BOONE, N.C. — The value of an Appalachian State University education, along with Appalachian’s academics, innovation and benefits for student veterans, has consistently been recognized by such notable publications as U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review and MONEY and Forbes magazines — this year is no exception.

For the 2018–19 academic year, Appalachian ranks among U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges,” as well as Forbes magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges” and “America’s Best Value Colleges.”

Additionally, Appalachian was named in MONEY magazine’s “2018–19 Best Colleges Ranking” and The Princeton Review’s “2019 Best Colleges: Region by Region” web feature as a “Best in the Southeast.”

“The value of an Appalachian degree is well known,” Chancellor Sheri Everts said. “To receive recognition from these respected publications underscores our position as the premier, public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina.”

Appalachian one of the ‘2019 Best Colleges’ — US News and World Report

Appalachian took top spots in U.S. News and World Report’s “2019 Best Colleges Rankings,” released in September. The university was recognized for its academics, value, innovation and other aspects.

Appalachian placed third among Southern universities in the Top Public Regional Universities category, fifth among Southern universities in the Best Colleges for Veterans category and moved up one position this year in the Best Regional Universities of the South category for a ranking of No. 8.

In other U.S. News and World Report honors, Appalachian ranked in the following categories:

• Second in the Best Undergraduate Teaching category among Southern regional universities.
• Second in the Most Innovative Schools category among Southern regional universities, in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.
• 20th in the Best Value Schools category for Southern regional universities.

Since the U.S. News and World Report “Best Colleges” rankings were first published annually in 1987, Appalachian has consistently placed among the top 15 public and private Southern universities.

The data for the 2019 edition of “Best Colleges” were gathered in spring 2018, with a total of 1,608 schools surveyed. U.S. News followed the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s Basic Classification system to determine schools’ placement into the 2019 edition ranking categories.

See the full rankings

Appalachian one of the ‘Best in the Southeast’ for 2019 — The Princeton Review

Appalachian is among schools chosen by The Princeton Review for its “Best in the Southeast” section of its website feature “2019 Best Colleges: Region by Region,” which was announced in August. The schools were unranked.

In its website profile on Appalachian, The Princeton Review said the university offers “a broad liberal arts education” with “a strong sense of community and a challenging academic environment.” Students praised the “student-oriented” administration and indicated they appreciate the university’s focus on green initiatives and sustainability.

The Princeton Review selected schools primarily for their excellent academic programs. Secondarily, editors took into account what students attending the schools reported to them about their campus experiences on a student survey for this project.

View the complete list of schools

Appalachian named in top half of “2018–19 Best Colleges Ranking” — MONEY magazine

Out of 727 colleges in America, Appalachian ranked 369th in MONEY magazine’s “2018–19 Best Colleges Ranking” list, which was published in August.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s and PayScale.com, as well as MONEY/College Measures calculations were used to analyze the schools’ graduation rates, tuition charges, family borrowing, alumni earnings and more.

The rankings were based on 26 separate factors spanning three categories, which included quality of education, affordability of degree, and graduates’ earnings and employment outcomes.

A total of 12 University of North Carolina System institutions, including Appalachian, were named to the list, with Appalachian listed alongside North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the three top-ranking UNC System schools.

See the full rankings

Appalachian among 2018 ‘Top’ and ‘Best Value Colleges’ in America — Forbes magazine

In Forbes magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges” rankings for 2018, Appalachian placed as No. 318 out of 650 public higher education institutions in the nation.

Of the 19 North Carolina colleges and universities included in the list, Appalachian is the third highest ranking UNC System institution — with UNC Chapel Hill first and North Carolina State University second.

The schools named to the list were scored based on the following six factors: alumni salaries, debt after graduation, retention and graduation rates, debt load upon graduation, alumni salaries and signs of individual success, including academic and career accolades.

Additionally, Forbes named Appalachian in its third annual “America’s Best Value Colleges 2018” list.

Forbes’ website states, “A college degree is one of the costliest investments a student or family can make. According to Department of Education data, students attending four-year institutions who lived on campus in the 2016–17 academic year paid an average of $32,595, up almost 20% from 2010.”

At Appalachian, the cost for tuition, fees, standard room and board, and most textbooks for the 2017–18 academic year is $14,645 for North Carolina residents and $29,452 for out-of-state residents.

RELATED: Financing the dream — staying fiscally afloat at Appalachian

The schools named to the list were ranked based on scores in the following areas: net price, net debt, alumni earnings, timely graduation, school quality and access for low-income students.

View the full rankings — Forbes magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges” and “America’s Best Value Colleges.”

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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