Francis Marion University honored in U.S. News & World Report rankings

Francis Marion University has once again been honored as one of the top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

FMU improved upon its rankings from last school year in five categories, including Best Value and Social Mobility, Best Regional Universities in the South, Top Public Schools, Best Colleges for Veterans, and Best Value Schools. 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.

Dr. Fred Carter, president of Francis Marion, said this year’s rankings are particularly meaningful.

“After working through the challenges of the pandemic over the past few years, it’s heartening to see these new rankings,” Carter said. “This is a direct reflection of the many hours of hard work on the part of the entire campus community.”

Additionally, two academic programs were ranked among the nation’s best in the U.S. News rankings. The University’s renowned School of Nursing was again ranked among the Best Undergraduate Nursing programs in the nation. As well, the School of Business was ranked among the Best Undergraduate Business programs. 

FMU’s School of Nursing is known as a top tier program in both graduate and undergraduate studies. It has been regularly recognized by the NLN Center of Excellence in Nursing Education. The program has been among FMU’s fastest growing, and recently announced that a Doctor of Occupational Therapy will be added in 2024.

Similarly, Francis Marion’s School of Business has become a perennial award winner. The program holds accreditation from the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier accrediting body for business education. Only five percent of business schools worldwide hold this accreditation.

To rank the institutions, the 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, making it 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. Francis Marion has been ranked among the best universities for over two decades.