HU is one of two Pennsylvania institutions recognized on the 2026 EdSights Student Voice Score Honors List, which is built entirely from direct student feedback.
HARRISBURG, PA — Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) has been named to the inaugural 2026 Student Voice Score (SVS) Honors List, a national recognition from higher education technology company EdSights that identifies the top 20% of participating colleges and universities in each sector for student satisfaction.
Harrisburg University is one of 18 institutions named in the four-year private category, and one of only two Pennsylvania institutions named. The list is drawn from responses collected from more than 125,000 students at 257 institutions during the spring of 2026.
“This is not a ranking built on reputation surveys or spending formulas,” said Dr. Christopher M. Reber, president of Harrisburg University. “It’s built on what students say when someone asks them directly whether they would recommend their university to a friend. Harrisburg University was designed around small classes, faculty who know students by name, and programs that connect directly to the work our region needs done. To hear that reflected back to us by our own students is the most meaningful validation we could ask for.”
EdSights measures satisfaction by texting students a single question — how likely they are to recommend their institution to a friend, on a scale of 0 to 10 — and then subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. The resulting score ranges from -100 to +100. The company reports an average opt-in rate of 97% and a student engagement rate of 62% across its partner campuses.
Nationally, the 2026 SVS report found that student satisfaction has risen for a third consecutive year, climbing from 15.0 in 2024 to 22.3 in 2025 to 30.0 in 2026. Among four-year private institutions specifically, students most often cited personalized faculty attention, a tight-knit community, and flexible academic formats as their reasons for recommending their school.
The report also identifies where institutions in the sector fall short, including administrative bottlenecks, communication gaps, and questions of value relative to cost.
Harrisburg University stands out among private higher education institutions with its nearly open-access model, small class sizes, corporate faculty who bring expertise from the boardroom to the classroom, and a deep commitment to experiential learning and collaboration with employers and innovators. According to HU’s 2025 first-year destination survey, 96% of HU undergraduates reported they were employed in their field, in graduate school, or serving in the military within six months of graduation.
“At a moment when higher education is often thought of in the context of headlines about declining confidence and enrollment challenges, the Student Voice Score tells a more nuanced story — students are telling us that many colleges and universities are delivering exceptional experiences,” said Carolina Recchi, co-founder and co-CEO of EdSights.
The full 2026 Student Voice Score Report is available from EdSights.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is an independent, nonprofit university offering degrees in advanced manufacturing, engineering, robotics, nursing, cybersecurity, and other critical fields. Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, HU serves a diverse student body through bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs that link learning and research with practical applications. For information about HU’s affordable STEM degrees and professional development programs, call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay in the know by following Harrisburg University on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
MEDIA CONTACT
Do you have questions about this story? Interested in lining up an interview? Please contact Dan Wilhelm, Director of Communications for Harrisburg University, at DWilhelm@HarrisburgU.edu or 717.901.5100×1724. # # #
