The University of North Carolina at Charlotte rose eight spots in the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report rankings for undergraduate colleges and universities, which were released this week.
Charlotte also was recognized for its commitment to undergraduate education, ranking No. 61 among national universities in the publication’s “Best Colleges for Undergraduate Education” listing.
“UNC Charlotte’s rise in the U.S. News rankings is another indication of our University’s growing academic prominence and reputation,” Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber said. “The University has made significant progress over the past decade, with rising graduation and retention rates, and a record number of graduates. It’s gratifying to see recognition for the work we are doing to provide a unique, personalized educational experience for our undergraduate students.”
Over the past decade, Charlotte has shown significant improvements in a number of key metrics used by U.S. News, including six-year graduation rates, retention, graduate debt and alumni giving.
Additional rankings
In other rankings released by U.S. News, Charlotte continues to rank among the top national universities for social mobility, at No. 62. This ranking is reflective of the University’s efforts to support Pell Grant-eligible students, typically individuals from houses with an adjusted gross income under $50,000, in attaining a college degree. Charlotte’s incoming freshman class is 32% Pell-eligible. The University also has a 63.3% six-year graduation rate for Pell-eligible students, which compares favorably to the 65.6% overall six-year graduation rate for all students.
For this year’s rankings, U.S. News collected data from more than 1,850 institutions. The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, first published in 1983, are among the oldest and most recognized in higher education.
Forbes 2022 Top Colleges List
In other rankings news, UNC Charlotte rose 136 spots overall in the 2022 Forbes America’s Top Colleges rankings, which were released late last month. Charlotte ranks third among UNC System institutions and No. 51 in the South.
Last year, Forbes retooled the rankings methodology to better focus on outcomes. Forbes evaluates schools on: alumni salary, debt, graduation rate, Forbes American Leaders List, return on investment, retention rate and academic success.
For the first time, Charlotte is ranked in several U.S. News specialty categories. To read about the highlights and successes in specialty categories, click here.
