UMW Joins Top Public Liberal Arts Colleges in U.S. News Rankings
University of Mary Washington received top rankings in this year’s U.S. News & World Report. Photo by Norm Shafer.
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. Read more.
2023 Fiske Guide to Colleges Recognizes UMW
The University of Mary Washington has once again been recognized in the annual Fiske Guide to Colleges, one of the leading guides for nearly 40 years. The 2023 edition features more than 300 of the “best and most interesting” public and private four-year colleges and universities in the nation as well as Canada, Great Britain and Ireland. Details come directly from the students.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges has once again recognized UMW in its “best and most interesting” listing.
“Tradition is at the heart of UMW and is one of the many things that instills a sense of community here,” says a junior quoted in the publication.
“Students are self-motivated by the excitement of learning something new,” comments another student.
Citing Mary Washington’s reputation as one of the premier public liberal arts and sciences colleges in the country, the Fiske Guide highlights the innovative core curriculum, including the “Beyond the Classroom” component and “After UMW” initiative, focused on professional and career development. The University’s Honor Code and First-Year Seminar (FSEM) earn additional praise, and the guide notes how the “close ties between students and faculty are a great source of pride at Mary Washington.” Read more.
UMW’s Commitment to Going Green Wins Gold
University of Mary Washington made Princeton Review’s recent Guide to Green Colleges for its attention to sustainability. Last month, UMW furthered that effort by hiring a full-time sustainability coordinator.
Formal sustainability committee? Check.
Environmentally focused degrees? Check.
LEED-certified buildings? Check.
A host of Earth-friendly initiatives has earned the University of Mary Washington a spot among the nation’s most environmentally responsible schools in the 2022 Guide to Green Colleges, published last week by The Princeton Review.
“UMW offers excellent academics and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability that is exemplary on many counts,” said Princeton Review Editor-in-Chief Rob Franek. “We strongly recommend the University of Mary Washington to students who care about the environment and want to study and live at a green college.”
More and more students are looking for that kind of experience, according to the education services company’s 2021 survey. Of more than 11,000 college applicants questioned, 78 percent – up 12 percent from the previous year – said a school’s gusto for going green would weigh into their college search.
“It isn’t unusual for students who have an interest in that element of their future – and the future of the planet – to choose a school specifically focused on the environment,” said UMW Director of Landscape and Grounds Holly Chichester. “That’s the kind of student we’re trying to attract here at Mary Washington.” Read more.
UMW Earns Top Rankings from ‘U.S. News Best Colleges’
University of Mary Washington received top marks in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2022 rankings, released today.
The University of Mary Washington has been recognized among the nation’s top schools by U.S. News & World Report, which released its 2022 “Best Colleges” list today.
UMW ranked seventh among public regional universities in the South and 19th among all regional universities in the South. Within the same category, the University also was rated sixth among best colleges for veterans, and earned spots on the publication’s lists of best undergraduate business and nursing programs. Mary Washington is also included in the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” roster, which looks at schools with economically disadvantaged students.
Now in its 37th year, the U.S. News rankings evaluate more than 1,400 colleges and universities on academic quality using several metrics, with the greatest emphasis placed on outcomes. Schools’ ability to retain and graduate students from different socioeconomic backgrounds and graduates’ average indebtedness are considered, along with class size, undergraduate academic reputation, and investment in instruction and student services. Read more.
UMW Claims Strong Showing in Two Sets of National Rankings
University of Mary Washington earned top spots this week in two national college rankings, ‘Washington Monthly’ and ‘The Princeton Review.’
The University of Mary Washington took top spots in a pair of prestigious national college rankings, each released this week.
Encouraging college students to be active citizens, Washington Monthly’s 2021 College Rankings cite schools’ ability to promote social mobility, research and service. “We rate schools based on what they do for the country,” states the website for the publication, which included UMW in not one but two categories: Best Master’s Universities and Best Bang for the Buck.
Washington Monthly, which judges schools on their commitment to contributing to the greater good, recognized UMW for providing marketable degrees at affordable prices. The Princeton Review’s college rankings, based on feedback from actual students, placed Mary Washington in the top 14 percent of the nation’s thousands of four-year colleges and universities. Read more.
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.
