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An aerial view of Regent University Virginia Beach VA 23464.

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Regent a Top National University for 2022

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (September 13, 2021) – Today, in rankings released by U.S. News & World Report, Regent University was named a Tier 1 Best National University for 2022. A total of 1,466 U.S. bachelor’s degree-granting institutions were assessed on 17 measures of academic quality, and Regent was among the top 20% of colleges measured. 

“This achievement reflects the tremendous work of our faculty and staff to provide excellent academics, personalized student support, and a foundational commitment to Christian leadership,” said Regent University Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. William L. Hathaway. “As a premier Christian university, we are continually seeking ways to fortify our investment in current and future students and to enhance access to world-class higher education around the globe.”

According to U.S. News & World Report, measures of academic quality included graduation rate, retention rate, Pell grant graduation rate, peer assessment, class size, faculty compensation, percent of faculty with a terminal degree, percent of faculty who are full-time, student-to-faculty ratio, SAT/ACT scores, high school class standing, acceptance rate, financial resources per student, average alumni giving rate, and graduate indebtedness.

Regent ranked #21 in the nation for Graduation Rate Performance and #3 in Virginia for Social Mobility. Graduation rate is based on each school’s actual six-year graduation rate compared to its predicted rate. The social mobility ranking measures how schools enroll and graduate students who receive federal Pell grants. 

The university also grew in the category of Faculty Resources, advancing 43 spots since 2021 to #141 nationally. This upward momentum reflects Regent’s ongoing commitment to providing high-quality instruction, smaller class sizes, and improved student-faculty ratio. 94% of Regent’s graduate-level faculty and 90% of undergraduate faculty hold the highest degree in their fields. The student-faculty ratio is 19:1, and 93% of first-year undergraduate students reported that they would “definitely” or “probably” attend Regent again.  

In the Student Excellence group, which is based on SAT and ACT scores and the high school class standing of first-year enrolled students, Regent advanced 55 spots since last year to #287 in the nation. Finally, Regent took its place among just 21 schools that ranked in the category of Best Economic Diversity for National Universities. This category highlights schools with the most significant percentage of undergraduates receiving federal Pell grants. 

This U.S. News national ranking comes on the heels of Regent being named the #1 Best Online Christian College in America according to BibleCollegeOnline and the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia according to YourLocalSecurity. To learn more about Regent University, visit www.regent.edu.

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About Regent University

Founded in 1977, Regent University is America’s premier Christian university with more than 11,000 students studying on its 70-acre campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and online around the world. The university offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 areas of study including business, communication and the arts, counseling, cybersecurity, divinity, education, government, law, leadership, nursing, healthcare, and psychology. Regent University is ranked the #1 Best Accredited Online College in the United States (Study.com, 2020), the #1 Safest College Campus in Virginia (YourLocalSecurity, 2021), and the #1 Best Online Bachelor’s Program in Virginia for nine years in a row (U.S. News & World Report, 2021).