U.S. News ranks University of Utah Health No. 1
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute ranked as top ophthalmology hospital in US for 22nd year in a row
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has once again achieved the top spot in the ophthalmology specialty, ranking first for the 22nd year in a row. The annual Best Hospitals report from US News & World Report compares more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 22 procedures and conditions. The rankings draw from 3 years of surveys of roughly 30,000 physician specialists, who were asked where they would refer their sickest patients. The Midwest ophthalmologists responded the most (12.3%), while ocularmologists in the South responded the least (7.0%) The top 10 ophthalmic hospitals for 2024 to 2024, according to the US News& World Report, are: Johns Hopkins, University of Miami, Johns Hopkins, Wills Eye Hospital, and University of California, Los Angeles. The top ten ophthalmetic hospitals for 2025 to 2024 are: University of Michigan, John A. Moran Eye Center, University Hospital of Utah, Utah Eye Clinic, and Johns Hopkins Eye Hospitals.
US News & World Report has released its annual list of the “Best Hospitals,” and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute has once again achieved the top spot in the ophthalmology specialty, ranking first for the 22nd year in a row.
The annual Best Hospitals report from US News & World Report compares more than 4,500 hospitals across 15 specialties and 22 procedures and conditions, of which only 13% received a Best Hospitals designation.1 Ophthalmology is one of the many specialties that are included in the ranking. Other specialties included in the rankings include:
Cancer
Cardiology, heart & vascular surgery
Diabetes & endocrinology
Ear, nose & throat
Gastroenterology & GI surgery
Geriatrics
Obstetrics & gynecology
Neurology & neurosurgery
Orthopedics
Psychiatry
Pulmonology & lung surgery
Rehabilitation
Rheumatology
Urology
Chelsey Wen, senior health data analyst at US News & World Report, commented on the rankings, saying, “Our annual evaluation of hospitals is a data-driven process, and it covers a wide berth of procedures and conditions that are very pertinent to Americans. That can include things like knee and hip replacements, several different types of cancers, COPD—and it’s really meant to be relevant and easy to understand for consumers who are looking for care in their community and specifically for the procedure or condition that they’re seeking to treat.”
The ranking of 12 of the 15 specialties is based largely on objective data sources, such as Medicare claims and other publicly available data. However, in ophthalmology, psychiatry, and rheumatology, rankings are based solely on expert opinion surveys of board-certified physicians. These rankings draw from 3 years of surveys of roughly 30,000 physician specialists, who were asked where they would refer their sickest patients. In ophthalmology, any hospital with enough nominations was ranked. However, to be eligible to be ranked, hospitals must have an opinion score of at least 5% across the last 3 years.
According to US News & World Report, this is due to “available data for the 3 specialties being significantly limited, and life-threatening conditions and procedures are more uncommon in ophthalmology and psychiatry, rendering mortality irrelevant as a primary outcome.”
Rankings used nominations from the most recent 3 years of physician surveys (2023, 2024, and 2025). Scores were calculated separately in each year and averaged so each year’s scores are given equal weighting in the final expert opinion score.
The sample for the 2025 physician survey was selected from a database of all practicing US physicians compiled by Doximity, as was the 2024 survey. Doximity’s Physician Database includes every practicing US physician, identified by National Provider Identifier (NPI) number and sourced from the US Department of Health and Human Services NPI Registry, state medical boards, and specialty boards.
For ophthalmology, the survey was sent to 17,924 physicians with an average response rate of 9.6%, down from the response rate of 11.7% in 2024. Midwest ophthalmologists responded the most (12.3%), while ophthalmologists in the South responded the least (7.0%).
To regulate bias, survey responses were adjusted based on a physician’s current affiliation using data from multiple sources to determine whether a physician is currently affiliated with each hospital they nominated. Therefore, nominations from unaffiliated physicians were weighted higher than those from physicians who have a current relationship with the hospital they nominated. A full breakdown of score weighting can be found online.
Wen told Ophthalmology Times, “The 2025-2026 US News & World Report Best Hospitals for Ophthalmology include 11 institutions that consistently deliver superior patient care. Hospitals like Bascom Palmer Eye Institute (No. 1), Wills Eye Hospital (No. 2), and Wilmer Eye Institute (No. 3) represent the pinnacle of ophthalmic care in the U.S. This recognition from US News serves as a vital guide for patients seeking the highest quality of specialized eye care.”
The top 10 hospitals for ophthalmology 2024-2025, according to the US News & World Report, are:
Bascom Palmer Eye Institute-University of Miami Hospital & Clinics Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital Mass Eye and Ear, Massachusetts General Hospital Stein & Doheny Eye Institutes, UCLA Medical Center University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center Duke University Hospital, Durham] University of Michigan Health Kellogg Eye Center John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah Health Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic & UCSF Health-UCSF Medical Center
Full rankings of hospitals by specialty, procedure, or overall by US News are available online.
References:
U.S. News & World Report: University of Utah cracks the top 7% of ‘Best Global Universities’
The University of Utah secured “Top 100” rankings in several academic/research subjects. Harvard University is at the top of the hill — followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford and the United Kingdom’s University of Oxford and University of Cambridge. University of California Berkeley, University College London, University of Washington, Yale and Columbia round out the top 10 list. About 40% of the schools ranked in the list”s Top 100 are American institutions. February marks the 175th anniversary of the U.S. News & World Report”“Best Global Universities’ also posted regional university rankings.“As students around the world refer to these rankings to make their college choices, we welcome them to consider the ‘U’ as a welcoming, well-supported place for them to contribute to research that unleashes human potential in service of a better world,” said Randy McCrillis, the school’“We are excited to see the University of Salt Lake City’s stellar research reputation recognized in this international context.”
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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
The beginning of the University of Utah’s 2025-2026 academic year is still more than a month away.
But already, the state’s flagship college is receiving Dean’s List-worthy marks — largely for its medical research endeavors.
Coming in at No. 141, the university is counted among the top 7% of the 2,250 “top universities” ranked in 2025’s U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Global Universities.”
The University of Utah secured “Top 100” rankings in several academic/research subjects — including cardiac and cardiovascular systems, clinical medicine, oncology and surgery.
Students walk on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025. February marks the 175th anniversary of the U. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News
“We are excited to see the University of Utah’s stellar research reputation recognized in this international context,” said Randy McCrillis, the school’s senior international officer.
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“As students around the world refer to these rankings to make their college choices, we welcome them to consider the ‘U’ as a welcoming, well-supported place for them to contribute to research that unleashes human potential in service of a better world.”
Two other Utah schools, Brigham Young University and Utah State University, were also included in the “Best Global Universities” rankings — listed as No. 817 and No. 827, respectively.
No surprise, the digital publication’s 2025 top 10 list includes plenty of august educational institutions.
Harvard University is at the top of the hill — followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford and the United Kingdom’s University of Oxford and University of Cambridge.
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Rounding out the top 10 list are University of California Berkeley, University College London, University of Washington, Yale and Columbia.
About 40% of the schools ranked in the list’s Top 100 are American institutions.
The U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Global Universities” also posted regional university rankings.
South Africa’s University of Cape Town, for example, is listed as the best university in Africa — while Brazil’s Universidade de Sao Paulo claimed the top spot in Latin America.
China’s Tsinghua University is the highest ranked university in Asia.
The University of Toronto was Canada’s top-ranked institution — coming in at No. 16 in the global rankings.
Determining the world’s ‘best’ global universities
So how did the American-based digital media company U.S. News & World Report attempt to define that somewhat elusive term “Best”?
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They begin by offering a significant caveat: Their rankings focus “exclusively” on institutions’ overall academic research and reputations — and not on their separate undergraduate or graduate programs.
The University of Utah’s Research Park is pictured in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 27, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
Would-be students, according to the site, should consider the “Best Global Universities” ranking when applying for schools. “But personal considerations — including location, campus culture, strength of a particular program and cost — are also very important considerations.”
A key methodology component of the rankings included 13 indicators and weights that U.S. News & World Report chose to calculate and measure global research performance.
Ranking indicators included global research reputation, publications, books, conferences, international collaboration, and the percentage of total publications that are among the top 1% of most highly cited papers.
Challenges to university research; enrolling international students
The U.S. News & World Report emphasizes the role research plays in an institution’s global reputation and comes at a volatile moment for higher education in the United States.
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Earlier this year, the Trump administration announced policy changes at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that would limit how much overhead researchers could ask for when applying for grants.
Those policies have been challenged in the courts, but remain cause for anxiety for research institutions such as the University of Utah.
In 2023, the Utah school received $291 million in NIH grants. School leaders worry that policy changes at the NIH could cost the school tens of millions in annual research dollars.
Research funding anxiety stretches far beyond the labs and administrative offices of the Salt Lake City campus.
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Confusion at the NIH “has paralyzed many of the 2,500 universities and institutes that rely on the NIH to fund their research,” CBS News reported.
Also, U.S. News & World Report noted that their “Best Global Universities Rankings” can be utilized by students, worldwide, to explore higher education options that exist beyond their own countries’ borders.
Given the large number of American universities scoring high on the “Best Global Universities” rankings, it’s no surprise that the United States remains a popular destination for international students.
More than 1 million international students from more than 190 foreign countries studied at U.S. colleges and universities during the 2023-2024 academic year.
Harvard University graduating senior Leo Gerdén, an international student from Sweden, stands outside the Harvard University gates before a student protest against President Donald Trump’s recent sanctions against Harvard, Tuesday May 27, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. | Leah Willingham
Meanwhile, 3,500-plus international students and scholars are associated with the University of Utah. And students from over 100 countries are enrolled at Brigham Young University.
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But matriculating at American colleges and universities has become more challenging in recent months.
In May, the Trump administration halted the scheduling of new visa interviews for foreign students. Such visa interviews are resuming, but applicants are now required to make their social media profile public to allow screeners to vet applicants who may pose a threat to U.S. national security.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the best states in America. Here’s where Connecticut landed
U.S. News and World Report released it’s annual ranking for best states in country, and Connecticut was ranked as the No. 15 best state in the country. The Best States rankings look at eight categories: health care, education, natural environment, opportunity, economy, crime and corrections, infrastructure, and fiscal stability. Connecticut’s best ranking was in health care where the state placed third, and it’s lowest score was in fiscal stability, for which is ranked No. 48. Utah is the best state for the third year in a row.
U.S. News and World Report released it’s annual ranking for best states in country, and Connecticut was ranked as the No. 15 best state in the country.
The Best States rankings look at eight categories: health care, education, natural environment, opportunity, economy, crime and corrections, infrastructure, and fiscal stability. They look at three years of data. A total of 71 metrics are used, according to the publication.
Those factors are then weighted going into the final scoring. Healthcare and education, for example, account for about 15% of the total score while natural environment accounts for 9%.
The three New England states in the top 10 were New Hampshire at No. 2, Vermont at No. 7 and Massachusetts at No. 9.
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Here’s a look at Connecticut’s rankings.
Why Connecticut was ranked No. 15
Connecticut’s best ranking was in health care where the state placed third, and it’s lowest score was in fiscal stability, for which is ranked No. 48.
Here’s the quick look at how Connecticut ranked in each category:
Crime & Corrections No. 8
Economy No. 8
Education No. 10
Fiscal Stability No. 48
Health Care No. 3
Infrastructure No. 27
Natural Environment No. 15
Opportunity No. 43
What is the best state in the country?
According to U.S. News and World Report, Utah is the best state in the country for the third year in a row.
It earned top 10 marks in five categories: fiscal stability, economy, infrastructure, education and crime and corrections.
The report said that Utah’s economy has become one of the most diverse in the U.S., giving it great strength in the fiscal-related categories.
“In the last two and a half decades, Utah’s economy has outperformed the nation, had greater strength, and when we’ve had downturns, we have been able to rebound much more quickly in our state,” said Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.
What are the 10 best states in the U.S., according to U.S. News and World Report?
Big 12 schools ranked academically by U.S. News for 2025
Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah are not usually viewed as scholastic powerhouses, but on the field, they showed they belonged in the conference. Several schools posted strong Academic Progress Rates. Unlike its power conference counterparts, the Big 12 does not have a school ranked higher than No. 91. West Virginia has never been known for its academics and that continued in 2025. The Red Raiders join West Virginia as the only Big 12 schools ranked below No. 200. Cincinnati was the top school in terms of Academic Progress Rate performance, but it does not live up to the same standard in terms. of overall academics. Kansas State maintains a large gap between itself and the conference’s bottom three schools, but is still a ways off from being considered a top-tier academic institution. Oklahoma State University is tied with 11 other schools, including one other Big 12 school, at No. 152. Texas Tech is seventh in Academic Progress rate, but falls behind in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 academic rankings.
Arizona State, Arizona, Colorado and Utah are not usually viewed as scholastic powerhouses, but on the field, they showed they belonged in the conference. The Sun Devils were projected to finish last in the Big 12, only to win the conference title and make the College Football Playoff. Aside from football, the four new programs won multiple conference titles, including the Arizona women’s golf team, the Utah women’s gymnastics team, the Arizona State men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams and the Arizona State volleyball team.
In the classroom, the 16-member conference is not top tier, but it holds its own. Several schools posted strong Academic Progress Rates.
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Another major indicator is U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 academic rankings. Unlike its power conference counterparts, the Big 12 does not have a school ranked higher than No. 91.
16. West Virginia University
Sep 16, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; A general view of the crowd during the third quarter of a game between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
City: Morgantown, West Virginia
National Ranking: No. 220 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 88%
West Virginia has never been known for its academics and that continued in 2025. It earned the lowest ranking in the conference.
15. Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University, as seen on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
City: Lubbock, Texas
National Ranking: No. 214 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 71%
Texas Tech is seventh in Academic Progress Rate, but falls behind in the U.S. News ranking. The Red Raiders join West Virginia as the only Big 12 schools ranked below No. 200.
14. Oklahoma State University
OSU Edmon Low Library on the Oklahoma State University campus in Stillwater.
City: Stillwater, Oklahoma
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National Ranking: No. 196 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 71%
OSU is tied with Georgia State, Hofstra, Indiana University (Indianapolis), UNC Greensboro, University of La Verne and Missouri University of Science and Technology at No. 196 overall.
13. Kansas State University
Anderson Hall on the campus of Kansas State University on Septembe 20, 2024.
City: Manhattan, Kansas
National Ranking: No. 165 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 80%
Kansas State maintains a large gap between itself and the conference’s bottom three schools, but it is still a ways off from being considered a top-tier academic institution.
12 (tie). University of Kansas
A view of The University of Kansas campus in Lawrence, Kansas, on July 26, 2024.
City: Lawrence, Kansas
National Ranking: No. 152 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 88%
Kansas is tied with 11 other schools, including one other Big 12 school, at No. 152.
12 (tie). University of Cincinnati
A historic fountain sits next to the College of Arts & Sciences building, Tuesday, April 22, 2025, at the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati.
City: Cincinnati, Ohio
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National Ranking: No. 152 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 88%
Surprisingly, Cincinnati was the top school in terms of Academic Progress Rate performance, but it does not live up to the same standard in terms of overall academics.
10. University of Houston
Sep 14, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; The Minute-men bring the University of Houston flag out after a Houston Cougars touchdown in the second half against the Rice Owls at TDECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sean Thomas-Imagn Images
City: Houston, Texas
National Ranking: No. 144 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 70%
Houston is the first Big 12 school in the top 150 and is tied with three other schools, including Oregon State, for the No. 144 spot.
9. University of Utah
Mar 23, 2019; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; General overall view of Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah. The stadium, opened in 1998, is the home of the Utah Utes of the Pacific-12 Conference. It served as the main stadium and the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2002 Winter Olympics; the home field of Real Salt Lake of the MLS (2005-2008) and Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in 2019. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
City: Salt Lake City, Utah
National Ranking: No. 136 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 87%
Along with Colorado, Arizona and Arizona State, the Utes are a newcomer to the Big 12. The Utes are also the lowest-ranked former Pac-12 school.
8 (tie). Central Florida University
Aug 29, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights cheer team perform during the second half at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
City: Orlando, Florida
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National Ranking: No. 121 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 43%
UCF has the lowest acceptance rate in the conference, tied with one other Big 12 school. The Knights are also tied with three other Big 12 schools at No. 121.
8 (tie). Arizona State University
Arizona State University’s Tempe campus on Dec. 9, 2020.
City: Tempe, Arizona
National Ranking: No. 121 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 90%
ASU is tied with UCF and Iowa State for the eighth-best academic school in the conference. Nationally, the Sun Devils are ranked with South Carolina and Elon among several others. With just over 65,000 undergraduates, Arizona State is the largest school in the Big 12.
8 (tie). Iowa State University
Iowa State University students pass by the Beardshear Hall aa trees show their fall colors at the university central campus on Thursday Oct. 10, 2024, in Ames, Iowa.
City: Ames, Iowa
National Ranking: No. 121 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 89%
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Iowa State is a medium-sized school that dominates the town of Ames. As one of the three Big 12 schools ranked at No. 121, the Cyclones are still on the outside looking in at being a top 100 institution.
5 (tie). University of Arizona
People walk through campus at the University of Arizona in Tucson on Oct. 8, 2022.
City: Tucson, Arizona
National Ranking: No. 109 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 86%
One of two schools in the state of Arizona after the recent Big 12 expansion, and, according to U.S. News, the Wildcats are more prestigious. Coming in at No. 109, the Wildcats are tied nationally with Tennessee, Oregon, Missouri, SDSU and one other Big 12 program.
5 (tie). Brigham Young University
Oct 18, 2024; Provo, Utah, USA; A general view of the field before the game between the Brigham Young Cougars and the Oklahoma State Cowboys at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
City: Provo, Utah
National Ranking: No. 109 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 69%
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BYU is a relatively new member of the Big 12. Along with Baylor and TCU, it is one of three private schools in the conference. Its 28% four-year graduation rate is the lowest in the conference because most of its student body is required to complete a religious mission before graduation.
3. Texas Christian University
Oct 12, 2013; Fort Worth, TX, USA; General view of Amon G. Carter Stadium exterior before the NCAA football game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the TCU Horned Frogs. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
City: Fort Worth, Texas
National Ranking: No. 105 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 43%
TCU is the largest religious university associated with the Christian Church, but it is the smallest school in the Big 12 with only 10,915 undergraduates. The Horned Frogs are tied with Auburn, Illinois Institute of Technology and Saint Louis University at No. 105.
2. University of Colorado Boulder
Jan 25, 2020; Boulder, Colorado, USA; A bronze statue of the University of Colorado Buffaloes mascot is seen outside of the CU Events Center before a game against the Washington Huskies. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
City: Boulder, Colorado
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National Ranking: No. 98 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 81%
The University of Colorado is one of two Big 12 schools in the top 100. Coming in at No. 98, CU Boulder is tied with Iowa, Temple, Rutgers University (Camden), Gonzaga, FIU and Yeshiva University.
1. Baylor University
Sep 26, 2015; Waco, TX, USA; A night view of the stadium and Brazos river after the game between the Baylor Bears and the Rice Owls at McLane Stadium. The Bears defeat the Owls 70-17. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
City: Waco, Texas
National Ranking: No. 91 (tie)
Acceptance rate: 51%
The top academic school in the Big 12 is Baylor University. Baylor is another religious university in the Big 12 along with BYU and TCU. It is one of the smaller schools in the conference with just over 15,000 undergrads. The Bears are tied with SMU, South Florida, American, Fordham, Loyola Marymount and Rochester Institute of Tech.
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This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Big 12 schools listed by 2025 US News academic ranking
Nevada lands in lower half of US News’ state rankings; see who topped list
Nevada ranked No. 34 overall, placing it just below the midpoint in the annual list. Utah was named the best state in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 ranking for the third year in a row. The rankings evaluate states across eight categories: health care, education, natural environment, opportunity, economy, crime and corrections, infrastructure and fiscal stability. Nevada outperformed nearby California and Oregon but ranked lower than three of its neighbors: Arizona, Idaho and Utah — with one of those taking the top spot. The Silver State ranked well in infrastructure (No. 4) and economy (no. 9), but trailed in several others: education ( No. 36), opportunity (No 19) and natural environment ( no. 48) Louisiana ranked last overall. It also came in at No. 50 in both the crime and Corrections and economy categories, and didn’t perform much better elsewhere: No. 46 in opportunity and No. 48 in natural environment. Nevada’s low ranking in the natural environment category is likely a factor because the Silver State’s high levels of air pollution are among the worst in the nation.
The rankings, now in their ninth year, evaluate states across eight categories: health care, education, natural environment, opportunity, economy, crime and corrections, infrastructure and fiscal stability.
Nevada outperformed nearby California and Oregon but ranked lower than three of its neighbors: Arizona, Idaho and Utah — with one of those taking the top spot.
Here’s a look at what state received the No. 1 ranking, why Nevada was No. 34, the worst state and how other states fared.
What is the best state in the US?
Utah was named the best state in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 ranking for the third year in a row.
U.S. News noted Utah’s economy — now home to industries like tech, tourism, health care and energy — as a major reason for the state’s top ranking, citing its diversification away from manufacturing and agriculture in the early 2000s.
“Utah has the third-highest labor force participation rate at nearly 69%, the fourth-highest rate of gross domestic product growth at 4% and the fourth-highest rate of business creation, the report noted. “In each of the seven years U.S. News has published the Best States rankings, Utah has never placed outside the top 5 in the economy category.”
That economic diversity has helped Utah weather downturns, according to Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah — a factor that could prove crucial, as economists continue to warn of potential recession risks tied to the Trump administration’s tariff-centered trade policies.
“Our economic structure is similar to the U.S., so when the U.S. suffers, so do we,” Gochnour told U.S. News. “But I will say that as a general rule, our lows are higher and our highs are higher – in the last two and a half decades, Utah’s economy has outperformed the nation, had greater strength, and when we’ve had downturns, we have been able to rebound much more quickly in our state.”
Utah also out-ranked several states in other categories. The Bee Hive State received high marks in education (No. 4), economy (No. 3), infrastructure (No. 3), fiscal stability (No. 1), crime and corrections (No. 7). The state received middling rankings in health care (No. 14) and opportunity (No. 19), and an even worse ranking in natural environment (No. 48) than Nevada (No. 47).
What is the worst state in the U.S.?
Louisiana ranked last overall. It also came in at No. 50 in both the crime and corrections and economy categories, and didn’t perform much better elsewhere:
Health care: No. 44
Education: No. 46
Infrastructure: No. 48
Opportunity: No. 46
Fiscal stability: No. 46
Natural environment: No. 49
Is Nevada a good state to live in?
If you’re basing it on this list, Nevada is middle-of-the-road. The Silver State ranked well in infrastructure (No. 4) and economy (No. 9), but trailed in several others:
Health care: No. 36
Education: No. 37
Opportunity: No. 38
Fiscal stability: No. 28
Crime and corrections: No. 41
Natural environment: No. 47
Where does Nevada rank in crime?
Nevada ranked No. 41 in U.S. News and World Report’s crime and corrections category. This is the only category the Silver State ranked among the worst 10 in the country.
For the Best States ranking, U.S. News said it used FBI estimates on each state’s violent crime rate and property crime rate to assess their overall public safety, which factored into its crime and corrections ranking. It also used incarceration rates, juvenile incarceration rates and racial equality in jailing to determine this category.
Why did Nevada rank so low in natural environment?
Nevada is home to towering mountains, pristine lakes and multiple natural wonders. So why did the Silver State do so poorly in the natural environment category?
In a recent study by the American Lung Association, Nevada’s cities ranked among the worst for short-term particle pollution in the nation. The high levels of air pollution is likely a factor in the Silver State’s low ranking, because U.S. News based the category’s ranking on each state’s air and water quality, as well as its pollution levels.
For air and water quality, U.S. News based its ranking on two measures: the number of days with an air quality index assessment below a certain threshold and the number of violation points against drinking water systems in each state. Its pollution ranking was based on two metrics: one assessing toxic chemical pollution and another evaluating the long-term, chronic health risks pollution poses to state residents. Both categories were determined using data from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Census Bureau.
How do the other states rank?
Here is U.S. News and World Report’s overall ranking of all the states.