ASU lands top 5 spot for developing AI-ready leaders
University No. 4 among public universities in Digital Leaders in Higher Education survey, places high globally as well

By Mary Beth Faller, ASU News
June 13, 2025

Arizona State University ranks fourth among public universities in the U.S. for developing the next generation of digital and AI-ready leaders, according to a new survey.

The Digital Leaders in Higher Education Survey, released June 4, ranked ASU 16th among all American universities — public and private — and 55th among 200 universities around the world. The rankings were released by Emerging, a consulting firm that specializes in employability.

“Artificial intelligence and digital technologies are reshaping every sector of the economy, and ASU is preparing our graduates for this emerging reality with urgency and purpose,” said Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost. 

ASU's ranking among public U.S. universities

Overall digital leadership: No. 4.

Online programs: No. 3.

Digital transformation management: No. 3.

Computer science: No. 4.


Digital entrepreneurship: No. 4.


Data science, AI and business analytics: No. 7.

“Through innovative programs in data science, AI and digital entrepreneurship, we’re preparing students not only to meet workforce demands but to lead the design of a more intelligent and adaptive future.”

In the overall Digital Leaders category, ASU’s ranking of fourth among public universities puts it ahead of UCLA, Purdue University and the University of Arizona. The top-ranking public universities in this category were California State University, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkeley. 

The overall digital leadership ranking was based on the following subcategories, in which ASU also ranked highly among public universities:

Digital transformation management: ASU was third, ahead of UCLA, the University of Washington and Purdue.

Computer science: ASU was fourth, ahead of UCLA, Washington and Purdue.

Digital entrepreneurship: ASU was fourth, ahead of UCLA, Purdue and U of A.

Data science, AI and business analytics: ASU was ranked seventh, ahead of UCLA, the University of Illinois and Purdue.

The subcategory of online programs for digital learning and innovation skills is separate. ASU ranked third among public U.S. universities, ahead of Washington, the University of Texas and Purdue; eighth among all American universities, public and private; and 27th globally. 

The Digital Leaders rankings combine employer evaluations with career outcome data to help identify institutions that prepare students for an evolving digital landscape.

Emerging’s ranking methodology is based on three data sources:

A global survey of over 2,000 digital experts, including IT managers and startup founders.

An analysis of 150,000 resumes and profiles of digital professionals in fields including AI specialists, blockchain experts, autonomous systems developers, cybersecurity experts, chief digital officers, UI/UX designers and data privacy officers, among many others.

And, new this year, a performance score that reflects the digital impact of companies where a university’s alumni work.

This story originally appeared on ASU News.