U.S. News & World Report Ranks Augustana Top 5 Regional University in Best Value For Second Year

By Jill Wilson | September 24, 2024
Throwing of Caps 2024 Undergraduate Commencement

Augustana is proud to announce that it has been ranked a Top 5 Regional University in the Midwest in Best Value for the second year in a row by U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings — viewed as the gold standard in college rankings lists.

 

Augustana works hard to ensure an affordable education for its students as 100% of full-time undergraduates receive scholarships and/or grants. The value of an Augustana education is evident as 98% of its recent graduates achieved a positive career outcome, and many of these graduates chose to continue their education with 30% enrolled in graduate school or professional programs. Upon graduation, recent alumni employed full time reported earning a median income of more than $55,000.

 

“We are thrilled to once again be ranked a Top 5 Regional University in the Midwest in Best Value by U.S. News & World Report. This recognition comes at a time when we are celebrating historic enrollment and the outstanding success of our recent graduates, who are excelling in their careers and graduate studies. The university is well known for providing its students with an affordable, top-tier education, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to thrive as they pursue their bold dreams, and this ranking serves as further affirmation of our commitment,” said Augustana Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management Adam Heinitz ‘99.

 

In addition, U.S. News & World Report ranked Augustana No. 13 in Best Regional Universities in the Midwest. AU is listed in other Best Regional Universities Midwest categories, including No. 8 in Best Undergraduate Teaching and No. 4 in Most Innovative — up seven spots from last year’s ranking in the same category.

 

“AU’s placement in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings is a testament to the university’s unwavering commitment to academic excellence, innovation and student success. It reflects the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff, as well as the incredible support of our alumni, parents and friends. This achievement is a shared honor for our entire university community,” said Augustana President Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

 

U.S. News & World Report identifies a regional university as one that offers a broad scope of undergraduate degrees and some master's degree programs with few doctoral programs — ranking them in four geographical groups: North, South, Midwest and West.

 

In its 40th edition, U.S. News ranked schools according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence. Nearly 1,500 U.S. 4-year bachelor's degree-granting institutions were surveyed on more than a dozen measures reflecting academic quality and graduate outcomes, as well as considerations that vary person to person, such as campus culture, strength in specific majors and financial aid offered.

 

To place each school in its ranking, U.S. News maps its categories to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education's Basic Classification system, which is the accepted standard in U.S. higher education. The U.S. Department of Education and many higher education associations use the Carnegie system to organize or label their data.

 

Like U.S. News, Augustana hopes these rankings serve as “a tool for helping future undergraduates understand the academic quality of 4-year baccalaureate programs throughout the United States.”

 

How Augustana ranks in other publications:

For more rankings related to Augustana University, visit augie.edu/rankings.

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