Elite results, not elite admissions

Many universities attribute their “elite” status to exclusivity in admissions and legacy programs that still approach learning in the same old ways. Not at ASU.

Not at ASU.


We claim elite standing through our achievements and the successes of our students. We are an invited member of the prestigious Association of American Universities

For the past 10 years, ASU has been a top producer of Gilman, Rhodes and Fulbright winners. 

Our faculty shine bright in their fields, too, including a MacArthur “genius grant” in 2023 for water expert Amber Wutich and the $3.8 million Yidan Prize for Micki Chi, the biggest award in education anywhere. 

Donors also believe in ASU’s achievements. Our endowment has reached $1.5 billion, placing ASU among the top institutions in the U.S. and Canada. We are No.103 among 688 institutions. 

Not to humble brag, but you really should check out our rankings page to see some of our accolades. Allow us to show you some remarkable achievements in excellence. Now that is the kind of elite we can get behind.

Recognized excellence

No. 1

in the U.S. for innovation

ASU ahead of MIT and Stanford — U.S. News & World Report, 9 years, 2016–24

No. 1

in the U.S. and Top 10 in the world for global impact in research, outreach and stewardship

ASU ahead of Michigan State, Penn State and MIT — Times Higher Education, 2024

No. 5

in the U.S. for total research expenditures among universities without a medical school

ASU ahead of Caltech, Princeton and Carnegie Mellon — National Science Foundation HERD Survey, 2023

Top-ranked academic programs

No. 1

in the world for international trade — Thunderbird School of Global Management

ASU ahead of Michigan (Ross), Harvard and Penn (Wharton) — QS International Trade Rankings, 2024

No. 1

journalism school in top overall awards for news

ASU ahead of Syracuse, University of Florida and USC — Broadcast Education Association, 2024

No. 6

worldwide for MBA entrepreneurship programs

ASU ahead of UCLA, Duke and Yale — Poets & Quants and Inc. Magazine, 2024

Top 20

for earned doctorates

ASU ahead of Yale, Johns Hopkins and Duke — National Science Foundation, 2022

Highly successful graduates

Top 5

on The Best Colleges for Future Leaders list among public universities

ASU along with University of Michigan, UC Berkeley and University of Texas — Time, 2023

No. 2

producer of Teach for America corps members

ASU ahead of University of Virginia, University of Texas and UC Berkeley — Teach for America, 2023

A classroom projector screen with the word Innovation on it

Innovation and research for the greater good

See why we are the most innovative

Fixing higher education is a cause, not a competition.


To all of the universities out there, join us. Let’s work together to reimagine higher education, and create a new kind of American university where you don’t need to choose between access and excellence.

Send us a note at changehighered@asu.edu and let’s start the conversation.

As of November 2024, this website uses the most recent data available.