The University of North Georgia (UNG) ranks 16th among all public regional universities in the South on the U.S. News & World Report 2020 Best Colleges list released Sept. 9, up four spots from the previous year's ranking.

In U.S. News' annual ranking of universities and colleges, UNG was also ranked for the second time on the magazine's Most Innovative Schools list, earning the 17th spot among regional universities in the South. This listing highlights colleges or universities making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities.

"UNG prepares students to be globally competitive in high-demand career fields and to be leaders equipped to respond to emerging challenges," UNG President Bonita C. Jacobs said. "As such, we are increasingly recognized nationally for academic excellence, innovative student success initiatives, leadership development, and affordability. Our advancement in this ranking is the latest evidence of the high-quality educational experience and value we provide to our students."

U.S. News also placed UNG:

In a tie for No. 3 among regional universities in the South for the least debt load;

No. 24 for Best Colleges for Veterans among regional universities in the South;

Tied for No. 31 for Best Undergraduate Teaching Programs among regional universities in the South;

As a best value among all regional universities in the South; and

On its Best Undergraduate Business Programs list.  

The U.S. News Best Colleges rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 16 measures of academic quality. The results allow students and their families to compare at a glance the quality of U.S. institutions based on such widely accepted indicators of excellence such as first-year student retention, graduation rates and the strength of the faculty.

UNG also has placed well in other recent national rankings. In August, Forbes magazine named UNG one of the nation's top higher education institutions in its annual "America's Top Colleges" ranking. UNG was one of only six public universities in Georgia to be included on the 2019 list and ranked fourth among all public universities in the state. Money magazine included UNG in its list of Best Colleges released in August. UNG also landed on Kiplinger's Best College Values list released in July.