U.S. News & World Report Names UNF ‘Best Regional’ University

For the seventh consecutive year, the U.S. News & World Report has named the University of North Florida a “Best Regional” university in its 2018 edition of “Best Colleges,” which includes data from more than 1,800 colleges and universities nationwide and ranked 1,388 of them.
UNF ranked No. 18 as a “Top Public School” and No. 48, up four spots from last year, as a regional best in front of local private college, Jacksonville University, 52, and Florida Gulf Coast University, 73. Additionally, the University ranked No. 57 as a “Best Value School” and was ranked for students amassing the least amount of cumulative debt. All rankings are among regional universities in the South.
As a regional best, UNF ranked No. 48, up four spots from last year, in front of local private college, Jacksonville University, 52, and Florida Gulf Coast University, 73. Additionally, the University was ranked for students amassing the least amount of cumulative debt. Both rankings are among regional universities in the South.
“I take great pride in being able to lead a university that is of the caliber of the University of North Florida,” said UNF President John Delaney. “The University is showing up in nearly every national college ranking, putting UNF at the top of some very impressive lists.”
This latest recognition comes on the heels of UNF receiving several other national designations, including the national 2017 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award from Insight into Diversity magazine, “Best Online Bachelor’s Program” from U.S. News & World Report, “Best College for the Money” and “Top Quality Overall Best Colleges” in the state by College Factual and “Best in the Southeast” by Princeton Review, to name a few.
The institutions selected as a U.S. News & World Report “Best Regional” university provide a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs and offer various doctoral programs. The universities in this category aren’t ranked nationally but rather against their peer group in one of four geographic regions—North, South, Midwest and West.
The 2018 “Best Colleges” rankings feature the established rankings of the Best National Universities and Best National Liberal Arts Colleges, while also including the Best Regional Universities, Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Value Schools, among many others.
The rankings are based on key measures of quality such as academic reputation; graduation and retention rates; faculty resources (including class size, the percentage of faculty with the top academic degree, student-faculty ratio); student selectivity; financial resources; and alumni giving. For more information about the rankings, click here.
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