CHICAGO, Ill., September 11, 2026 — Adler University has received the 2026 Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award from Insight Into Academia magazine, the oldest and largest publication focused on best practices in higher education. The HEED Award is a prestigious honor recognizing U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to academic excellence, belonging, and community-building across all levels of campus life.
Adler University will be featured, along with the other 2026 HEED Award recipients, in the October 2026 issue of Insight Into Academia magazine. Of the 60 institutions recognized nationwide, Adler is one of only two graduate or law schools to receive the award. This is the third year Adler has been named a HEED Award recipient.
“We are proud to again be recognized by Insight Into Academia for our commitment to creating an inclusive educational environment at Adler. Across our university, we strive to foster a culture of collaboration and belonging while preparing our students to build stronger, more inclusive communities after they graduate. We value Insight Into Academia’s efforts to bring attention to the importance of welcoming campus communities, and we are inspired by the impact of this year’s fellow recipients. It is an honor to be listed among them,” says Lisa Coleman, Ph.D., President, Adler University.
“We use a detailed scoring process as well as a holistic approach to reviewing each application to determine who will be named a HEED Award recipient. Our standards are high, and we look for institutions where academic excellence and belonging are woven into the work being done every day across their campus,” says Lenore Pearlstein, Co-Publisher of Insight Into Academia magazine.
For more information about the 2026 HEED Award, visit insightintoacademia.com.