Trinity University Rises in National Research Rankings

Big discoveries keep happening at a small school in Texas.

Trinity University has risen to No. 30 in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings for Undergraduate Research and Creative Projects. That ranking isn’t just for Trinity’s peers in the liberal arts: that’s for everyone. This ties Trinity with Vanderbilt University and puts the University in the same conversation as research powerhouses like MIT, Caltech, and Harvard. 

This recognition highlights a central priority for Trinity in connecting students to hands-on opportunities in undergraduate research and creating a rigorous, transformative, and personalized environment for growth and discovery. 

This new ranking matters because it’s part of one of the oldest stories in our book: Hands-on discovery has been a hallmark of Trinity since the University’s founding. About 80 percent of Trinity undergraduates typically participate in some type of hands-on experience during their time on campus. These students work with dedicated faculty mentors, not for graduate students. That means undergraduates can make an immediate impact by accessing big-time resources early on in their academic journey, paired with a small school environment.

At Trinity, research opportunities stretch across a wide span of disciplines—from STEM and social sciences to the arts and humanities. “Trinity students coming in to work with faculty is part of our DNA,” says D. R. Semmes School of Science Dean David Ribble, Ph.D. “And we can say that across all disciplines.”

Programs such as the Murchison Fellowships, Mellon Initiative, and McNair Scholars Program create pipelines for students of all backgrounds to step into meaningful research roles. Meanwhile, the Mellon Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and other summer initiatives extend the impact beyond the classroom and academic year.

Here, more than 100 Trinity faculty and staff members serve as research mentors during the course of a year, creating opportunities for hundreds of Tigers who want to be part of the journey.

The result: Trinity undergraduates consistently produce work that earns recognition, opens doors to the next level of life (be it careers, graduate school, or service), and leaves campus prepared to be leaders in their fields.

Take it from students like Filippo Gambacorta ’26, a neuroscience major from Rome, who’s advancing the science behind understanding addiction. Filippo has been investigating how oxytocin influences dopamine neurons in the brain’s reward system, working in Professor Gerard Beaudoin’s biology lab, on a project titled “Oxytocin's Modulatory Effects on Dopamine Neurons in the VTA: Implications for Addiction.”

“The beautiful thing about Trinity is that our research facilities are out of this world,” says Gambacorta. “The research I can do here is something most undergraduates never get to touch. This experience has been life-changing, and it’s setting me up to publish as an undergrad—a huge advantage for graduate school.” 

Yes, this kind of big-time research happens at Trinity, but another huge advantage is that students get a say in what research looks like.

Meet Allison Fortman ’25, a psychology and business double major, who is researching how self-concept changes impact romantic relationships through the lens of risk regulation theory.

Her project, “Relationship-Induced Self-Concept Change in Risk Regulation Theory,” is part of Trinity’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. After transferring to Trinity from Rice, Fortman says the experience has reshaped her academic path as she applies to Marriage and Family Therapy graduate programs.

“There’s so much openness here—we have a lot of autonomy in the lab,” Fortman explains. “Seeing how passionate everyone else is about research has made me even more excited. The environment creates interest and momentum that I wouldn’t have expected anywhere else.”

For the next wave of prospective students and families, Trinity’s new national ranking is more than a number. It is the sight of an open door awaiting researchers on campus. It is a chance to join a community where growth and discovery begin on day one.

With world-class facilities, dedicated faculty, and strong institutional support, Trinity students are advancing new knowledge, taking the lead in critical fields, and changing the future, one student at a time.

We’re a top-30 school for research, and we are rising.