Charlotte continues to rise in national rankings, U.S. News & World Report, Forbes recognize University

September 12, 2022
Categories: General News Tags: Academic Affairs, Chancellor

UNC Charlotte rose eight spots in the 2022-23 U.S. News & World Report rankings for undergraduate colleges and universities, which were released Monday, Sept. 12.

Charlotte also was recognized for its commitment to undergraduate education, ranking No. 66 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,” said Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “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, tied at No. 63. 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 the first time, Charlotte is ranked in several U.S. News specialty categories, including:

  • Best Value Colleges, which designates schools that offer affordability for students receiving financial aid
  • Best Colleges for Veterans
  • Best Ethnic Diversity, which recognizes universities where undergraduate students are most likely to encounter students from other ethnic or racial groups different from their own

The undergraduate business, computer science, nursing and engineering programs also continue to be ranked nationally by U.S. News based on peer assessment scores.

U.S. News ranked Charlotte No. 219 (tie) overall and No. 112 (tie) among national public universities.

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.

Forbes noted that UNC Charlotte “provides students with individualized experiences through a robust curriculum.”