The atrium of the College of Business at the University of Wyoming.

CHEYENNE (WNE) — The University of Wyoming has made a big jump in two major national college rankings, augmenting its recently achieved status as a Carnegie R1 research institution, a UW news release said.

In the latest “America’s Top Colleges 2027” list by Forbes magazine, UW climbed from No. 244 to No. 175 among all universities, public and private. Among public universities, UW now stands No. 80 on the Forbes list.

And, on the “2027 Best Colleges in America” list by the popular college search website Niche, UW moved from No. 120 to No. 99 among public universities.

The new rankings are just the latest recognition of Wyoming’s flagship and land grant university, which in 2025 became one of 187 institutions nationwide designated as R1 universities by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

“The University of Wyoming is an ascending institution with a world-class faculty and staff, superb facilities, amazing students and a fabulous campus experience,” President Shane Reeves said in the release. “These new rankings are just one indicator of the growing national reputation of excellence for Wyoming’s university.”

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