For the 21st consecutive year, Union Adventist University has been ranked in the top tier of American colleges and universities by U.S. News and World Report. In its annual “Best Colleges” publication, U.S. News ranked Union 23rd in its category of Midwestern regional colleges, up two places from last year.
“It’s always affirming when the statistics confirm what I see every day at Union: our students receive a top-tier education,” said Yami Bazan, university president. “Across this campus, I see faculty and staff go above and beyond to fulfill Union’s mission. They equip our students with the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to joyfully follow God’s calling wherever their careers lead.”
Changes in rankings generally reflect adjustments in the methodology used by the publication more than any changes made by the institutions. A major alteration this year was replacing student loan debt as a factor and instead using the median salary of alumni. Over the past 21 years, Union’s rank has ranged from 46th up to 14th place as methodology has changed.
The university also ranked in two of the publication’s more focused lists:
- Sixteenth in its category for “Top Performers on Social Mobility.” Students from low-income backgrounds are less likely to attend college or complete a degree than those from middle or upper-income families, even when adjusting for high school performance. According to U.S. News, schools like Union graduate economically disadvantaged students at a much higher than average rate.
- Eleventh “Best Value School” in its category. In this list, schools’ ranks are adjusted based on total cost of attendance. As the publication says, “The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.”
“I love hearing we’re a ‘Best Value School,’” said Bazan. “Those values are so perfectly summed up by the motto chosen by President Prescott 135 years ago: ‘They all shall be taught of God.’ That’s not just about religion classes. All. We are serious about our duty to make excellent Adventist Christian education as accessible as possible to the students God leads to this special place. I am so grateful to our alumni, friends and church family whose gifts to operations and scholarships support Union’s legacy of mission.”