FLORENCE – The University of North Alabama has been ranked 19th among the best institutions in the Public Regional Universities of the South category, according to the 2020 list released by U.S. News & World Report. The ranking represents UNA’s first time in the Top 20 of that classification, and the University moved up in six other notable categories as well.
“UNA is a leader among four-year institutions in the state and the region,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “And we’re performing well across the spectrum of categories, which further indicates that we’re providing a first-rate education to all of our students, from traditional to transfer to international.”
In addition to the regional ranking, UNA was also listed as:
- 27th in Best Colleges for Veterans (tie)
- 24th in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie)
- 46th in Best Value Schools
- 19th in Most Innovative Schools (tie)
- 76th in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)
- 43rd in Top Regional Schools (tie)
“The ranking affirms UNA’s position as one of the very best universities in the region as well as one of the most innovative,” said Dr. Ross Alexander, UNA’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. “Not only is innovation explicitly stated in our mission, it is woven throughout the entire fabric of the University. UNA’s top-20 ranking reflects the momentum, progress, and upward trajectory of the institution.”
UNA has climbed up the U.S. News & World Report rankings in each of the categories since the 2019 report was issued. The Commitment to Undergraduate Teaching; Most Innovative; and Social Mobility rankings are new to the list this year. Further, it’s the first time that UNA has appeared on the Top Public Schools list.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the colleges of Arts and Sciences,
Business, Education and Human Sciences, and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I’s ASUN Big South Conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/
Media Release/Michelle Eubanks
Interim Associate Director
University Communications & Marketing/UNA
