Portland State University earned the highest ranking of any Oregon public university in TIME magazine's first-ever national college list.

The inaugural "America's Best Colleges 2027" ranking, published Tuesday, Aug. 25, in partnership with data firm Statista, placed PSU at No. 189 nationally with an overall score of 69.82.

That puts Portland State ahead of the University of Oregon (No. 356), Oregon State University (No. 431) and every other public school in the state, The Oregonian reported.

Linfield University ranked highest overall in Oregon. The private McMinnville school came in at No. 136.

The ranking weights what happens after graduation. TIME's methodology gave student outcomes 75% of each school's score, with learning environment at 15% and institutional attractiveness at 10%.

The evaluation drew from federal data through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the College Scorecard, using graduation rates, social mobility and post-graduation earnings for Pell Grant recipients.

"This recognition from TIME proves that the work we are putting into student success and workforce development is truly paying off," PSU President Ann Cudd said in the university's Monday, Aug. 31, announcement. Cudd added that PSU offers students "the best return on investment in higher education in Oregon."

The TIME recognition arrives alongside other recent markers of PSU's affordability model. The university has held the No. 1 spot for social mobility in the Pacific Northwest for six consecutive years in a separate U.S. News and World Report ranking, rising to No. 42 nationally.

More than half of PSU students receive the federal Pell Grant, and the university helps more low-income students raise their economic status than any other college in Oregon, according to PSU.

PSU also landed on the Phi Theta Kappa 2026 Transfer Honor Roll, announced July 21, as one of only two Oregon universities recognized for creating pathways for community college students to earn bachelor's degrees. The university runs the Access, Connect, Complete, Engage (ACCE) program with Portland Community College, Mt. Hood Community College and Clackamas Community College. The program has served more than 800 students through academic coaching, financial incentives and emergency aid.

Stanford University led the national list with a score of 96.36. Nine of the top 10 are private.