In a ranking released yesterday, the U.S. News & World Report ranked UGA among the nation’s top public universities, placing UGA 21st on the list of 2016 Best Public Universities. 

On the Best National Universities list, dominated by private institutions, UGA moved up to the 61st spot. “The University of Georgia consistently ranks among the world’s best public research universities,” said President Jere W. Morehead, “and I am excited about the future of our institution as we implement a number of transformative initiatives- including an experiential learning requirement- to further enhance the world-class education we provide.” 

Our position in the rankings was helped especially by a strong freshman retention rate of 94 percent and a record-high graduation rate of 85 percent. 

The state of Georgia is only one of four in the nation with two institutions- The Georgia Institute of Technology and UGA- ranked among the top 25 public universities. 

Recently, UGA was ranked No. 18 on the Forbes “Top 25 Public Colleges 2015” list, as well as third in the Southeast on Washington Monthly’s “Best Bang for the Buck” 2015 listing. Kiplinger’s ranked UGA as No. 10 nationally on its 2014 list of the best values among public colleges and universities. 

Rankings are available at the U.S. News & World Report website.