Virginia Wesleyan University in Virginia Beach has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report in two categories of its 2018 Best Colleges rankings, released on Sept. 12. Virginia Wesleyan is ranked 20th in Ethnic Diversity among National Liberal Arts Colleges and was also recognized in U.S. News’ Best National Liberal Arts Colleges.
U.S. News criteria for Ethnic Diversity rankings included identifying colleges nationwide where students are most likely to encounter undergraduates from different ethnic groups from their own. The rankings also factored in the proportion of minority students, not including international students, and the overall mixture of groups in each institution’s 2016–17 academic year. Virginia Wesleyan’s largest ethnic group is African-American, representing 26 percent of the university’s students.
“We are proud to hold this designation, as it represents the diverse, global community in which our University is located,” remarked Virginia Wesleyan University President Scott D. Miller. “We are a welcoming, inclusive campus with an outstanding, nationally prominent academic reputation—and we take pride in fostering the kinds of values and traditions that make our students proud to have chosen us for their career and life success.”
Virginia Wesleyan University was also included in the 229 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges by U.S. News, which is based on 15 measures of academic quality and focuses on student outcomes including graduation and freshman retention rates. Virginia Wesleyan’s ranking puts the school among the top national universities and national liberal arts colleges with higher graduation and freshman retention rates.