Stevens Named a ‘Dream School’ in Higher Education Expert Jeffrey Selingo’s New Book

To develop the book, Selingo, who has written about colleges and universities for more than two and a half decades, partnered with several external experts and organizations — including the HEA Group, Bain & Company, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Burning Glass Institute — and conducted an “eye-opening” survey of more than 3,000 parents. The list highlights institutions with strong outcomes, accessible admissions, and dynamic student experiences. Other factors considered include affordability, financial health, student engagement, geographic diversity and career outcomes.

Selingo says Stevens was specifically chosen for its strong outcomes, accessible admissions and engaging student experiences.

"Stevens Institute of Technology stands out for its combination of technical education with entrepreneurship and industry ties, entrepreneurship coursework and emphasis on emerging fields like AI, quantum computing and biotechnology," he said. "Stevens is a 'Dream School' because of its ability to prepare graduates for the future, which places them among the highest-earning engineering school graduates nationally."

In addition to inclusion as a “New Dream School,” Stevens recently ranked No. 45 nationally on the first-ever 2025 LinkedIn Top Colleges list and made The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges for 2026 list, including specialized rankings for location, student support services and quality of life.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a ‘New Dream School,’” says Stevens President Nariman Farvardin. “At Stevens, we are dedicated to continuously enhancing the student experience through innovative programs and comprehensive support, and to equipping our graduates with the essential skills and technological savvy needed to adapt, innovate and lead in our rapidly evolving digital economy. This recognition reinforces our unwavering commitment to our students at a time when such dedication matters more than ever.”

Selingo’s previous book, “Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions,” takes readers inside the admissions offices of three selective universities and was named among the 100 Notable Books of the year by the New York Times. A regular contributor to The Atlantic, New York Times and Wall Street Journal, Selingo is a special advisor to the president and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He also writes a bi-weekly newsletter on all things higher education called “Next” and co-hosts the podcast “Future U.” He is also the former top editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education.