rankings Archives

Princeton Review Rates UMW Among Nation’s Best Values

February 3, 2015 by Erika Spivey

The University of Mary Washington has been ranked among the nation’s best value colleges by Princeton Review.

UMW is listed in The Princeton Review’s Colleges That Pay You Back: The 200 Best Value Colleges and What It Takes to Get In – 2015 Edition, which went on sale Tuesday, Feb. 3. The university has been recognized as a Best Southeastern College and one of Princeton Review’s Best 379 Colleges. The Princeton Review is a New York City-based education services company that annually publishes guidebooks ranking colleges, business and law schools. Colleges That Pay You Back is an expansion of Princeton Review’s former Best Value Colleges and selects schools based on a unique “Return-on-Education” rating that measures 40 weighted data points covering the areas of academics, affordability and career prospects. The rating was based on data collected in 2013-14 from more than 650 college administrator and student surveys and responses conducted by PayScale.com through April 2014 of alumni of the same schools. “We salute and highly recommend all of our Colleges That Pay You Back schools,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president, publisher and lead author of the book. “They stand out for their excellent academics, impressive career preparation services, and affordability to students with need – via comparatively low sticker prices, generous financial aid, or both. Plus their students graduate with great career prospects.” In addition, UMW has been ranked third in the state and 140th nationally by the Social Mobility Index as a school providing pathways for social and economic mobility. The index ranks schools based on their “policy towards increasing access to higher education” with consideration for tuition and economic background of the student body, graduation rate, early career salary and endowment. For a full listing of Princeton’s Colleges that Pay Back, visit www.princetonreview.com/colleges-pay-you-back.

UMW Rated Among Nation’s Best Values by Kiplinger Magazine

December 18, 2014 by Erika Spivey

The University of Mary Washington is listed among Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s “100 Best Values in Public College” for 2015.

The university ranks sixth among Virginia’s best values and 92nd out of 100 four-year public institutions nationwide. The ranking cites four-year schools that provide a quality education at an affordable price, according to the February 2015 issue of Kiplinger’s. The list is available online at kiplinger.com/links/college. “We salute this year’s top schools,” says Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine. “Balancing top-quality education with affordable cost is a challenge for families in today’s economy, which is why Kiplinger’s rankings are such a valuable resource. The schools on the 2015 list offer students the best of both worlds.” Kiplinger’s assesses quality according to a number of measurable standards, including the admission rate, the percentage of students who return for sophomore year, the student-faculty ratio and the four-year graduation rate. Cost criteria include low sticker prices, abundant financial aid and low average debt at graduation. Other Virginia schools on the in-state “best value” list include the University of Virginia (2), the College of William and Mary (7), James Madison University (21), Virginia Tech (26) and Christopher Newport University (89). UMW has consistently appeared on the list since 2006, and continuously ranks high in selective college guidebooks.

Washington Monthly Rates UMW Among Nation’s Top Schools

September 12, 2014 by Erika Spivey

Washington Monthly magazine has ranked the University of Mary Washington 25th among master’s universities in the nation in its 2014 College Guide and Rankings.

The university was listed among 671 other schools across the nation and was one of only two Virginia institutions to make the top 25. The Washington Monthly rates schools based on their contribution to the public good. The criteria includes social mobility that encompasses recruiting and graduating low-income students; research that produces cutting-edge scholarships and Ph.D.s; and service that encourages students to give back to their country. “Unlike U.S. News and World Report and similar guides, this one asks not what colleges can do for you, but what colleges are doing for the country,” wrote editors of the Washington Monthly college guide. “Are they educating low-income students, or just catering to the affluent? Are they improving the quality of their teaching, or ducking accountability for it? Are they trying to become more productive—and if so, why is average tuition rising faster than health care costs? Every year we lavish billions of tax dollars and other public benefits on institutions of higher learning. This guide asks: Are we getting the most for our money?” The University of Mary Washington’s academic reputation has garnered national recognition in numerous selective guidebooks including U.S. News and World Report, Forbes, the Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Princeton Review’s 2015 edition of “The Best 379 Colleges.”

U.S. News Ranks UMW Among Top Five Public Universities in the South

September 10, 2014 by Erika Spivey

U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Mary Washington’s undergraduate program fifth among public southern universities in the “Top Public Regional Universities – South” category in its 2015 edition of America’s Best Colleges. The university has been ranked in the top 20 among southern universities for eight consecutive years and currently stands 13th among all southern universities in the same category.

The listing was announced Sept. 9 in the magazine’s online edition. U.S. News & World Report bases its rankings on peer assessment, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources and alumni giving. For the full list, visit www.usnews.com. In addition, Virginia Living magazine’s State of Education issue for September cited the University of Mary Washington among its list of Old Dominion’s featured high schools and colleges for 2014. The university was noted for science, math and technology due to its new master’s degree program in geospatial analysis. In recent years, the university has seen its academic reputation garner national recognition in numerous selective guidebooks, including Forbes, the Fiske Guide to Colleges and the Princeton Review’s 2015 edition of “The Best 379 Colleges.”

Princeton Review, Money Magazine, Forbes Rate UMW Among the Nation’s Best

August 5, 2014 by Melina Downs

The University of Mary Washington has recently been ranked among the nation’s best colleges by the Princeton Review, Money Magazine and Forbes. UMW has been named to The Princeton Review’s 2015 edition of “The Best 379 Colleges” and has been recognized as a best regional college. The Princeton Review is a New York City-based education services company that annually publishes guidebooks ranking colleges, business and law schools.

The annual college guide includes detailed profiles of the colleges with school rating scores in eight categories, including admissions selectivity, academics and quality of life. “University of Mary Washington ‘lives up to its reputation’ while providing ‘rigorous education in a fun and engaging atmosphere,’” according to UMW’s profile. “Students rave about the ‘small, beautiful campus’ and ‘strong sense of community.’” Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and four colleges outside the U.S. are profiled in the book. Money Magazine, which just released its first Best Colleges Rankings, also included the University of Mary Washington. UMW is ranked 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. Lastly, UMW is included on Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges list. The Forbes’ list ranks 650 colleges and universities and focuses on what students are getting out of their college experience. “This year it comes down to small, student-centric, liberal arts colleges vs. large, brainy, research-oriented universities closely associated with science, technology, engineering and math,” said writer Caroline Howard in a Forbes press release. “The…ranking reveals higher education in flux, ongoing debate between the value of liberal arts vs. STEM degrees and a winning formula of high student satisfaction and graduation rates, alumni career success and low student debt.”

Fiske College Guide Names UMW Among Nation’s Best

July 3, 2014 by Melina Downs

The University of Mary Washington is the only institution in Virginia and the District of Columbia to be named as a “best buy” in the prestigious Fiske Guide to Colleges. This is the fifth consecutive year for UMW to be awarded this distinction. “I am delighted that, once again, UMW is being recognized for the high quality institution that it is,” said UMW President Richard V. Hurley. “The distinction confirms what we long have known: This University offers a tremendous return on investment.” Mary Washington is among 44 public and private institutions designated as a “best buy,” delivering outstanding academics and the most reasonable prices.

The selective guidebook features more than 300 colleges and universities. The listing was based on questionnaires sent to administrators and a cross-section of students. UMW is among 22 public and 22 private schools singled out as “best buys” in the 2015 edition of the guide. “Mary Washington could easily be mistaken for one of Virginia’s elite private colleges. It offers just as much history and tradition—for a much lower price. . . On the selectivity chart, UMW ranks behind only UVA and William and Mary among Virginia public universities,” according to the Fiske Guide, which has been compiled annually under the direction of Edward B. Fiske, former education editor of The New York Times. “Mary Washington has gained a reputation as one of the premium public liberal arts colleges in the country and continues to attract bright students from around the globe.” The Fiske Guide is available in bookstores and as an iPad app on iTunes and a web app on CollegeCountdown.com. For more information, visit http://www.collegecountdown.com/.

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