Article By: Clark Leonard
The University of North Georgia (ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥) received high marks for quality and value in the rankings released Sept. 12.
Among the rankings' public Regional Universities in the South, ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ 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 ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ provides students was its inclusion on the Top Performance on Social Mobility list, a new category this year in the U.S. News rankings.
"ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ takes great pride in providing high-quality educational opportunities, and our consistent, year-over-year recognition for academic excellence and value reflect the impact ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ has on educational attainment in this region and beyond," ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ President Bonita C. Jacobs said.
Other highlights for ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ from the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings were:
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 ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥'s gold status on the 2022-23 Military Friendly Schools list and a pair of studies highlighting the value of a ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ degree. A study from showed a return on investment of $962,000 over a 40-year period for a bachelor's degree from ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥, which is fifth among public universities in Georgia. Data compiled by , a national think tank, showed ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ with a 26.4% economic mobility index, which ranks fourth among public universities in Georgia.
One of the state's largest universities, ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ serves almost 19,000 students across its five campuses in Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee County, and online. ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ offers more than 100 programs of study, including certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral programs.
Founded in 1873, ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥ is celebrating 150 years of service, leadership and scholarship this academic year. The Sesquicentennial Celebration honors ÎçÒ¹¿ì²¥'s legacy of producing outstanding civic, professional and military leaders who serve throughout Georgia and beyond.