Smith Holds Strong in 2027 U.S. News Rankings, With Significant Finance and Specialty Gains

The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business holds steady in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report undergraduate business rankings, maintaining its No. 24 national position while rising to No. 13 among public universities. The results, according to U.S. News, reflect a portfolio defined by “a stable core standing,” standout specialty strengths and notable upward movement in key fields.

Smith’s strongest performance is in Management Information Systems, ranked No. 9 nationally and No. 7 among publics — a top‑10 placement the school holds outright, without ties. The school also secures three top‑10 public rankings across its specialty areas: Management Information Systems (No. 7), Entrepreneurship (No. 9) and Analytics (No. 10).

“It is a powerful endorsement from fellow deans of the quality and innovation of our numerous specialized programs, which emphasize experiential learning, AI capabilities, critical thinking, and high-touch, immersive experience,” says Smith School Dean Prabhudev Konana. “Our commitment is to equip students in every major with financial knowledge and a business mindset, empowering them to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.”

Smith’s reputation among peer institutions is also shaped by its creative, high‑impact experiential programs. Undergraduates engage in hands‑on, cross‑disciplinary work through initiatives such as the Strategic Design Fellows Program, the cohort‑based Smith Business Leadership Fellows, and the three‑year QUEST Honors Program, where students from business, engineering and science collaborate on real‑world projects for corporate and nonprofit partners.

These ranking milestones reflect concrete investments in curriculum and faculty research. Over the past year, Smith established the H. Kent Baker Center for Behavioral Finance — one of only two named behavioral finance centers in the nation — deepening the school’s focus on how human behavior and psychological biases shape market decisions.

Concurrently, Smith expanded experiential learning through the Center for AI in Business, which recently secured a $1 million-plus grant involving undergraduates in small‑business AI implementation. The school also launched UMD‑AI LinkUp Maps, a dynamic tool that uses national job‑posting data to track AI skill demand across industries and geography, giving students real‑time insight into workforce trends.

The most significant year‑over‑year improvement appears in Finance, which climbs 15 places overall, from No. 45 to No. 30, and advances to No. 11 among public universities. This surge follows expanded behavioral finance initiatives and upgraded analytical coursework that connect students directly to decision‑making labs and market‑simulation environments. Analytics also posts gains, rising three places overall and four among publics, supported by the school’s growing emphasis on AI‑driven tools and hands‑on data projects.

“The rankings reflect our primary mission: preparing students to lead in a technology-driven, data-rich business landscape,” says Joseph Bailey, associate dean for undergraduate programs. “Whether it’s embedding AI tools into our analytics courses or connecting students with industry through experiential learning, our focus remains on providing an innovative environment where undergraduates gain both practical expertise and a competitive edge.”

The school’s strong peer‑assessment performance also contributed to its exceptional overall ranking, reflecting broad recognition of the quality and innovation within Smith’s undergraduate programs.

Read more about the Undergraduate Program at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.