U.S. News Best College rankings: These were the top Georgia schools

It’s that time of year again: College rankings are out. Love them or hate them, people still look at them.

U.S. News & World Report on Monday issued its closely watched, and closely scrutinized, annual Best Colleges rankings.

This year, the outlet said it placed a larger emphasis on social mobility and outcomes for graduates. That change led to changes in the rankings for some schools, according to U.S. News.

The distinction of being the state’s top-ranked national university went to the private Emory University in Atlanta, which landed in a four-way tie for the 24th spot, down two places from last year.

Georgia Tech catapulted 11 spots to tie for No. 33 with the University of California, Irvine. The University of Georgia tied for spot No. 47, inching up two places.

Other Georgia schools that received an overall ranking among national universities include Mercer University at 170, Georgia State University at 227, Augusta University at 332, Georgia Southern University at 352, Clark Atlanta University at 361 and University of West Georgia at 382. Brenau, Kennesaw State and Valdosta State universities all fell within the range of 394 to 435.

Princeton University nabbed the No. 1 placement.

Spelman College once again emerged as the nation’s top historically Black college or university. Morehouse College came in at No. 5, and Clark Atlanta at No. 21.

Spelman also jumped 12 places to tie for No. 39 in the ranking of best national liberal arts colleges. Other Georgia schools to place in that overall category include Agnes Scott College in Decatur, which tied for No. 63, Morehouse College tied for the 100th spot. Covenant College came in at No. 135 and Oglethorpe College at No. 163.

Two Georgia schools made the top 10 on the list of regional universities in the South. Berry College ranked fifth and Savannah College of Art and Design tied for ninth.

Other takeaways from the report include:

Agnes Scott grabbed the top spot on a list of “most innovative” national liberal arts colleges. It also came it at No. 27 on the list of national liberal arts colleges with the “best value.” The school tied for second place on the national liberal arts colleges’ list of “top performers on social mobility.” It took the 11th spot on a list of best undergraduate teaching programs among national liberal arts colleges. It was No. 3 on the list of best “first-year experiences” and No. 4 on a list for best learning communities. It tied for a 10th place spot for best service-learning programs and landed at No. 9 for study abroad offerings.
Clark Atlanta University tied for No. 61 on a list of “top performers of social mobility” among national universities.
Emory University, which has made efforts in recent years to help more students graduate debt-free, was deemed the 21st “best value” among national universities. It also tied for the No. 24 on a list of best national universities undergraduate teaching programs.
Georgia State University ranked second on a list of “most innovative” national universities. It also placed second on a list of best undergraduate teaching programs at national universities, up five spots from its previous rank. It was fourth on the list of best “first-year experiences,” and sixth on a list of best learning communities.
Georgia Tech tied for tenth among top public national universities. It ranked fifth on the “most innovative” national universities list. Georgia Tech’s biomedical and industrial/manufacturing programs both came in No. 1 on the list of best undergraduate engineering programs at schools that offer doctorates. It tied for No. 17 on the national universities list of best colleges for veterans. The school’s undergraduate research and creative projects programs tied as the 7th best in the nation.
Morehouse tied for the 20th spot on the national liberal arts colleges’ list of “top performers on social mobility.” It tied for spot No. 20 on a list of best undergraduate teaching programs at national liberal arts colleges.
Spelman tied for No. 15 on the “most innovative” national liberal arts colleges list. It tied for second on the national liberal arts colleges’ list of “top performers on social mobility.” It was the 19th best among national liberal arts colleges on the list for undergraduate teaching programs.
UGA tied for No. 20 among top public national universities. Its insurance program in the business college was ranked No. 1. It tied for No. 27 on the national universities list of best colleges for veterans.
Wesleyan College tied for third on the list of best regional colleges in the south.