Richmond Leader

The University of Mary Washington has been recognized among the nation’s top schools by U.S. News & World Report, which released its 2023 “Best Colleges” list today. UMW ranked 11th among public liberal arts colleges and 149th among national liberal arts colleges, public and private.

This year’s U.S. News ranking marks a change in UMW’s Carnegie Classification category. Previously, UMW earned top marks as a public regional university, but with a longstanding mission to support – and record of excellence in – the public liberal arts and sciences, the University asked to be recategorized. In this edition, UMW joins public liberal arts peers, including the nation’s military academies, which perennially top the list.

Now in its 38th year, the U.S. News rankings evaluate more than 1,450 colleges and universities on up to 17 measures of academic quality.

“For nearly 40 years, the Best Colleges methodology has continuously evolved to reflect changes in the higher education landscape and the interests of prospective students,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer at U.S. News. “Guiding that evolution is U.S. News’ mission of providing useful data and information to help with one of life’s biggest decisions.”

UMW’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program earned a nod in the rankings, based on the average peer assessment survey score, in recognition of its accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

UMW’s College of Business made the list for its accreditation by AACSB International and recognition by peers as well.

Mary Washington is also included in the “Top Performers for Social Mobility” roster for efforts to advance opportunities for economically disadvantaged students.

In August, UMW ranked highly on Washington Monthly’s list of liberal arts colleges, placing 76th nationwide among public and private institutions, and was included in The Best 388 Colleges, published by The Princeton Review. The Fiske Guide to Colleges named UMW among the “best and most interesting” public and private four-year colleges and universities in its 2023 edition earlier this summer.

Original source can be found here.