Bellarmine University debuted in the top 200 of U.S. News & World Report's ranking of the best national universities. This is Bellarmine's first year on the national universities list, a result of the university's changed status in the Carnegie Classification system earlier this year. In that classification, Bellarmine was elevated from the "master's large" to "doctoral/professional studies" category, a reflection of recent growth in doctoral degrees that serve professions outside of higher education. U.S. News ranked Bellarmine in a tie for 197 on its list. "As Bellarmine rises to increased regional and national prominence, we're eager to compete against the best," said Dr. Susan M. Donovan, Bellarmine's president. "Our move to this new category allows us to benchmark ourselves against other prominent institutions as we strive to deliver a transformative student experience and become known as a model for academic innovation." The 2020 U.S. News national universities list was topped by Princeton University, followed by Harvard University.  This summer, Bellarmine launched a new strategic plan and announced that its entire athletics program will move to NCAA Division I next year. The university's recent momentum includes naming a new provost and new deans for the Annsley Frazier Thornton School of Education and Bellarmine College of Arts and Sciences. This is the 26th consecutive year that U.S. News has included Bellarmine in its rankings of the nation's best universities. Bellarmine was previously ranked on a list of regional universities in the South. U.S. News develops its annual college rankings based on factors including student excellence, graduation and retention rates, peer assessment, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. The publication classifies national universities as those that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and doctoral programs, and emphasize faculty research or award professional practice doctorates.  In July, Kiplinger named Bellarmine one of the nation's best values in private higher education. Last month, The Princeton Review recognized Bellarmine as one of the top U.S. universities.