To assist students and their families in researching their college options, on Monday, Sept. 13, U.S. News & World Report will publish its 2022 edition of Best Colleges. These rankings of National Universities, National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities and Regional Colleges focus on academic excellence, with U.S. institutions ranked on 17 measures of academic quality.
These rankings and the other school information and data on usnews.com are based on many months of data collection and analysis. The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings expose users to the broad range of four-year degree options available. U.S. News recommends prospective students explore the rankings to create an initial list of schools based on academics, and then use the website’s search tools and data to more closely examine other factors based on their personal priorities and interests.
The ranking methodologies will be updated on usnews.com on Sept. 13 and will provide a comprehensive explanation of any methodology updates.
Below are a few of the key changes in the 2022 edition of the Best Colleges rankings:
New nursing ranking. For the first time, U.S. News will publish an undergraduate nursing degree ranking for programs that offer the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, or BSN. Nursing is a very popular and important health field and it’s one of the largest undergraduate majors. Nurses play many key roles in the health care system and have been indispensable during the coronavirus pandemic.
To be included in the rankings, a nursing school or department needed a program accredited at the bachelor’s level by either the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Plus, it needed to be a regionally accredited institution that awarded at least 35 BSN degrees, according to 2018-2019 data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
In spring and summer 2021, U.S. News surveyed deans and senior faculty members at each of the 694 undergraduate BSN degree-granting nursing programs that met the above criteria. All 694 will be ranked.
New computer science specialty. In the undergraduate computer science ranking, for the first time, U.S. News will rank game/simulation development, which is a rapidly growing offering in computer science programs.
Beyond the rankings and directory, users can sign up for the U.S. News College Compass to receive access to the My Fit custom ranking, additional data and other exclusive interactive tools.
U.S. News will also publish most of its college rankings with robust datasets in the “Best Colleges 2022” guidebook, which will start shipping in early October and be available in bookstores on Nov. 2.
The 2022 edition of Best Colleges will include specialized rankings, such as the most innovative colleges and universities and those with the greatest commitment to undergraduate teaching. U.S. News will also offer the annual rankings of historically Black colleges and universities, undergraduate engineering programs, undergraduate business programs, undergraduate computer science programs and academic programs to look for, such as study abroad, co-ops/internships and undergraduate research/creative projects.
In addition, prospective students and parents can access lists, tables and articles that will help them navigate the college application process, including:
— Best Value Schools, which lists the colleges that offer the best value for students getting need-based financial aid.
— A-plus Schools for B Students, a list of options for students who don’t have straight-A grades but want to attend a good college.
— Best Colleges for Veterans, a ranking of institutions that award federal financial aid benefits specific to veterans and active service members, and enrolled a critical mass of these students.
— Paying for College guide, which provides vital information on managing college costs via savings, scholarships, loans and more.
Users will also be able to see updated lists of:
— The top public schools.
— Schools where students graduate with the most or least debt.
— Campuses with economic diversity, based on the percent of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants.
— Campuses with ethnic diversity.
— Schools that award merit aid to the most students.
— Schools where first year students are most (and least) likely to return.
— Schools with the highest four-year graduation rates.
— Schools with the most international students.
— Schools with the highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students (College Compass subscription required).
Via U.S. News Academic Insights, school officials can also access more Best Colleges rankings and data, including historical information about their own school as well as peer institutions. College or graduate school representatives can learn more about the Academic Insights tool online or request a demo.
Media representatives: To get access to 2022 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings materials, please email Education-PR@usnews.com.
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2022 Best Colleges Rankings Coming Sept. 13 originally appeared on usnews.com
