FMU ranked among best colleges in the South by U.S News & World Report

FLORENCE, S.C. — Francis Marion University has again been recognized by U.S. News & World Report magazine as one of the top Regional Universities in the South.

The 2021-22 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” is available online today. The information will also appear in the magazine’s print edition later this month.

FMU has been a regular member of the top-ranked Regional Universities category for two decades. The university was  also recognized in three sub categories. FMU was ranked as a Top Performer for Social Mobility, as a Top Public School, and as Best Value School. FMU, which has one of the lowest tuitions in the state of South Carolina, has repeatedly been recognized for its value and affordability, both by U.S. News and other publications.

Additionally, three academic programs were recognized individually for excellence in the U.S. News rankings. The University’s renowned School of Nursing was ranked among the Best Undergraduate Nursing programs in the nation. The School of Business was ranked among the Best Undergraduate Business programs, and the FMU engineering program was ranked among the nation’s Best Undergraduate Engineering programs.

Dr. Fred Carter, president of Francis Marion, says the rankings validate FMU’s ongoing efforts to provide a superior education to its students.

“We are proud that once again Francis Marion has been recognized nationally for the quality of its instruction and the distinctiveness of its programs,” says Carter. “Through the efforts of our faculty and staff, our students are receiving an extraordinary education, at one of the most affordable and accessible institutions in South Carolina.”

 For its overall rankings, and many others, U.S. News & World Report divides schools into categories. FMU is classified as a regional university, a school that provides a full range of undergraduate majors and graduate-level programs.

There are 589 institutions listed as regional universities, which is the largest of all the magazine’s categories. Each of the regional universities is ranked against peers in their geographic region. Only a portion of the universities in each region are rated as a “Best College.” Some are not ranked at all.

The specialty ranking areas include universities of all sizes and classifications in a single ranking. U.S. News ranks colleges and universities in all its categories using data that reflects academic excellence, and various other aspects of university life.