March 28, 2024

UMW Rated Among Nation’s Best Values by Kiplinger Magazine

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

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.   relay for life 02The 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

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.   geology 4The 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

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. PhotographerThe 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

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. FiskeBestBuy_1The 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/.

Kiplinger Names UMW Best Value in Small Colleges

The University of Mary Washington is listed among Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s “30 Best Values in Small Colleges” for 2014. The university ranks sixth among public colleges on the list. The ranking is part of Kiplinger’s new College Finder tool, which complements the magazine’s annual “Best Values in Public Colleges” and “Best Values in Private Colleges” lists and also reveals the best college values in each region, best values among different-sized campuses and best values under $30,000 a year. In December, UMW was named one of Kiplinger’s “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” for 2014. The university ranks fifth among Virginia’s best values and 61st out of 100 four-year public institutions nationwide. UMW has consistently appeared in Kiplinger since 2006, and continuously ranks high in selective college guidebooks.

Kiplinger’s Magazine Rates UMW Among Nation’s Best Values

The University of Mary Washington is listed among Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine’s “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” for 2014.

NS-Fall-2-1The university ranks fifth among Virginia’s best values and 61st out of 100 four-year public institutions nationwide. The ranking cites four-year schools that combine outstanding education with economic value, according to the February 2014 issue of Kiplinger’s. The list is available online at http://www.kiplinger.com/links/college.

“The college landscape today is very different – tuition increases and student debt dominate the national conversation surrounding higher education,” said Janet Bodnar, editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. “This year’s top 100 schools have made admirable strides to maintain academic integrity and standards while meeting the financial needs of their students.”

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 (4), James Madison University (22), Virginia Tech (27), George Mason University (72) and Christopher Newport University (84).

UMW has consistently appeared on the list since 2006, and continuously ranks high in selective college guidebooks.

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

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of Mary Washington’s undergraduate program fifth among public southern universities in the “Top Public Regional Universities – South” category in its 2014 edition of America’s Best Colleges. The university ranks 13th among all southern universities in the same category. Mary Washington has been ranked in the top 20 among southern universities each year for seven consecutive years. UMW is ranked fifth among public universities in the south, according to U.S. News & World Report. The listing was announced Sept. 10 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. UMW also is named in a list of “A-Plus Schools for B Students,” for schools ranked among the top three-quarters of their peer groups in the 2014 Best Colleges rankings that admit a meaningful proportion of non-“A” students. For the full list, visit www.usnews.com. 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 2012 edition of 150 “Best Value Colleges” and the 2014 edition of “The Best 378 Colleges.”

Virginia Living Magazine Names UMW Among Most Innovative Schools

The University of Mary Washington has been selected as one of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s top schools of 2013 by Virginia Living, the most widely read lifestyle magazine in the state. UMW is listed among 150 of Virginia’s most innovative educational programs in the magazine’s State of Education supplement in the October issue. BADGE_final_VaLivingThe list recognizes schools for excellence and innovation in five categories, including arts and humanities, science, math, and technology, co-ops and partnerships, athletics, and capital improvements. UMW appears in the science, math and technology category for its Domain of One’s Own initiative, the capital improvements category for the new Information and Technology Convergence center, and the co-ops and partnerships category for its partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center. UMW’s Domain of One’s Own project is unprecedented in higher education. Starting this fall, the university provides each incoming student with the opportunity to claim his or her own personal web domain name and web hosting account. Under the guidance of UMW’s Department of Division of Learning and Technologies, students are able to define and control their online presence, managing coursework, developing e-portfolios and setting up databases that remain with them long after they graduate. UMW successfully piloted the program during the 2012-13 academic year, offering it to 400 students and faculty. Other institutions have taken an interest and are planning to emulate the project. The Convergence Center is scheduled to open in the fall of 2014. One of the biggest construction projects at UMW is a $39 million Information & Technology Convergence Center, which will serve as an “academic commons” building. The center will be a place where technology, information and teaching resources merge in a modern, energetic and vibrant environment. The four-story building, expected to open by fall 2014, will connect to Simpson Library and will contain a data center, classrooms, offices, a digital theater, media labs, a café and countless collaboration areas. UMW and the Naval Surface Warfare Center have had a long, rich history of working together, starting in World War II and continuing through the present day. Among other initiatives, NSWC provides the Fredericksburg campus with a high-resonance nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, which is used cooperatively by the chemistry department and NSWC scientists. In addition, the Navy facility sponsors internships to computer science students, and supports STEM teacher training at UMW. UMW’s Dahlgren Campus Center for Education and Research, opened in 2012, serves as an educational off-site location for NSWC and other base commands. The magazine will be available in bookstores on Friday, Sept. 6. More information about the State of Education list is available at http://www.virginialiving.com/.

UMW Among Best Colleges, According to Princeton Review

The University of Mary Washington has been named to The Princeton Review’s 2014 edition of “The Best 378 Colleges.” The Princeton Review is a New York City-based education services company that annually publishes guidebooks ranking colleges, business and law schools. PhotographerThe annual college guide includes detailed profiles of the colleges with school rating scores in eight categories, including admissions selectivity, academics and quality of life. In its profile, The Princeton Review says UMW students applaud the small student body and class sizes for fostering close interactions with faculty members. “Students believe UMW is ‘a hidden jewel that delivers on a historical campus’ and say courses are ‘engaging and intellectually stimulating,’” according to UMW’s profile. “Overall, students agree, ‘Mary Washington is all about getting a well-rounded education while becoming a part of a great community’ and point out that ‘professors are included in that as well.’” Princeton Review 2014Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and three colleges outside the U.S. are profiled in the book. “We base our selections primarily on data we obtain in our annual institutional data surveys,” said Robert Franek, author of “The Best 378 Colleges” and Princeton Review’s senior vice president and publisher. “We also take into account input we get from our staff, our 35-member National College Counselor Advisory Board, our personal visits to schools, and the wide range of feedback we get from our surveys of students attending these schools.  It is their opinions that college applicants often value the most, particularly on (or in the absence of) campus visits. We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character.” The full list is available at www.PrincetonReview.com.

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News release prepared by: Brynn Boyer