Savannah State University (SSU) excels in delivering the best student experience, according to current students and recent graduates. 

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently released its Best U.S. Colleges 2025/College Pulse survey listing SSU as No. 18 in the Student Experience category out of the top 500 U.S. private and public colleges and universities. In collaboration with research partners College Pulse and Statista, WSJ conducted one of the largest ever independent surveys of verified U.S. college students and recent graduates. 

“We are honored that our current students and recent alum think so highly of our beloved Savannah State University,” said SSU Interim President Cynthia Alexander. “We’re working hard to create a welcoming, nurturing and stimulating environment that provides each of our SSU Tigers with the tools they need to succeed. It’s encouraging to know that our efforts are making a difference.”

SSU’s high placement in the Student Experience category came from survey questions regarding learning environment, which accounted for 20 percent of the overall College Pulse ranking. The survey asked about 110,000 current students and graduates from the last five years to rank their satisfaction with teaching quality, career preparation, campus facilities, and whether students would recommend their school. 

SSU Student Government Association President Katelyn Green said SSU brings outside companies, entrepreneurs and various graduation programs to the campus to prepare students for their careers.

“The support and guidance we have received as a university from alumni to professors has been invaluable in shaping our professional journey as students,” Green said. “I am proud to be a part of Savannah State University and witness the continued growth and recognition of SSU in the coming years.”

SSU outranked all other Georgia and Low country colleges in the Student Experience category. SSU ranked third best in the south for Student Experience behind Florida International University (FIU) and Alcorn State University (ASU) and the second best HBCU behind Mississippi’s ASU.

WSJ focused 70 percent of the total overall ranking on financial success factors and another 10 percent on diversity. SSU ranked 258th in Social Mobility, which rewards universities for taking in a high proportion of students from lower-income families while minimizing attendance costs, maintaining high graduation rates, and improving graduate salaries. SSU placed 383rd in the Best Value category for how quickly graduates can pay off attendance costs with their improved salaries. WSJ ranked SSU 466th in the category of Best Salaries, which compares graduate salaries to the cost of attendance and 488th overall.

“Being named in the top 500 of the thousands of colleges in the country is an honor in itself,” Alexander said. “It’s even more of an honor when you realize only 14 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) made the list.”

The Overall ranking of public HBCUs are (in order):

• North Carolina A&T
• Florida A&M University
• North Carolina Central University
• Prairie View University
• Tennessee State University
• Savannah State University
• Jackson State University
• Alcorn State University

The private HBCUs are (in order)

• Spelman College
• Tuskegee University
• Howard University
• Xavier University of Louisiana
• Morehouse College 
• Clark Atlanta University 

For more information, view the WSJ.com rankings here.