University of Richmond moves into U.S. News and World Report's top 20

U.S. News & World Report has ranked the University of Richmond as the No. 18 overall among national liberal arts college in its 2022–23 Best Colleges guide, released Sept. 12. It's UR's highest ranking ever from the magazine; it was ranked No. 22 each of the two previous years.

“The University of Richmond’s swift ascent in U.S. News rankings affirms the great work happening in every corner of campus and the incredible pride and dedication among our Spider community. I am confident that we are on a trajectory to be known, unquestionably, as the best small university in the world,” said UR President Kevin F. Hallock.

The U.S. News national liberal arts colleges ranking includes schools that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study. A variety of factors are considered as part of the ranking methodology, including student-faculty ratio, tuition and financial aid policies, academic majors offered, and campus life.

UR also climbed one spot from last year to reach No. 15 on the “Most Innovative Schools” list. The category highlights colleges that are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities. The university recently announced new academic programming for the 2022–23 academic year and in 2021 opened the Well-Being Center, a collaborative, high-impact environment to support student learning and well-being.

UR also earned high marks last month from The Princeton Review for academics and student experience, ranking in the top 10 for classroom experience, quality of life, and student support. In July, UR was included in the 2023 edition of The Fiske Guide to Colleges, a leading college guidebook, that profiles the “best and most interesting” colleges in the U.S., Canada, and the UK.