PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The University of Maine at Presque Isle has been named one of the top 5 Most Innovative Schools for Regional Colleges in the North, along with four other top rankings, as part of the U.S. News and World Report 2020 Best Colleges list.
In addition to its Most Innovative Schools ranking, UMPI was named among the 30 Best Regional Colleges in the North, the top 20 Public Schools in the North, and the top 15 Regional Colleges in the North for graduates with least debt. In a new ranking, UMPI was listed among the top 25 Regional Colleges in the North for Social Mobility.
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized in five separate categories of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges List and to be showcased for the work we do every day to provide an innovative, personalized experience for our students that is very affordable and ensures excellent opportunities for social mobility after graduation,” UMPI President Ray Rice said.
“We’ve shown our commitment to college affordability through our The Way It Should Be program — the state’s first program providing free and significantly reduced tuition for eligible Maine students — as well as our Early College offerings for high schoolers and our YourPace degree completion program for adult learners. Our goal continues to be offering a high quality, low cost education so our students graduate with the least debt possible and can focus on their careers and how they will make a difference in the world.”
UMPI appeared in the number-4 spot on U.S. News’ Most Innovative Schools list, which is based on peer assessments. U.S. News asks college presidents, provosts, and admissions deans to nominate up to 15 colleges or universities listed in the Best Colleges ranking category that are “making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities.” The list showcases the schools the public should be watching because of the cutting-edge changes they are making on their campuses. UMPI was one of just 21 regional colleges across the country to appear on the list.
In its Best Regional Colleges in the North ranking, UMPI was listed as number 28, earning first tier status. The ranking defines regional colleges as schools that focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. The north region includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland.
UMPI was listed as #16 in the Top Public Schools ranking list for Regional Colleges in the North. The ranking defines public colleges and universities as those that are typically operated under the supervision of state governments and funded, in part, by tax dollars and subsidies from the state. Such universities often offer free or discounted tuition to students considered residents of the state.
The University was again listed among Regional Colleges in the North for graduates with the least debt. U.S. News compiled a list of schools whose Class of 2017 graduated with the lightest debt load. The data included loans taken out by students from their colleges, from private financial institutions, and from federal, state, and local governments. UMPI came in at number 13, and was the 10th public school to make the list. Additionally, it was the first institution from Maine to make the list.
Finally, in U.S. News and World Report’s new ranking of Top Performers on Social Mobility, UMPI ranked number 21 among Regional Colleges in the North. This ranking measured how well each school graduated students who received federal Pell Grants (those typically coming from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually).
U.S. News and World Report has published its Best Colleges rankings since 1983. According to its website, the rankings provide an excellent starting point for families searching for the best academic value for their money and allow them to compare, at a glance, the relative quality of institutions based on such widely accepted indicators of excellence as freshman retention and graduation rates and the strength of the faculty.
Submitted by the Community and Media Relations Office of the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
