For the first time ever, Winona State University is listed among the Top 40 universities in the Midwest, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2022-23 ranking.

This regional ranking includes all public and private universities in the Midwest. WSU is the first Minnesota State school to rank in the top 40.

When comparing only public universities in the Midwest, WSU is ranked 9th overall. In the Minnesota State system, Winona State ranks as the No. 1 university. In the State of Minnesota, Winona State is ranked 2nd among regional public universities and 5th overall on the comprehensive list of public and private universities.

WSU continues to be recognized as one of the Best Colleges for Veterans, ranking as the 2nd public school for veterans in Minnesota and the 17th overall in the Midwest.

The university is also ranked 3rd in Social Mobility for public universities in Minnesota. This ranking recognizes WSU’s success in enrolling and graduating large proportions of economically disadvantaged students.

Originally founded as a teacher’s college, Winona State has more than 160 years’ experience educating top teaching professionals. Today, WSU offers more than 100 programs at the undergraduate, pre-professional, licensure, graduate, and doctorate level in 5 colleges: Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing & Health Sciences, and Science & Engineering.

The university’s Nursing program was established more than 50 years ago and is well-recognized throughout the region. In addition, WSU is the only accredited undergraduate program in the U.S. that offers a Bachelor of Science in Composite Materials Engineering.

To calculate the rankings, U.S. News & World Report focuses on academic quality and places emphasis on outcome measures—including graduation rates, retention rates, graduate indebtedness, and social mobility. Outcomes are the mostly highly weighted ranking factor, contributing 40% to each school’s overall score. Complete listings are available at usnews.com/best-colleges.

For more information, contact the WSU Marketing and Communications Department at wsunews@winona.edu.