Mary Washington Makes Princeton Review’s 2021 ‘Best Colleges’ List
UMW is one of fewer than 400 four-year schools to make Princeton Review’s 2021 “Best Colleges” list. Photo courtesy of Princeton Review.
The University of Mary Washington is among the best in the country, according to Princeton Review’s The Best 386 Colleges guide. The 2021 edition of the rankings publication, released last month, lists UMW among the top 13 percent of the thousands of four-year colleges and universities throughout the nation.
One of the longest-running and most well-respected guides of its type, the publication has been used for nearly three decades by degree-seeking college applicants and their parents looking for the best undergraduate academic experiences available in the U.S. Results published in this year’s book are based on 143,000 student surveys gauging both on- and off-campus involvement.
The guide describes each school’s student body, and provides ratings in such categories as campus life, academics, admissions selectivity, financial aid and sustainability. UMW received high marks in all categories, including academics, with students reporting to find faculty members both interesting and accessible.
“Perhaps what [they] value most is the level of communication they have with their professors,” the publication states. “As one impressed undergrad explains, ‘UMW professors go the extra mile to help students and ensure that they succeed, and students never hesitate to take time out of their day to go see their professors during their office hours for extra help’ … It’s quite evident that ‘they love what they teach and want you to love it as well.’ ” Read more.
UMW Receives National ‘Public Good’ Ranking
UMW received high marks from Washington Monthly’s 2020 College Guide and Rankings. The guide rates four-year schools on their contributions to the country and their commitment to public service and activism.
Less than two weeks into its fall semester, the University of Mary Washington has received a nationwide ranking that speaks to the heart of its mission.
Washington Monthly’s annual College Guide and Rankings placed UMW 24th among Top Master’s Universities and 21st in the Best Bang for the Buck Southeast Colleges category.
“We rate schools based on what they do for the country” and the public good, states an intro to the 2020 rankings, which rate four-year schools on their contribution to the public good, considering factors such as social mobility, research, public service and activism.
The guide’s Best Bang for the Buck category evaluates colleges on their success at recruiting and graduating non-wealthy students, and their ability to provide marketable degrees at affordable prices.
“The question we’re asking … is this,” Washington Monthly magazine editors Paul Glastris and Grace Gedye write. “Which colleges deliver the best results for taxpayers – who invest more than $150 billion annually in student financial aid – and for typical students, especially those who are minorities, the first in their family to attend college, or of modest means?” Read more.
College Survey Ranks UMW Among Virginia’s Top Eight
UMW was ranked eighth among Virginia colleges and universities in a survey of more than 1,000 institutions of higher education across the country by WalletHub.
The University of Mary Washington is among the top eight colleges and universities in Virginia, according to a new survey released this week by the personal finance website WalletHub. UMW’s strong statewide and overall finish means that it is among the nation’s top-performing schools with the lowest possible costs to undergraduates.
Survey results, published in 2020’s Best College & University Rankings, compare more than 1,000 schools across the United States. The study measured performance in seven key areas – student selectivity, cost and financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes and career outcomes.
“Though success ultimately rests on students’ own determination and performance,” WalletHub states, “the quality of the schools they choose can certainly have an impact.”
Among institutions of higher education that made the survey’s Top Ten in Virginia – including the University of Virginia, the College of William and Mary, the University of Richmond, Virginia Tech and VMI – UMW ranked third in the “educational outcomes” category. Read more.
UMW Named Virginia’s Hidden Gem
College Raptor aims to help students find their best fit colleges, academically, culturally and financially. The platform named the top hidden gem college in each state to bring attention to small colleges around the country.
To determine the top college, College Raptor looked at every four-year college in the United States and found the highest ranked colleges based on factors like selectivity, graduation rate, average debt upon graduation and other factors. Colleges included in the search included those that receive fewer than 5,000 applications per year, but have an enrollment of more than 1,000 students.
College Raptor included a profile of UMW on its website detailing admissions, cost, academics, majors, campus life, safety and rankings. The full profile is available here.
Other regional colleges named to the list include St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Haverford College in Pennsylvania and Davidson College in North Carolina.
A full list of College Raptor’s hidden gem colleges in the United States is available online.Princeton Review Ranks UMW as a Green College
for its robust on-campus sustainability program, which has been spearheaded by the UMW Sustainability Office and the President’s Council on Sustainability. The Princeton Review also recognized UMW for the following achievements:
- 100 percent of new campus construction has been LEED-certified.
- 18 percent of the university’s food budget is spent on local and organic food.
- The university has a waste diversion rate of 30 percent.
- 10 percent of graduates have taken a sustainability-related academic course.
Money Magazine Ranks UMW for Best Graduation Rates
Graduating 66 percent of its student population in four years, UMW ranked 18th on the magazine’s list. UMW was the third of four Virginia institutions included in the list. The University of Virginia, College of William and Mary and James Madison University also were ranked.
According to Money Magazine, the average public college student takes 4.6 years to earn a degree. Just one third of public college students actually earn their bachelor’s degree in four years, cited by the U.S. Department of Education.
The result is an estimated extra $12,000 for the average public college student’s additional semester, based on College Board data.
Earlier this year, UMW was ranked in Money Magazine’s first Best Colleges Rankings. UMW was listed seventh among Virginia public schools and 107th overall among more than 1,500 four-year colleges and universities. Money looks at educational quality, affordability and career outcomes to create its list.
To see the full list of public colleges where students graduate the fastest, visit http://time.com/money/3748117/public-colleges-fastest-graduation-rates/?xid=yahoo_money.