UNC Asheville Named One of Top Universities in Nation

Experts agree: UNC Asheville is one of the finest public liberal arts universities in the nation.

According to U.S. News & World Report, UNC Asheville is the fourth best public liberal arts university in America. UNC Asheville has been among the top five in the rankings for four consecutive years. There are 21 public liberal arts universities in the nation and 196 private liberal arts colleges.
The U.S. News and World Report's annual college rankings were released Friday, 
Aug. 20. The annual rankings look at a range of measures, including academic reputation, commitment to instruction, student abilities, financial resources, and graduation and retention rates. 

U.S. News and World Report also looked at "schools with outstanding examples of programs that are believed to lead to student success." These "Programs to Look For" include the category of Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects. UNC Asheville's Undergraduate Research Program was one of only 36 in the nation to be included on the roster, along with such leading research universities as Harvard, Princeton and Carnegie Mellon. UNC Asheville founded the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in 1986 to promote faculty-student collaboration in all disciplines.

UNC Asheville Chancellor Jim Mullen said that this new ranking, along with other rankings received in the past few months, affirms the fine educational opportunity UNC Asheville offers to students from across the state and nation. "The robust character of a university is the result of a deeply committed faculty, engaged staff and talented students. UNC Asheville continues to garner national recognition for its leadership as a public liberal arts university."

Last month, UNC Asheville was named a "Best Buy" among 20 American and Canadian public colleges and universities in the 2005 edition of the "Fiske Guide to Colleges." It is the 11th consecutive year that UNC Asheville has earned the designation. The University was also one of just 77 colleges and universities to be included in The Princeton Review's college guidebook, "America's Best Value Colleges." 

Media Contacts:

• Merianne Epstein, UNCA Public Information Director, 828/251-6676
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526