Latest Edition of U.S. News regional rankings recognizes TWU

The 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings were released last week, with Tennessee Wesleyan University landing on three of the ranking lists.

“We are proud to be in the top tier again in the regional U.S. News rankings this year,” said TWU President Dr. Harley Knowles. “Our high standing is a credit to all of the University staff, faculty, and students and their collective commitment to excellence.”

#19 Regional Colleges South

In the Regional Colleges South category, TWU placed in a tie at #19. The category, broken down regionally, focuses on undergraduate education, specifically with schools that grant fewer than half their degrees in the liberal arts.

The ranking is an improvement from No.23 in the 2021 rankings. The factors considered for Regional Colleges include graduation and retention rates, social mobility, graduate debt, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence, and alumni giving.

#23 Best Value Schools

TWU also landed on the Best Value Schools list, coming in at #23 among the Regional Colleges South. Best Value Schools ranking is determined by comparing the Best Colleges ranking and 2020-21 net cost of attendance. “The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.”

#17 in Top Performers on Social Mobility

TWU’s highest ranking, and strongest improvement from the 2021 rankings, is shown in the #17 ranking in Top Performers on Social Mobility, up from #43 last year.

Top Performers on Social Mobility schools are those that are most effective at enrolling and graduating high proportions of disadvantaged students, those who are awarded Pell Grants.

“We say often how we are committed to serving underserved populations,” added Dr. Knowles. “We mean that and it is great to see the increase in social mobility rankings as a tangible example of this commitment. Education is a powerful tool in breaking the cycle of poverty, so serving students from low economic backgrounds continues to be very important for us at Tennessee Wesleyan.”

The methodology for all U.S. News rankings is available on their website.