Virginia Commonwealth University fell three spots to No. 139 in the annual ranking of best universities across the country by U.S. News & World Report, which released its annual lists Tuesday.
The University of Virginia fell two spots to No. 26, and Virginia Tech and the College of William & Mary tied at No. 51.
University leaders generally pay close attention to their ranking and work to move up the ladder. VCU purchases ads on its U.S. News web page, and the university buys ad space on the pages of other nearby colleges, too.
School president Michael Rao addressed rankings at a recent board of visitors meeting, saying, “We need to move up in that. We’re not satisfied with that.”
Across Virginia, it was a tumultuous year for colleges, which state and federal officials scrutinized for their DEI programs. The leaders at UVa and the Virginia Military Institute left their schools, and federal officials called for George Mason University’s president to publicly apologize for DEI efforts.
Still, Virginia colleges did not make dramatic moves up or down in the rankings, and the state continues to enjoy a strong reputation for higher education.
U.S. News uses a number of factors to rank colleges, including how other college leaders consider a school, what percentage of students graduate and what percentage stay after their freshman year. Most of the publication’s methodology is the same as last year. U.S. News has ranked colleges annually since 1983.
National colleges
In its ranking of national universities, Princeton University came in at No. 1, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology second and Harvard University third. The universities landed in the same order as last year.
The University of Virginia fell two spots to No. 26, tied with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Virginia Tech, ranked No. 51, tied the College of William & Mary and four other schools, including Florida State University and Texas A&M University. It was the second year in a row Virginia Tech placed 51st. Overall, Tech has gained 24 spots since 2022.
William & Mary moved up three spots from last year’s ranking. The nation’s second-oldest college had trailed Virginia Tech in 2023 and 2024.
Other Virginia schools in the ranking include George Mason at No. 117 and James Madison University at No. 151. Hampton University tied at No. 273 with Marymount University and others, and Old Dominion University was No. 293. Shenandoah University ranked No. 301, followed by Radford University and University of Lynchburg tied at No. 329.
Public schools
In the ranking of best public schools, UVa tied for No. 4 with UNC-Chapel Hill. UVa has said it wants to be the nation’s top public school by 2030, but it has not said how it will define the term.
The University of California, Berkeley rose one spot to claim the top public school ranking, supplanting the University of California, Los Angeles, which fell to No. 2. The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor was steady at No. 3.
Virginia Tech and William & Mary tied for No. 21 among public schools. Tech earned its same ranking as a year ago, and William & Mary rose two spots. VCU placed 72nd.
In the ranking of public national liberal arts colleges, VMI placed fourth, its same ranking as last year, and Mary Washington was eighth. In the ranking of top public regional universities for the South, Christopher Newport was No. 3.
Zooming out, VCU has improved its standing, having climbed 26 spots since 2022. It passed JMU last year and continues to maintain that lead. This year, VCU placed 139th among all national universities, tying with three others: California State University-Fullerton, Fairfield University and University of the Pacific.
U.S. News does not rank every program every year. The last time it ranked schools for their fine arts programs, in 2020, VCU placed fourth nationally. In addition to its academic ranking, VCU has touted its improved fundraising and its surging research funding.
Other rankings
In the ranking of national liberal arts colleges, Washington and Lee University fell two spots to No. 21, and the University of Richmond stood pat at No. 22. Virginia Military Institute fell six spots to No. 65, and Randolph-Macon College rose seven spots to 96th. Hampden-Sydney College fell four rungs to No. 107. Patrick Henry College in Loudoun County soared 29 spots, tying for No. 107. Roanoke College placed 112th, and the University of Mary Washington was No. 132.
In the ranking of regional universities in the South, Christopher Newport placed No. 6, and Longwood University was 15th. Virginia State University leaped 15 spots to No. 42. VSU received higher marks from peer universities, and it increased its spending per student. U.S. News considers regional universities as schools that offer a full range of undergraduate and master’s-level programs but little, if any, doctoral education.
U.S. News & World Report also ranked historically Black colleges and universities. Hampton University placed seventh, followed by Virginia State 11th, Norfolk State University 26th and Virginia Union University 43rd.