UR earns highest ranking ever from U.S. News and World Report

September 12, 2017

Spider Pride

Our first report card of the fall is a great one! The latest national rankings from U.S. News and World Report are in, and they ranked Richmond No. 23 among the country’s liberal arts colleges, our highest U.S. News ranking ever. 

Richmond jumped four spots from last year. We also leapt six spots to No. 20 on the “Best Value Schools” among national liberal arts colleges. We’ve been working hard to ensure that a Richmond education brings value to UR alumni well beyond their four years on campus.

“The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal,” according to information from U.S. News and World Report. “Only schools in the top half of their U.S. News ranking categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that perform well academically.”

U.S. News bases its rankings on two types of data: expert opinions from peer-assessments and statistics that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research, and students. It all adds up to support what we already know — that Richmond is a great place to invest in your education.

The latest rankings give us plenty to be proud of when it comes to our commitment to being a first-rate global institution of higher education. Richmond made the list of colleges with the highest international student enrollments at liberal arts colleges. More than 10 percent of the entering first-year class represent 30 different countries.

We also made the “Best Study Abroad” list, which is no surprise if you’ve been following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram this summer while sharing #SpiderSpotting photos from around the world. This honor recognizes schools whose study abroad programs involve substantial academic work abroad for credit – a year, a semester, or an intensive experience equal to a course — and considerable interaction with the local culture. 

We’re thrilled about this wonderful assessment from a trusted outside voice. This kind of validation inspires our faculty and staff to continue working to make Richmond’s educational experience even greater.

Go, Spiders!Learn more about Richmond's rankings.