Augsburg has been nationally recognized for welcoming and supporting a wide range of students, both locally and abroad. The following awards are a testament to our commitment to service, accessibility, academic excellence, diversity and inclusion, and radical hospitality.
Academic Excellence
Best Colleges in Minnesota
Augsburg was listed as a 2020 Best Value School in a list of 26 Minnesota colleges and universities. Best Value Schools evaluates institutions that provide quality education for their students and excel at online programs or traditional on-campus higher education.
Fulbright Scholars
In 2023, Augsburg was once again named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars among liberal arts colleges across the nation. Augsburg has had 38 Fulbright students since 2007. We have been highlighted by both the Chronicle of Higher Education and the U.S. Department of State as being a top institution for producing Fulbright students. Learn more about our Fulbright students.
Gilman International Scholarship Awards
More than 72 Augsburg students have been awarded Gilman International Scholarships since 2008. The Gilman International Scholarship Program provides awards for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding and are in good academic standing to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.
Goldwater Scholarships
Augsburg had the highest number of scholars in 2015 among Minnesota’s private colleges. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate award of its type for students pursuing research careers in STEM.
Milken Educator Awards
Seven Augsburg graduates have received the prestigious Milken Educator Award, which provides public recognition and financial awards to elementary and secondary education professionals who further excellence in education.
Most Transformative Colleges
In 2022, Money.com included Augsburg 33rd in a list of more than 2,4000 four-year colleges. Rankings were based on Money.com’s exclusive value-added scores for graduation rates, earnings, and student loan repayment, eliminating schools with below-average scores.
National Scholarship Award Winners
In addition to the above awards, Augsburg has produced Newman Civic Fellows, Phillips, Rhodes, Udall, and Rossing Physics scholars among many other prestigious scholarship award winners.
Community Engagement
President’s Interfaith and Community Service Honor Roll: Finalist with Distinction
Augsburg was one of five finalists in the United States named to the prestigious President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction in the interfaith and community service category in both 2014 and 2015. Augsburg has been named to the top tier of recognition—the honor roll with distinction—for this prominent national award six times.
President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll—with Distinction
Augsburg was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction in 2013. Augsburg was one of only three in Minnesota to earn this distinction. This is the fourth time Augsburg has earned this honor. The award, presented by the Corporation for National and Community Service, recognizes the work of colleges and universities in overall community service.
In 2010, Augsburg won the 2010 Presidential Award for Community Service, the highest honor possible for service work. At the time, Augsburg was the only Minnesota college or university to have received this honor.
Excellence in Experiential Education
Augsburg’s commitment to experiential education was recognized for the third time in as many years on October 5, 2012 when the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE) presented President Paul C. Pribbenow with the 2012 William M. Burke Presidential Award for Excellence in Experiential Education, which is a testament to the fact that hands-on learning is a core part of Augsburg’s curriculum.
Top 3 in Minnesota for Contribution to the Public Good
In Washington Monthly 2019 College Rankings, Augsburg ranked second in Minnesota among master’s universities for community and national service and third overall. The list rates schools based on their contribution to the public good in three categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service.
Diversity and Inclusion
50 Best Disability Friendly Colleges and Universities
Great Value Colleges ranked Augsburg #14 of the 50 Best Disability Friendly Colleges and Universities in 2019 for having strong programming and solid support services that meet the physical, social, and academic needs of students with learning disabilities and special needs. In 2023, College Choice and Intelligent.com listed Augsburg as among the nation’s top 50 disability-friendly colleges.
Top 30 LGBTQ Friendly Colleges and Universities
Augsburg was again named to Campus Pride’s list of the top 30 LGBTQ+ friendly colleges and universities in 2023. Campus Pride is the leading national organization for creating safer, more LGBTQ friendly colleges and universities.
10 Religious Schools Living Up to LGBTQ-Inclusive Values
In 2021, Campus Pride ranked Augsburg in the top 10 Religious Colleges Living Up to LGBTQ-Inclusive Values.
45th Best LGBTQ Friendly University
College Choice ranked Augsburg #45 among the 50 Best LGBT Friendly Colleges and Universities, 2019 for having a strong and proven history of creating quality programming for the LGBTQ community and its allies.
25 LGBT Friendly Colleges
College Consensus, a unique new college review aggregator, has recognized Augsburg University in its survey of the 25 LGBTQ Friendly Colleges of 2019. College Consensus works to bring attention to schools that other ranking publishers overlook. Intentional gender neutral language, explicit non-discrimination policies, and gender neutral dorms and restrooms were some of the factors taken into account.
#5 Most Transgender Friendly College
College Magazine named Augsburg the fifth Most Transgender Friendly College in the country in 2015. Schools are ranked to help students choose an institution that works hard to make their campus feel like home for transgender students and offers comfort, safety, and freedom to all students.
Higher Education Excellence in Diversity recipient
Insight Into Diversity awarded Augsburg its Higher Education Excellence in Diversity award in 2015.
Top 200 Schools for Indigenous Americans
The American Indian Science and Engineering Society Winds of Change magazine has selected Augsburg as one of the Top 200 Schools for Indigenous American and Alaska Native students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math for many years, most recently in 2019.
Top 50 Colleges for Older Students
Augsburg was listed as one of 50 Top Colleges for Older Students by BestColleges.com in 2014, who examined each school’s academics, student engagement, percentage of students above age 25, and programs geared toward nontraditional students. Augsburg was listed as number nine of 50 for it’s programs designed for nontraditional students, it’s hybrid learning format, percentage of students over the age of 25 (31%), and schedule flexibility.
Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Honor Roll
Augsburg was named one of the nation’s top four-year institutions supporting community college transfer students in 2024, earning a spot on Phi Theta Kappa Society’s annual Transfer Honor Roll.
University Awards
Best Regional Universities by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report again named Augsburg one of the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest in 2023. This year, Augsburg is No. 17 on the list. Augsburg is also ranked as the most ethnically diverse campus among regional Midwest universities, second for best undergraduate teaching, and third for both social mobility and innovation.
Best in the Midwest by The Princeton Review
In 2023, The Princeton Review again named Augsburg one of the Best in the Midwest for academic excellence.
Best Value Colleges and Universities in Minnesota
Best Value Schools has listed Augsburg #6 on a list of 10 Best Value Colleges or Universities in Minnesota 2020. Rankings are based on graduation rate, net price, acceptance rate, and 20-year net return on investment.
Campus Compact Award
In 2020, Augsburg was named among the inaugural recipients of the Richard Guarasci Award for Institutional Transformation from Campus Compact. The award recognizes outstanding work in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education.
#4 DNP Program in the Nation
Augsburg ranked fourth among the best Doctor of Nursing Practice programs in the United States according to Study.com’s 2019 list of Best DNP Programs. This list highlights universities based on academic and career resources for DNP students, faculty, and quality of education.
#2 Best BSW and MSW Programs in Minnesota
SocialWorkDegree.org named Augsburg the #2 Best Bachelor of Social Work Program in Minnesota in 2019, as well as the #2 Best Master of Social Work Program in Minnesota. These lists rank colleges and universities according to the reported salaries of students who graduate from the program.
Athletics
Fourteen-time NCAA Division III national champions in wrestling.
For more information on Auggie athletics, visit the athletics homepage.
Military Friendly
Top Military-Friendly School
Augsburg was named a Military Friendly® School in 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2024, a list which is compiled through extensive research and a free, data-driven, survey of more than 8,800 VA-approved schools nationwide. Military Friendly Schools have gone above and beyond to provide transitioning veterans the best possible experience in higher education.
Best Colleges for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report
Augsburg was ranked one of the Best Colleges for Veterans by U.S. News & World Report for participating in federal initiatives helping veterans and active service members apply, pay for, and complete their degrees.
Accreditation
Check here for information about Accreditation, Approvals, and Memberships.