Averett also recognized for best value, economic diversity and social mobility

U.S. News & World Report named Averett University No. 21 among 93 schools on the “2022 Best Regional Colleges in the South” list. Averett also landed in the No. 12 spot out of 32 regional colleges for best value, and is the No. 14 school out of 49 for upward social mobility. In addition, the University was recognized for economic diversity among its students.

Averett is the only school in Virginia ranked in the social mobility and best value categories, and is the top-ranked school in Virginia from the best regional colleges list.

“We are elated to receive these rankings and are always grateful for these endorsements. These recognitions are a direct result of the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty and staff members,” said Averett University President Dr. Tiffany M. Franks. “Averett makes higher education accessible to students from all backgrounds and stages of life, and accolades like these honor all of those who are coming to Averett to make their dreams a reality.”

Almost half of Averett’s students are the first in their families to attend college, and more than half are eligible for Pell grants. The University currently enrolls students from 24 states across the country, as well as 93 international students from 29 countries. Nearly 40% of Averett’s student body is comprised of minority students.

U.S. News assesses social mobility by measuring how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants, grants typically given to students with lower family incomes.

Economic diversity was determined using U.S. Department of Education data on the cumulative number of Pell grant recipients at each school for 2019-2020, compared to the 2019-2020 academic year total undergraduate enrollment.

For best value schools, U.S. news considered academic quality and cost after accounting for total expenses and financial aid.

View the complete rankings by clicking here.