National rankings highlight excellence, community and sustainability at Luther College

Luther College continues to excel in a wide range of national rankings issued this fall. Notably, the college was named one of the top 50 in WalletHub’s 2025 best U.S. colleges ranking; in addition, Luther placed best among its peers in key criteria evaluated in the Wall Street Journal / College Pulse 2025 best colleges ranking. Luther also garnered sustainability and quality-of-life accolades.

Luther is one of only 10 higher education institutions in the state of Iowa to have a chemistry program approved by the American Chemical Society.

WalletHub Best U.S. Colleges

In WalletHub’s best colleges list, rankings were weighted most heavily by student selectivity, cost and financing, educational outcomes and career outcomes of graduates. Metrics included the student-faculty ratio, graduation rates and salaries after graduation.

Luther was ranked 42nd in the country among all colleges (which award only bachelor’s degrees); it ranked second in the state of Iowa among all colleges and universities (institutions that award both undergraduate and graduate degrees).

WalletHub is a personal finance company that empowers consumers to lead financially healthy lives.

Wall Street Journal / College Pulse Best Colleges

According to College Pulse, which collects data about college student opinions, this is the second year that the Wall Street Journal has worked with College Pulse and Statista to rank the top 500 universities in the country.

“Rather than focusing on colleges’ wealth or reputation, these rankings expand the importance of student outcomes: graduation rates and graduate salaries,” said College Pulse in a news release. “Critically, we emphasized measuring the value added by colleges — not simply measuring their students’ success, but focusing on the contribution the college makes to that success.”

In the criteria that determined the Wall Street Journal / College Pulse top 500 universities ranking, Luther was ranked top three in several key areas relative to three peer groups: Iowa private colleges, the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) and the Network of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Colleges and Universities (NECU). The top 500 ranking included five Iowa private colleges, nine of the 13 ACM members, and nine of the 26 NECU members.

The areas in which Luther ranked highly were learning opportunities, character development, career preparation, community and social life, learning facilities and campus facilities.

• Learning opportunities: Luther ranked first among Iowa private colleges, the ACM and the NECU.
• Character development: Luther ranked first in the ACM and second among Iowa private colleges and the NECU.
• Career preparation: Luther tied for first in the ACM and third among Iowa private colleges and the NECU.
• Community and social life: Luther ranked first among Iowa private colleges and the ACM and second in the NECU.
• Learning facilities: Luther ranked first among Iowa private colleges, second in the ACM and tied for third in the NECU
• Campus facilities: Luther ranked first in the ACM and NECU and second among Iowa private colleges.

Princeton Review Green Colleges, Bicycle Friendly University

Echoing earlier national rankings for sustainability in college operations, Luther was ranked 21st in America in the Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges, scoring 97 out of 99 points in the ranking.

In a major national recognition of Luther and Decorah’s quality of life, the League of American Bicyclists recently awarded Luther a silver rating in its first application for the Bicycle Friendly University designation. Luther is one of three BFU campuses in Iowa. It joined the University of Iowa at the silver level; Grinnell College also entered the ranking this year at the bronze level.