The College Consensus ranking of the Best Colleges in Delaware combines the results of the most respected college ranking systems with the averaged ratings of thousands of real student reviews from around the web to create a unique college meta-ranking. This approach offers a comprehensive and holistic perspective missing from other college rankings. Visit our about page for information on which rankings and review sites were included in this year’s consensus rankings.
The Best Colleges & Universities in Delaware category is limited to schools in Delaware. Schools that did not qualify for a Consensus Score were ranked by their Student Review score.
If you’re interested in online schools, check out our ranking of the Best online Colleges in Delaware. You can also find out more about college financial aid with our list of the Top 5 Delaware Scholarships.
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Defining the Best Colleges in Delaware
The little state on the seashore used to be called the Small Wonder, and small wonder – pound for pound (or should it be acre for acre?) no state in the Union has had a bigger impact than Delaware. The first state to ratify the Constitution, Delaware helped shape the United States from a scrappy colony to a world power, and its influence isn’t just historical. Delaware is still a center of banking and finance, scientific research, and, of course, higher education, and further proof that it’s not the size, it’s the heart.
The best colleges and universities in Delaware is a short list. After all, Delaware is a small state, small enough to hike across in a day for most of its length. However, Delaware is also one of the most densely-populated states, and though its whole population is less than a million people, those people are some of the nation’s best educated – they’re in the top 12 for proportion of residents holding an advanced (post-graduate) degree. At this time, only two institutions in Delaware have enough rankings and reviews to generate a College Consensus Score, but the College Consensus is constantly updating, so prospective Delaware students should check back in the future for more rankings.
For its small size, Delaware has a robust chemistry and technology industry that requires high levels of education, while banking and finance – one of the state’s other biggest industries – demands well-educated business leaders and managers. Where are they going to come from? Delaware’s colleges and universities. The major corporations, like DuPont and AstraZeneca, are fed by excellent STEM programs at the University of Delaware and Delaware State University. Delaware’s educational future is well in hand with these top colleges.
The University of Delaware and Delaware State University do the heavy lifting, as the largest public research university, and the largest HBCU, respectively. Both have considerable expertise in STEM and business, shaping leaders for generations. The University of Delaware is well represented on College Consensus having been ranked one of the best national research universities, and one of the best public universities, in the nation. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of UD on the state; after all, it dates back to the 1740s, well before the American Revolution, and educated signers of the Constitution, leaders of government, business, and education, and cultural icons.
But Delaware students, and students from across the Eastern seaboard, shouldn’t sleep on Delaware State University, one of the top historically black colleges in the nation. Delaware State was founded on engineering and agriculture, and it has turned that heritage into one of the best HBCUs for STEM and professional study. Delaware State isn’t just one of the best HBCUs, though; College Consensus has cited the university as one of the most affordable colleges in the US, one of the best colleges for veterans, and one of the overall best regional universities in the North. Delaware State may be underrated, but it won’t stay underrated with the work they’ve been doing in the 21st century.
The Future of the Top Colleges in Delaware
The best colleges in Delaware have the situation well in hand, don’t worry; but even with titans like the University of Delaware and Delaware State, growth and development in the densest state of the Union needs the highest level of education. Delaware is still growing its top universities, and smaller schools like Wilmington University and Wesley College are rising to meet demands. Have no fear: the Small Wonder is here, and definitely not going anywhere.
