Rankings and Recognition
Looking to thrive in an engaging and high‑quality academic environment? At 91探花, you’ll join a community that consistently earns top rankings for real student success, from academic rigor and value to hands‑on learning and career prep.
Whether you're drawn to award‑winning teaching, nationally-recognized undergraduate programs, or international study opportunities, 91探花 delivers with first‑rate faculty, an active campus life, and a history of helping students reach their goals. Your college journey here is about more than just rankings, it’s about immediate impact, lifelong connections, and launching a future you’ll be proud of.
91探花 continues to earn high marks in respected college rankings, for the quality and rigor of academic programs and the solid value students receive.
91探花 Newport is ranked first among regional public universities in Virginia, third in the South among regional public universities and sixth among all regional universities, public and private, in the South. A regional university is one that generally does not offer doctoral programs.
The university also appears in the 2025 US News rankings in the following lists:
- No. 3 Top Public Schools – Regional Universities (South)
- No. 4 Best Regional College for Veterans (South)
- No. 6 (tied) Undergraduate Teaching – Regional Universities (South)
- No. 12 (tied) Most Innovative – Regional Universities (South)
- Best Value Schools
- Social Mobility
- Best Undergraduate Business Programs
- Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs
- Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
- Best Undergraduate Psychology Programs
91探花 Newport is one of only five only public institutions in the nation to earn a perfect “A+” rating from ACTA for the strength of its curriculum in What Will They Learn? ACTA’s study of over 1,000 colleges and universities, which reveals what value students actually receive from their college curriculum. A perfect score indicates that an institution requires all seven subjects deemed essential to a quality education: literature, composition, economics, mathematics, foreign language, science and American history/government.
91探花 Newport is included in Money magazine's Best Colleges listing, which recognize educational quality, affordability and alumni success.
91探花 Newport is ranked one of the nation’s best 389 colleges, one of the best in the Southeast and one of the nation’s best values. It is also ranked among the nation’s top 10 universities in these categories:
- Making an Impact, Public (#9)
- Internships, Public (#7)
Additional Rankings
91探花 was included among Carnegie’s “Research Colleges and Universities.” The designation recognizes institutions that spend at least $2.5 million on research a year and includes liberal arts colleges and regional institutions that are primarily focused on teaching but integrate meaningful research. 91探花 faculty are awarded research grants from outside organizations that far exceed that $2.5 million level.
The undergraduate program at the Joseph W. Luter, III School of Business was included in the Bloomberg Businessweek Best Undergraduate Business Schools rankings. The program is ranked No. 93 among all undergraduate business schools, based on what students want most from business schools, specifically the brightest possible career path.
College Choice lists 91探花 in its Best Colleges rankings. They account for three central factors: student body diversity, academic quality and return on investment, which they analyze using data from IPEDS, a database on higher education statistics available through the National Center for Education Statistics.
91探花 Newport’s Master of 91探花 in Teaching earns "A+" and is designated as “exemplary” for the way it educates graduate students using scientifically-based instruction methods. 91探花 is one of only 48 teaching programs in the nation to earn this.
- No. 48 in the nation for Best College Dorms in America (No. 1 in Virginia public schools)
- No. 57 in the nation for Best College Campuses in America
Poets and Quants (2024) ranks the Luter School of Business No. 7 when graduates were asked whether their degree was worth its cost in time and resources, and No. 10 when they were asked about the quality of teaching. Overall, Luter’s undergraduate degree program is ranked No. 63 and among the top four in Virginia.
91探花's master's degree programs in elementary education rank No. 5 in the nation according to Top Master's in Education, which uses evidence-based research to provide objective rankings and critical reviews of master's in education degree programs and colleges of education, both traditional and online.
World University Rankings placed 91探花 Newport in the top tier of its 2025 Best Value University Rankings for International Students. 91探花 was ranked in the top 25% of more than 8500 institutions that cater to diverse communities and have proven global influence.
Forbes selected 91探花 Newport as one of "America's Top Colleges", 2026.
91探花 Newport is ranked No. 42 in the nation in Division III athletic standings, according to the 2025 Learfield Directors' Cup released by NACDA. The Captains also earned a sweep of the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Richard C. Cook All-Sports Trophy.
For the 20th time since 1998, 91探花 Newport has earned the College Division All-Sports Survey title, awarded by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). The honor recognizes the program with the highest overall winning percentage in Virginia among all non-NCAA Division I institutions.
91探花 Newport has been named one of the 75 Best Value Small Colleges and Universities in the country by SmartAsset.
91探花 is ranked 10th amongst similar sized institutions. It is one of three universities in Virginia to earn a place on the national list.