UVA, William & Mary move up slightly in latest college ranking from U.S. News & World Report

Eric Kolenich Sep 14, 2020

The University of Virginia moved up two spots to 26th, and the College of William & Mary ascended one place to 39th in the latest ranking of the country’s best colleges by U.S. News & World Report, which was released Monday. ... The rankings come at a time of upheaval, as colleges have been forced to drastically alter how they educate their students.

“The pandemic has affected students across the country, canceling commencement ceremonies and switching classes from in-person to remote,” said Kim Castro, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News. “Whether students have slightly altered their college plans or changed them entirely, it remains our mission to continue providing students and their families with the tools they need to help find the right school for them.”

But the pandemic caused no major shake-up among the top schools. For a second straight year, UVA is ranked fourth nationally among public schools, following the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Michigan.

William & Mary placed 11th on the public school ranking, one spot higher than last year. Three other Virginia colleges made leaps: Virginia Tech climbed seven spots to 29th, George Mason went up 13 spots to 65th and VCU ascended seven spots to 77th place.

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Eric Kolenich
Reporter

Eric Kolenich writes about higher education, sports, coronavirus and protests for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He joined the newspaper in 2009 after graduating from the University of Virginia with a degree in English. (804) 649-6109

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