By LaVerne Howell - NGU

Tigerville, SC - In U.S. News & World Report 2020 college rankings released Monday, North Greenville University (NGU) rose 28 ranking positions to No. 50 among the “Best Regional Universities” in the South. NGU is named in two other ranking categories: No. 51 in “Best Value Schools” and No. 17 in the new “Top Performers on Social Mobility” list for Southern schools.  Also, the university’s online programs are ranked this year at No. 113 in “Best Online Graduate Business Programs” (excluding M.B.A.) and No. 159 in “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs.”

“We believe North Greenville is a special institution with a unique mission even without third-party evaluations like the U.S. News rankings, but to see the huge jump in overall rankings was a genuine encouragement to our work,” said NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr.

Economically disadvantaged students are less likely than others to finish college, but some colleges are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The majority of these federal grants are awarded to students whose adjusted gross family incomes are under $50,000. NGU performed No. 17 best on the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” ranking for Southern schools.

“The Social Mobility and Best Value rankings are affirmation that NGU takes costs seriously but also emphasizes not merely enrolling students, but equipping transformational leaders who have graduated to serve church and society. We are proud to serve many first-generation students. The value ascribed to our online programs likewise underscores our commitment to quality education that is life-changing,” said President Fant.

NGU’s Director of Alumni Engagement Lamont Sullivan is one of many first-generation NGU graduates and is grateful to the university for making the “struggle of a college dream a reality.”

“NGU’s goal is to equip students to be transformational leaders for church and society. We are committed to doing this for all students regardless of their circumstances,” said Sullivan. “NGU provided personal attention to me and my family and walked with us throughout my college education.  NGU is committed to helping all students meet and exceed their educational goals.”

NGU’s online programs are also ranked for the first time in the “Best Online Graduate Programs” (excluding M.B.A.) and in “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs.” U.S. News evaluated several factors to rank the best online bachelor's degree programs, including graduation rates, faculty credentials, and support services available remotely.

Which colleges and universities offer students the best value? According to U.S. News, the calculation used here takes into account a school's academic quality, as indicated by its 2020 U.S. News Best Colleges ranking, and the 2018-2019 net cost of attendance for a student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.

U.S. News & World Report’s methodology for ranking universities is based on data retrieved from each institution. For the 2020 rankings, schools are grouped into ten different ranking categories based on their academic missions. Within each category, the sum of weighted, normalized values across 15 indicators of academic quality determines each school's overall score. Some of the indicators include student outcomes, social mobility, graduation and retention rates, graduation rate performance, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence, standardized test scores of current students, high school class standing of current students, and alumni giving.

Learn more about NGU's other recognitions, visit www.ngu.edu/about-ngu and for information on undergraduate and graduate degree program offerings, visit www.ngu.edu/academics.

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