University News

UVA Advances to No. 4 Public School in U.S. News Ranking

By Jane Kelly, jak4g@virginia.edu

September 24, 2024

The Lawn side of the Rotunda over an illustrative burst.

(Photo by Emily Faith Morgan, University Communications, Illustration by John DiJulio, University Communications)

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of Virginia the No. 4 public school in the country, up one spot from last year.

In its 2025 Best Colleges Report, UVA remains the No. 3 best value public school in the country. The school moved up two spots to become the No. 8 best college for veterans.

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Best Public School

The publication placed the University at No. 24 overall, unchanged from last year. UVA is in a three-way tie with Emory University and Georgetown University.

In their 40th annual edition of Best Colleges, U.S. News used 17 factors, including graduation rates and peer assessment, to rank more than 400 American universities, defined as offering a full range of undergraduate majors as well as master’s and doctoral degrees. Many emphasize research.

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Best Value Public School

Again this year, UVA’s six-year graduation rate ranked first among public universities. The graduation rate of UVA recipients of federal Pell Grants, a financial aid program for students from lower- to moderate-income households, also remained No. 1 among public universities.

U.S. News gathered data for the 2025 edition of Best Colleges in the spring and summer of 2024.

“We’re grateful that U.S. News has once again recognized the strength of the University and especially the success of our students,” Stephen Farmer, UVA’s vice provost for enrollment, said. “Our mission is to welcome talented students from all walks of life and help them do and be their best. Our reputation reflects the great work that goes on in our community every day.”

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Best School Overall

UVA has fared well in several other recent rankings. The Princeton Review said the University is No. 1 for financial aid. Forbes placed UVA on a list of “New Ivies.” Money Magazine gave UVA a 4.5-star rating. The Wall Street Journal found UVA graduates land high-paying jobs in finance, consulting and technology. The University placed No. 3 for finance, No. 5 for consulting and No. 13 in technology when compared to other public schools.