For the second consecutive year, the Stimson Center was recognized as one of the top 25 think tanks in the United States — ranked No. 21 in a new report released today by the Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program at the University of Pennsylvania. This marks the highest U.S. ranking to date for the Center in the annual University of Pennsylvania rankings, which have been released since 2006. The Center was ranked as the No. 24 U.S. think tank in last year’s report. The new report estimates that there are 1,835 think tanks in the United States and 6,846 around the globe.
The report also ranked Stimson highly among its global peers for its ideas, integrity, and research excellence. The Center ranked No. 29 in the category of “Best New Idea or Paradigm,” No. 36 in the categories of “Defense and National Security,” and “Best Quality Assurance and Integrity Policies and Procedures,” as well as No. 119 in the category of “Foreign Policy and International Affairs.”
The rise in the rankings marks the latest public recognition for Stimson’s innovative, impactful work. In November, Prospect magazine praised Stimson’s work on drone warfare led by Senior Associate Rachel Stohl in its annual Think Tank Awards, shortlisting the Center in the category of “U.S. International Affairs.” In June, Stimson again received a top rating from the watchdog organization Transparify in recognition of the Center’s transparency and openness in disclosing its funding sources. A 2015 Foreign Policy study found Stimson had the most women in policy leadership positions of any leading think tank, and the MacArthur Foundation recognized Stimson in 2013 with its “institutional genius” Award for Creative and Effective Institutions.
The Stimson Center is a nonpartisan policy research center working to solve the world’s greatest threats to security and prosperity.