JACKSON, Tenn. — Sept. 19, 2016 — Union University ranked in the top tier of national universities, according to the annual rankings of colleges and universities by U.S.News & World Report released last week.
It’s the first year for Union to be classified in the “National University” category by the publication. For several years, Union was placed in the “Regional Universities” category, and Union was in the top 15 in that ranking for six straight years.
Union’s listing in USNWR is based on the Carnegie Classifications, a system that categorizes colleges and universities based on the types of degrees they offer. Union moved into a new category when it reached the threshold of reporting 20 “research/scholarship” doctoral degrees.
Most of the schools in the “National Universities” category are widely recognized institutions. The top-ranked school in the category this year by USNWR was Princeton University, followed by Harvard University and the University of Chicago.
Union ranked 169th in the category, a top tier ranking. Union is one of only a handful of Christ-centered institutions on the list, along with schools like Biola University and Azusa Pacific University.
“We are grateful for this recognition of the national impact of Union University,” said Union President Samuel W. “Dub” Oliver. “Still, as I have said frequently, we do not chase rankings at Union. Instead, we pursue our mission according to our core values of being excellence driven, Christ-centered, people-focused, and future-directed, all to the glory of God.”
Among Tennessee institutions on the list, Union ranks behind only Vanderbilt (15) and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (103). Union’s engineering program also was ranked 97th in the nation among programs that don’t offer doctorates.
“When we learned that U.S.News would be ranking us in the ‘National Universities’ category earlier this spring, we were honored to be in such great company with our peers,” said Dan Griffin, Union’s vice president for enrollment management. “When we learned that we were ranked as a top tier national university in our very first year, we felt blessed to be recognized.”
Griffin said the recognition speaks highly of the dedicated work by Union faculty and staff.
“In my short time at Union, it is obvious that Christ is woven into every aspect of our community,” he said. “It is truly an honor that those outside our community recognize our commitment to excellence in academics and our desire to make disciples for Christ. As we continue to move Union forward, we are confident that our ranking in the ‘National Universities’ category will continue to improve.”