A new nationwide ranking of universities landed UNC top honors in its region.

The university is the top large university in the southern United States, according to the 2021 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings. The recently released list has UNC ranked ahead of University of Virginia and University of Miami in the category, which includes schools with more than 10,000 undergraduate students.

The newspapers’ ranking also listed UNC as the third best public university in the country and 33rd best overall, maintaining the Chapel Hill school’s positions from the previous edition of the list. Ranking, according to the Wall Street Journal/Times, is determined by 15 factors across four main categories: resources, engagement, outcomes and environment.

“These rankings are a tribute to the faculty and staff who work every day to offer our students the uniquely Carolina programs that provide a high-quality experiential education that is accessible and affordable,” said UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz in a release. “As the nation’s first public university, our mission is to serve the state, nation and world through excellence in teaching, research and service. In fulfilling that mission, we are equipping our students to become future leaders in all that they do.”

The public universities ahead of UNC in the Wall Street Journal/Times rankings are University of Michigan and University of California, Los Angeles. The list’s top five overall universities are Harvard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale, Stanford and Brown.

Down the road from Chapel Hill, Duke University also earned recognition from the Wall Street Journal/Times, as it was named  the southern region’s top midsized school.

In September, The U.S. News & World Report ranked UNC fifth in their list of top public schools among national universities. Previously, Microsoft Academic recognized UNC by naming it the highest-rated university in the country for coronavirus research.

The full, overall 2021 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings can be found here.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

 

 

Related Stories
‹
UNC Ranked as Top Public School in the South Region
Some of the latest academic rankings saw UNC again land top honors within its region. The Wall Street Journal/Times recently shared its regions list for the papers’ 2022 Higher Education College Rankings, with the Chapel Hill university once again being the top public school in the southeastern United States. In the initial publication of the rankings […]
UNC Listed as Third-Best Public U.S. University in Latest Academic Rankings
As the newest rankings of universities across the United States continue to be released, UNC continues to place highly among other public universities. The Wall Street Journal/Times shared its Higher Education 2022 College Rankings List on Tuesday, which saw UNC place third among public colleges in the country. Across all public and private schools, the […]
UNC Rises to No. 4 in Princeton Review's List of Best Public University Value
UNC is ranked highly once again in The Princeton Review and U.S. World & News Report's latest university rankings.
New World Ranking Places UNC Among Top 30 Universities
UNC earned one of the higher spots in a recent ranking of universities across the globe. The 2021 Academic Ranking of World Universities, released each year by the ShanghaiRanking Consultancy, placed the Chapel Hill institution 29th in the world and 20th in the country. Additionally, the list ranks UNC seventh among public universities in the […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse's Season Ends vs. Syracuse in NCAA Quarterfinals
Despite leading 6-2 in the second quarter, UNC fell to No. 6 overall seed Syracuse 13-11 in the NCAA quarterfinals Saturday in Hempstead, N.Y. The Tar Heels’ season is over. Carolina, the No. 3 overall seed in the field, had taken its early lead thanks to three goals in rapid succession from Brady Wambach, Anthony […]
UNC Baseball Drops Regular Season Finale at NC State; Will Be No. 2 Seed in ACC Tournament
The Diamond Heels fell behind early and could not complete a three-game sweep of NC State in Raleigh Saturday, losing 7-2 in the regular season finale. The Wolfpack struck for two runs in the first inning against Carolina starter Folger Boaz, and it was the start of a long afternoon for UNC pitching. NC State […]
UNC Women's Tennis Falls to No. 4 Texas A&M in NCAA Quarterfinals
The UNC women’s tennis season came to an end Friday night in Georgia, as the No. 5 overall seed Tar Heels fell to No. 4 Texas A&M 4-3 in the NCAA quarterfinals. Carolina took an early lead in what proved to be a back-and-forth match, winning the doubles point thanks to victories on No. 2 […]
UNC Baseball Drills NC State in Run Rule Victory to Clinch Series Win
The Diamond Heels scored five runs in the second inning, four in the fourth and seven in the fifth on their way to a 17-7 win at NC State Friday in Raleigh. The win, which came in seven innings via the run rule, clinched a ninth consecutive series win for UNC. 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐈𝐓 𝐔𝐏 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐊 […]
Play-by-Play Class in UNC's Journalism School Wraps Up Debut Semester
Matt Krause is the longtime voice of UNC women's basketball on 97.9 The Hill. This past spring, he shared his knowledge by teaching a class.
UNC Baseball Stays Hot With Series Opening Win at NC State
The Diamond Heels scored five runs in the top of the fifth inning on their way to a 9-4 win at NC State in Raleigh Thursday night. 𝐖𝐨𝐧 the first battle. Start the series strong 💪#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/ouJhmgIWCh — Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) May 15, 2026 The big inning came after UNC had already taken […]
›