Ashland University has strong showing in this year’s U.S. News and World Report’s rankings

Ashland University saw itself raise almost 50 spots in the newest U.S. News and World Report’s 2023-2024 Regional Universities (Midwest) rankings to number 35 overall. In addition to this achievement, Ashland was also named as a “Best College” for not the first time, and earned four other rankings on the highly sought after lists from the publication.

Of the 167 schools within the Regional Universities (Midwest) category, Ashland University found itself in the top quarter of schools. U.S. News and World Report defines those schools in the category as offering “a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs, but few doctoral programs.” Last year, Ashland was ranked only 82nd.

Looking at only institutions from Ohio that were named in the report, Ashland came in seventh in the Regional Universities category, which is an improvement over last year of six positions. 

U.S. News and World Report looks at 1,500 universities and colleges every year and ranks them based on a set of widely accepted parameters of excellence based on return on student investment, cost of attendance, and academic reputation. For this year, the report made some refinements to the formula it used to devise its rankings, which uses a set of weighted measurements, by placing a greater emphasis on the social mobility an institution allows its students, and by including new data that looks at graduate outcomes.

In an article posted on Ashland University’s website, Carlos Campo, who serves as the president of the University and of the Ashland Theological Seminary, was quoted about the school’s achievement, saying, “We are thrilled to learn of this significant improvement in Ashland’s ranking and thankful that U.S. News has adjusted its methodology to more accurately reflect the value higher education can yield to all students. Ashland has long believed in a mission of providing a transformational learning experience that shapes graduates to serve and lead with integrity in their communities, and these rankings help confirm that we are doing just that.”

Ashland University ranked well in a number of individual categories in the report, as well, including three top 40 ratings in the Midwest Region, including 40th in the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” category, which is an improvement of nine spots compared to last year’s rankings, and is a category that measures how well institutions enrolled and graduated students who were given federal Pell Grants; 36th in the “Best Colleges for Veterans” category, which looks at schools that participate in federal programs aimed at assisting active duty service members and veterans afford their degrees; and 27th in “Best Value Schools” which is a 23-rank improvement from last year, and is a category that measures net cost of attendance and academic quality of an institution. 

Ashland University was also recognized on a national level for its nursing programs. The school’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the Dwight Schar College of Nursing and Health Sciences was awarded a “Best College” distinction, and ranked 402nd across all schools in the country.

More information about Ashland University can be found at the school’s website.