Smithfield, RI—Bryant University continues to prove what the Bulldog community has always known: With determination and grit come outcomes that truly matter. In the 2026 Wall Street Journal "Best Colleges in the U.S." rankings, produced with College Pulse and Statista, Bryant is ranked among the Top 100 best colleges in the nation.
The WSJ’s rankings measure alumni earnings, return on investment, and the real-world success of graduates. Our students earn their way forward through double majors, stacked internships, and a relentless, heads-down drive toward their futures.
“Bryant’s rising national reputation and this strong ranking from The Wall Street Journal are proof points of our enduring focus on academics, student success, and experiential learning,” says President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “We take pride in delivering strong outcomes and preparing our students to lead and thrive in a dynamic global landscape.”
Those outcomes speak volumes. Employers including Fidelity Investments, Deloitte, and PwC draw from Bryant’s deep bench of finance and accounting graduates. CVS, Amica, and Travelers trust our alumni to lead in health, insurance, marketing, and communications. Tech giants like Dell, Google, and Amazon know Bryant alums come ready to deliver results on day one. This is a network that is earned, not inherited, and built by the drive of Bryant grads at every stage of their careers.
And the accolades keep coming. LinkedIn’s first-ever "Top 50 Colleges" ranking placed Bryant at #38 nationwide, also recognizing the university among the top five schools for internships and recruiter demand along with MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Caltech, and Bentley. Bryant was also recognized in the U.S. News & World Report’s annual “2026 Best Colleges” list, where Bryant broke into the top five best universities in the north region. The Princeton Review recently named Bryant to its “Best 391 Colleges” and “Best Value Colleges” lists. Forbes placed Bryant among “America’s Top Colleges.” These distinctions affirm what the marketplace already knows: Bryant graduates are career-ready, in-demand, and leading from the start.
This strong placement in the WSJ and other major rankings is no accident: At Bryant, we innovate, we adapt, we grow, and we home in on student success. Bryant students push harder. Faculty and staff expect more. Alumni open doors and set the bar higher for the next generation. Together, this community defines what it means to transform ambition into impact.
The message is clear: Bryant is no longer a quiet success story from Rhode Island, a “best kept secret” in a region with many higher ed options. The university has earned its place on the national stage among the best institutions in the country.
About Bryant University
For more than 160 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. The university delivers an integrated academic and student life experience with nationally recognized academic programs at the intersection of business, liberal arts, and health and behavioral sciences.
Located on a 465-acre contemporary campus in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant enrolls approximately 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students from 41 states and 50 countries. Bryant is recognized as a top 1 percent national leader in student education outcomes and ROI and regularly receives high rankings from U.S. News and World Report, QS Stars, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, and College Factual. Bryant.edu