UNC Asheville is ranked fifth in the nation among public liberal arts colleges in U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings, released September 13. This is the second consecutive year UNCA was awarded the fifth spot. The annual rankings look at a range of measures, including academic reputation, commitment to instruction, student abilities, and graduation and retention rates.

U.S. News also introduced a new ranking of schools with outstanding examples of academic programs that lead to student success. UNCA was ranked eighth in the nation among all colleges and universities and second among all public colleges and universities for undergraduate research. Begun two decades ago, UNCA’s Undergraduate Research Program provides students in all disciplines the opportunity to work with faculty mentors to design and conduct their own research.

The U.S. News ranking highlights UNCA’s growing national reputation. Earlier this fall UNCA was ranked eighth among the nation’s best academic values in the 2003 edition of The Princeton Review’s “The Best 345 Colleges.” UNCA was also named a Best Buy Among American Colleges for the ninth year in the 2003 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges.

UNCA Chancellor James Mullen emphasized that each of these rankings affirm the wonderful opportunity UNCA offers to students in Western North Carolina and across the state and nation. “The University of North Carolina Asheville is earning a national reputation for excellence. The faculty, staff and students of our university have created a liberal arts community of learning that stands with the best in the country,” said Mullen.

The newsstand book, America’s Best Colleges, which contains the U.S. News college rankings, is slated to go on sale September 16. Many of the rankings will be listed in the September 23 issue of U.S. News & World Report, which went on sale September 16.