Augustana University has been named a top regional university by U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best College Rankings. Augustana is ranked No. 9 in Best Regional Universities in the Midwest and listed in other Best Regional Universities Midwest categories, including No. 8 in Best Undergraduate Teaching and No. 9 in Best Value.
“The 2023 Best College Rankings affirm the qualities that set our students, faculty and the university as a whole apart — a caring community where faculty are committed to helping students explore their passions, discover their calling and build lives of meaning and purpose. An Augustana education prepares our students for successful careers through hands-on learning. This is why prospective employers and business leaders hold this place and our graduates in high regard,” said Joel Munza, associate vice president for enrollment management.
In its 38th edition, U.S. News & World Report surveyed schools in the spring and summer of 2022. In total, the recognized leader in college rankings assessed an all-time high of 1,500 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions on 17 measures of academic quality, including graduate outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence and alumni giving.
U.S. News identifies a regional university as one that offers a broad scope of undergraduate degrees and some master’s degree programs. The publication defines a regional college as “one that focuses on undergraduate education but grants fewer than 50% of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines.” Both categories rank institutions in four geographical groups: North, South, Midwest and West.
To place each school in its ranking, U.S. News strictly maps its categories to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s Basic Classification system, which is the accepted standard in U.S. higher education. The U.S. Department of Education and many higher education associations use the Carnegie system to organize or label their data, among other uses.
“These rankings reflect the distinctive education of enduring worth available at Augustana. Graduates launch their careers confidently because of ongoing faculty mentoring, personal advising and robust applied learning. Whether it is studying away, internships or rigorous research, students develop transferable skills and a vocational sense of purpose that prepares them to be global leaders,” said Assistant Vice Provost for Student Success & Engagement Billie Streufert.
The Princeton Review also recently ranked AU as one of its Best Regional Colleges, as well as Niche, which ranked Augustana among the Best Colleges in South Dakota — giving the university a grade A in value and athletics.
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