UVA ascends to No. 2 best value among public universities in U.S. News ranking

September 23, 2025
aerial photo of the UVA Rotunda, Academic Village, surrounding colleges and the UVA Medical Center shot in the late afternoon

(Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of Virginia the No. 2 best value public college in the country, moving up one spot from last year.

The 2026 Best Colleges rankings say UVA is the No. 27 best value school overall, moving up three spots from last year, in a crowd of more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities. That is more than triple the approximately 400 schools the publication assessed last year.

#2

Best Value Public University

#4

Best Public School in the U.S.

Overall, U.S. News ranks UVA as the No. 4 public school in the country for a second year, tied with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The schools are ranked 26th overall in the assessment, which considered 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success. Those include peer assessment, financial resources per student and graduation rates.

UVA remains the public university with the highest graduation rate, at 96%. UVA also has the highest graduation rate for Pell Grant recipients (92%) of any public school. The University remains the eighth-best school for veterans, and the fourth-best among public schools.

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“As these numbers show, UVA continues to offer a world-class education that provides exceptional value and return on investment for our graduates,” interim UVA President Paul Mahoney said. “Attracting the best students, regardless of income, remains a top priority for the University, as does making a UVA education accessible and affordable for students and their families.”

In June, the Princeton Review also ranked UVA the No. 2 best value public university in the country, as well as No. 4 for best public schools for financial aid and No. 8 for best value public schools for students who do not qualify for financial aid.

Media Contact

Jane Kelly

University News Senior Associate Office of University Communications

Article Information

October 16, 2025

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