Converse Spotlighted in 2026 U.S. News & World Report

Converse University has once again been honored in the U.S. News & World Report‘s 2026 Best Colleges rankings for Regional Universities in the South. The university ranked 8th for Best Value, 12th (tie) for Social Mobility, and 33rd overall (tie) in the Regional Universities (South), rising in the ranks for each category.

While outside rankings could never fully capture the scope of an institution’s strengths and impact, Converse President Boone Hopkins, Ph.D., expressed his appreciation that the attributes that make Converse a vibrant living and learning community have been acknowledged and included among our peer institutions.

“At Converse, we believe deeply in the transformative power and lasting value of higher education,” he said. “We’re proud to see U.S. News & World Report recognize the impact of our work. We experience that impact every day on our campus through the creativity and leadership of our students, the energy of our community, and the innovation within our programs.”

Building on last year’s momentum, Converse significantly improved its standing in the Best Value category, rising from #15 to an impressive #8 in this year’s rankings. According to U.S. News & World Report, this ranking considers a school’s academic quality as well as the net cost of attendance for students who receive the average level of need-based financial aid. Only schools ranked in or near the top half in their main categories are included because U.S. News values colleges that are above average academically.

Converse also moved significantly higher in the rankings for Social Mobility to tie for 12th among universities in the region for its impactful efforts to support and graduate students from diverse economic backgrounds and help students improve their socioeconomic status through educational opportunities. More information about how rankings are calculated can be found here.