Rankings & Recognition
One of the Best Universities in the Midwest
Truman has a longstanding reputation for providing an exceptionally high-quality education paired with an outstanding return on investment. As a result, Truman is consistently ranked among the nation’s best colleges and universities.

No. 1 public school in the Midwest region for 24 years running and No. 7 overall. More»
—U.S. News & World Report
“America’s Best Colleges” (2021)

Ranked No. 9 in the top “50 Most Affordable In-State Public Universities,” Truman is the only Missouri school to make the top 10. More»
—AffordableColleges.com (2020)

One of the top 10 public schools named as a “Best Buy” offering outstanding educational value. More»
—Fiske Guide to Colleges (2021)
No. 12 best master’s university in the nation. More»
—Washington Monthly (2020)

—Princeton Review College Guide (2021)
One of the Best Values for High-Quality Academics
- Named among 200 Schools with Exceptional ROI for Your Tuition Investment. More»
—Princeton Review, The Best Value Colleges (2020) - Ranked among the 500 Best College Values in the nation, coming in at No. 55. More»
—Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (2019) - Ranked No. 9 on list of Best Value Colleges and Universities. More»
—College Consensus (2020) - Ranked as No. 81 on the list of best public colleges in the U.S. More»
—Business First (2020) - Ranked in top 1% of best values nationwide. Also ranked No. 5 on list of Best Affordable U.S. Colleges and Universities for Students from Outside the USA. More»
—CollegeFactual.com (2020) - The only public university listed on the 30 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Midwest. More»
—Great Value Colleges (2020) - Nationally recognized as a leader in curriculum innovation and one of the best education values in the nation.
—Barron’s Best Buys in College Education (11th edition)
A College of Distinction
- Recognized for commitment to:
- engaged students
- great teaching
- vibrant community
- successful outcomes
—www.collegesofdistinction.com (2020-2021)
Preparing Students to Make a Difference
- One of only about 25 universities nationwide to have a Peace Corps Prep partnership, Truman is one of the top universities in the nation for producing Peace Corps volunteers.
- Truman is included on the list of U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most Fulbright U.S. students in 2020. More»
Talented and Smart Athletes
- Truman is one of five NCAA Division II public schools nationally that boasts an Academic Success Rate of 86% or above.
- Truman has been a national leader in producing Academic All-Americans since the program’s inception in the 1950s. The Academic All-Americans award is the most prestigious academic and athletic award for student-athletes. All nominees must have a grade-point average of 3.30 or above.
—College Sports Information Directors of America, cosida.com