Marymount named No. 1 among Virginia private institutions

Arlington, Va. — Marymount University remained in the National Universities category and ranked #1 among Virginia private institutions in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges Rankings, a reflection of the University’s commitment to preparing students to thrive at Marymount and beyond graduation.

That strength also carried into undergraduate programs, where Nursing jumped 42 spots and retained the best mark among Virginia’s private institutions, and Computer Science climbed 14 spots, to the second-highest ranking in the Commonwealth. Marymount’s positive results also showed in Social Mobility, a measure of how well a college turns access into opportunity regardless of where a student starts, as the University rose to #188 nationally.

That same momentum carried into Niche’s 2027 College Rankings, released last month, where Marymount earned five A-range grades and made the top 1% for AI and emerging-tech curriculum access, reflecting the University’s conviction that AI fluency now belongs in every field.

Marymount’s top marks from Niche:

• Marymount earned an A+ for Location, ranking #50 nationally and #2 in Virginia, placing it in the top 2% of U.S. colleges for its setting.
• An A for Future Readiness placed the University in the 95th percentile nationally, reflecting its emphasis on career preparation: a career services office ranked in the top 6% of the country, plus internships, interdisciplinary programs and AI coursework woven across majors.
• Marymount also earned an A for Diversity, ranking #134 nationally and #3 in Virginia, for a community drawn from small towns, cities and countries around the world.
• It earned an A for Student Wellness, placing in the top 8% nationally for how it supports students physically, emotionally and spiritually;
• And an A- for Safety, placing in the top 10% of campuses nationwide and #5 in Virginia.

Colleges of Distinction also honored Marymount, naming the University in eight of its 2026-2027 distinction categories—Military Support, International, Career Development, Nursing, Education, Business, Catholic, and Virginia—recognizing strengths that span academics, student support, and institutional identity.

At a time when the value of a college education faces constant scrutiny, Marymount’s performance across these rankings demonstrates its ability to change the lives of its students and their families.

“These rankings — across U.S. News, Niche, and Colleges of Distinction alike — capture something real happening at Marymount,” said Dr. Irma Becerra, president of Marymount University. “From our standing as Virginia’s top private university to being named among the top 1% of colleges nationally for AI curriculum access, we’re being recognized for the momentum our students and faculty feel building on campus every day.”