U.S. News ranks UNG among top universities in the South
Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (UNG) received high marks for quality and value in the 2023 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 12.
Among the rankings' public Regional Universities in the South, UNG is the No. 1 university in Georgia on the Best Value Colleges and Least Debt lists, and it is the top-ranked Georgia school on the list of Best Colleges for Veterans.
Overall, the university tied for 18th among public Regional Universities in the South, and it is the second-highest ranking Georgia university on the list.
Further underscoring the return on investment UNG provides students was its inclusion on the Top Performance on Social Mobility list, a new category this year in the U.S. News rankings.
"UNG takes great pride in providing high-quality educational opportunities, and our consistent, year-over-year recognition for academic excellence and value reflect the impact UNG has on educational attainment in this region and beyond," UNG President Bonita C. Jacobs said.
Other highlights for UNG from the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings were:
- Tied for sixth among public universities in Georgia on the Best Undergraduate Business Programs list.
- Tied for sixth among public universities in Georgia on the Undergraduate Computer Science Programs ranking.
The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 17 measures of academic quality. The results allow students and their families to compare at a glance the quality of U.S. institutions based on widely accepted indicators of excellence such as first-year student retention, graduation rates and the strength of the faculty.
Other recent rankings include UNG's gold status on the 2022-23 Military Friendly Schools list and a pair of studies highlighting the value of a UNG degree. A study from Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce showed a return on investment of $962,000 over a 40-year period for a bachelor's degree from UNG, which is fifth among public universities in Georgia. Data compiled by Third Way, a national think tank, showed UNG with a 26.4% economic mobility index, which ranks fourth among public universities in Georgia.
One of the state's largest universities, UNG serves almost 19,000 students across its five campuses in Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee County, and online. UNG offers more than 100 programs of study, including certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral programs.
Founded in 1873, UNG is celebrating 150 years of service, leadership and scholarship this academic year. The Sesquicentennial Celebration honors UNG's legacy of producing outstanding civic, professional and military leaders who serve throughout Georgia and beyond.
Fall graduates look to future with optimism
UNG awarded roughly 985 degrees and certificates to students this fall, and it honored more than 650 of those graduates in a pair of Dec. 7 commencement ceremonies.
Luncheon honors scholarship recipients
Five nontraditional female students at UNG each earned a $2,000 scholarship from the Women of UNG on Dec. 5 at the Women's Holiday Scholarship Luncheon.
Special ed lab aids future educators
During the fall semester, future educators from UNG took part in a special education lab in which they worked with a software tool that helped them assess students, craft education plans and receive immediate feedback.
Grads prepare for their next steps
UNG will award almost 1,000 degrees and certificates this fall, and more than 600 graduates are scheduled to take part in the Dec. 7 commencement ceremonies.