WASHINGTON — In the much-anticipated release of its 2021 edition, U.S. News & World Report published its Best Colleges report ranking the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) number seven among the top U.S. public schools in the category of Regional Colleges in the southern region. Among all southern Regional Colleges, UVI ranked 36 and received a ranking of 36 on the Social Mobility measure.
“We are very pleased that UVI has been so highly recognized by a prominent publication and trusted authority on college rankings,” UVI President David Hall said. “UVI’s high marks affirm our commitment to excellence, student success and to ensuring all Virgin Islands students can afford a higher education.”
U.S. News & World Report publishes the Best Colleges list annually based on the evaluation of more than 1,400 colleges and universities in the U.S. on 17 measures of academic quality. To make reasonable comparisons between colleges and universities, schools are grouped into different categories based on academic mission and geographic region.
In the Best Colleges rankings, UVI is categorized as a Regional College located within the southern region. Ranking factors include graduation and retention rates, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources per student, alumni giving rate, graduate indebtedness, and social mobility.
The social mobility indicator measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. According to the report, students receiving these grants typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000.
“During these challenging times, UVI continues to provide the same top-quality academic programs for which we are being recognized, while offering outstanding value through our financial aid and free tuition programs,” stated Dr. Hall. “As we forge ahead, we pledge to continue to raise the bar, by promoting a culture of excellence, innovation, and creativity in all that we do and by partnering with our community to enhance the social and economic future of the U.S. Virgin Islands.”