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Academics

Carolina ranks 4th among publics

In the U.S. News & World Report list, the University is the best value among public institutions for the 19th year.

Old Well on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill with purple flowers in the foreground.
(Johnny Andrews/UNC-Chapel Hill)

UNC-Chapel Hill is the No. 4 ranked public university in the country and is No. 22 overall in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report Best College rankings released Monday.

Carolina, which has been among the top 5 public universities for more than 22 years, moved up one position from last year to No. 4. The University tied for 22nd overall among public and private institutions – up seven positions from a year ago.

Carolina also ranked 14th place overall in the rankings for best value schools. The University has held first place among public institutions in the best value category for 19 years.

“As one of the top four public universities in the country, Carolina is committed to excellence in the classroom, on the athletics fields and in service to the people of the state of North Carolina and beyond,” said Interim Chancellor Lee Roberts. “Our ranking by U.S. News and World Report speaks to the dedication of our faculty, students and staff every day as they work to discover and expand knowledge. Most importantly, our recognition as the number one best value for public universities is the result of a consistent, bi-partisan, decades-long commitment by the people of our state to ensuring that a world-class education remains affordable.”

U.S. News & World Report assessed the year’s Best Colleges rankings by looking at 19 academic quality indicators, including graduate and retention rates; social mobility; faculty resources; academic quality assessments by peer institution presidents, provosts and deans; financial resources; student excellence and alumni giving.

“Over the past several years, our campus Board of Trustees has worked closely with the university’s administration, our world-class faculty, the UNC System Board of Governors, the N.C. General Assembly and other key stakeholders to make Carolina a national leader,” said John Preyer, chairman of the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Trustees. “Our students and alumni are our greatest success stories, applying their UNC education as they lead in their communities, our state, our nation and the world. This new national recognition is the result of  Tar Heel teamwork and a consistent commitment to excellence by everyone involved. On behalf of the trustees, thank you all.”

In the publication’s newly added Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects category, Carolina ranks among the Top 50 universities in the nation.

Additional 2024 Best Colleges rankings for UNC-Chapel Hill include:

  • No. 4 in nursing (tied).
  • No. 7 in management.
  • No. 7 in marketing.
  • No. 8 in undergraduate business (tied).
  • No. 12 in entrepreneurship (tied).
  • No. 9 for Best Colleges for Veterans, up three rankings from 2023; this ranking reflects Carolina’s continued commitment to military and military-affiliated students.