program was ranked in the second tier, among programs ranked between 260th and 345th nationally.
Nursing rankings are determined by the average of scores received from surveys of top academics and officials at nursing schools or departments. For psychology, scores are based on the results of peer assessment surveys.
Ranking methodologies for the three categories of online programs are similar. U.S. News evaluates programs in five weighted categories, measuring student engagement, peer assessment, faculty credentials & training, student excellence, and services & technologies. Links to specific methodologies for each program grouping are included below.
About the U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings
Now in its 40th year, U.S. News & World Report began publishing college rankings in 1983. U.S. News Best Colleges 2025 is online now and a print version will be available on newsstands beginning.
The publication defines regional universities as institutions offering a full range of undergrad programs with some master’s programs but few if any, doctoral programs. For its ranking of public colleges and universities, U.S. News considers institutions that typically operate under the supervision of state governments and are funded, in part, by tax dollars and subsidies from the state. As a result, these universities often offer discounted tuition to residents of their states.
BSU has been ranked on the U.S. News list of the Midwest region’s top universities each year since 2009. The rankings categorize schools based on mission according to classifications developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and, in some cases, by geography.
The information presented in the 2025 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings and directory was collected during the spring and summer of 2024 as part of an annual online statistical survey. A complete explanation of its methodology for determining school rankings is available on its website.