The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) has climbed to the sixth spot among the top U.S. public schools in the category of regional colleges in the southern region, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Colleges ranking published today. In addition to jumping from the seventh to sixth spot, UVI ranked 35 among all southern Regional Colleges – an increase from last year – and ranked 42 on the social mobility measure.
“UVI’s improved marks reflect our ongoing commitment to excellence, student achievement and the offering of robust financial aid programs to support our students in reaching their goals,” said UVI President, Dr. David Hall. “In our global environment where UVI vies for students from around the world, we are pleased to be recognized by a respected authority on college rankings and to rank among our region’s finest schools.”
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.
To make attending college affordable for more students, UVI offers a variety of financial aid programs and scholarships in addition to its free tuition program for Virgin Islands students. In August, UVI introduced several major financial supports for qualifying students including debt forgiveness, free housing and a $500 technology award to assist students during the pandemic.
“As we approach our 60th year of serving the Virgin Islands, we could not be more proud of our growth as an institution and for the honor of being nationally recognized once again,” said Dr. Hall. “We are grateful for the collective efforts of our students, faculty, staff, alumni and donors who continue to propel UVI forward in our quest for excellence and innovation and to make a positive impact in the Virgin Islands, in our region and beyond.”
For a link to the U.S. News & World Report announcement, click here. For more information about UVI, visit www.uvi.edu.