National Rankings

Each year, EMU is named in a variety of rankings, from reputable magazines like Forbes and U.S. News and World Report, but also other companies looking to capitalize and monetize a growing college/university rankings industry.

Rankings can be an important factor for prospective students and their parents, for alumni and other donors, and in the recruitment of top faculty and administrators.

Ultimately, though, rankings don’t often measure well the kinds of things we know our alumni say really matters about EMU:

unique relationships with professors;
transformative experiences in classrooms and internships, and on our cross-culturals;
the emphasis on learning to live and lead together in community.

But still, we can’t ignore rankings and we don’t expect you too either. The best ones make use of reliable data and highlight true EMU strengths in areas like academic excellence, affordability/value, sustainability and alumni success.

For that reason, here are some recent rankings authorized by EMU’s Office of Institutional Research as utilizing credible, legitimate methodology. U.S.

#5 in Niche's 2023 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Virginia; #2 out of 20 on the Best Colleges with No Application Fee in Virginia; #3 out of 14 Best Christian Colleges in Virginia; #4 out of 21 Best Colleges for Nursing in Virginia
34th out of 136 universities in the Southeast region, and fourth among Virginia universities among the Best Regional Universities in the South,and additional accolades in the U.S. News and World Report 2022-2023 Best Colleges list
Academic Influence's Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship, 2022 - ranked 34th out of 50
Harrisonburg was selected among Strategistico's 10 Most Livable College Towns in America in 2022
Money’s 2022 Best Colleges - ranked 306 out of 2400; third among private colleges in Virginia
News and World Report’s Best Colleges, 2022 - Best Regional Universities in the South, 35th out of 138
Washington Monthly ranked EMU second among Virginia master’s universities and 57th in the nation in the percentage of grads with service-oriented majors, 2021
Best Job Placement Rate - Intelligence.com. 2021
Best Colleges (south region)- US News and World Report, 2021
- Best Value (south region)
- Social Mobility (south region)
Best Colleges (south region)- US News and World Report, 2020
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, 2021 College rankings
Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, 2020 College rankings
Money's Best Colleges 2019
Forbes Best ROI University (Grateful Grads Index, 2018)
The Princeton Review- top 50 guide to green schools, 2018
Sierra Club- Cool Schools, 2019
Marks of Distinction, 2018