How UVA fared in updated U.S. News rankings

With a new methodology designed to address growing criticisms about its popular rankings, U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 report lists UVA as the No. 24 best overall university in the country and No. 5 among public universities.

UVA moved up one spot among national universities from last year, tying with Emory University, Washington University and Carnegie Mellon University.

Among public universities, UVA dropped two spots. The University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles, tied for No. 1; the University of Michigan stayed at No. 3; and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill rose to No. 4.

UVA also was ranked as the No. 3 Best Value school among public universities, a one-spot rise from last year.

“No ranking tells the full story of any school, and most rely on data that are at least a few years old, so they’re better at describing where we’ve been than where we are,” Steve Farmer, UVA’s vice provost for enrollment, told UVA Today. “But I think our results demonstrate the strength of our students and the way our community cares for them and encourages them to excel.”

This year’s rankings reflect the publication’s response to increasing scrutiny that it places too much value on an institution’s prestige. In the past year, top law and medical schools have boycotted the rankings, including UVA’s law school. In January, law dean Risa Goluboff wrote that it would withhold data from the publication because of “concerns that the rankings do not adequately capture the values of our law school.”

In its more general national universities list, U.S. News’ rankings modifications attempt to place more emphasis on student outcomes. According to U.S. News, more than half of a school’s rank now considers metrics that measure a school’s ability to enroll, retain and graduate students from “different backgrounds with manageable debt and post-graduate success.”

It added new or more weight to indicators such as the graduation rates of first-generation students and low-income students who receive federal Pell Grants. It also now tracks the percentage of graduates who are earning more than a high school graduate does and the level of faculty research.

And it eliminated five factors previously used in the calculations: the alumni giving average; the number of faculty with a terminal degree; the proportion of graduates borrowing; class size; and high school class standing.

As a result, some private universities tumbled multiple spots and some public universities rose. Tying with several other schools at No. 47, Virginia Tech, for example, jumped 15 spots. Among the other universities ranked No. 47 is Wake Forest, which plummeted 18.

Among its top five public university peers, UVA stood out in a few metrics. UVA has the highest Pell recipient graduation rate and the largest percentage of alumni earning more than a high school graduate. It also tied with Michigan for the highest first-generation graduation rate.

“I’m glad the new formula for these rankings is aligned with our mission and our values,” Farmer told UVA Today. “Our success in expanding opportunity for outstanding students will show up in the rankings in future years.”