HBCU rankings: UMES soars to new high, approaching the Top 10. Here are the top ones.

Keith Demko, Salisbury Daily Times
·3 min read

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has received its highest ranking ever in the U.S. News & World Report survey of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

U.S. News ranked UMES as No. 14 among 78 HBCUs in the 2023-24 edition.

That’s up two spots from last year’s ranking and is its highest ranking since the publication created the HBCU category in 2007. UMES came in at No. 202 among all public colleges and universities.

University of Maryland Eastern Shore held its 136th Spring Commencement Friday at William P. Hytche Athletic Center on the UMES campus. President Heidi M. Anderson conferred degrees to 289 students. Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones gave the commencement address.
University of Maryland Eastern Shore held its 136th Spring Commencement Friday at William P. Hytche Athletic Center on the UMES campus. President Heidi M. Anderson conferred degrees to 289 students. Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones gave the commencement address.

“One great year of rankings does not make a great university,” said Heidi M. Anderson, UMES President. “But our sustained rise in the rankings indicates that we are on the right trajectory of performance. Our rise in the rankings is a reflection of the quality of our students and faculty and the commitment of our leadership team to sustained excellence.

“Our goal is to change the lives of our stewards and be wonderful stewards of our community. Achieving this honor is an indication that we’re achieving our goals and continue to soar above and beyond.”

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The top 10 HBCUs in U.S. News ranking

As it climbs up the rankings, UMES finds itself in elite company. Here's the Top 10 (which some ties of private and public):

No. 1: Spelman College, privateNo. 2: Howard University, privateNo. 3: Florida A&M University, publicNo. 4: Tuskegee University, privateNo. 5: Morehouse College, privateNo. 6: Xavier University of Louisiana, privateNo. 7: Hampton University, privateNo. 7: North Carolina A&T University, publicNo. 9: Claflin University, privateNo. 9: Delaware State University, public

A graduation themed printed mural is seen on the Howard University campus, July 6, 2021, in Washington. More than a third of America's 101 historically Black colleges and universities have been targeted by calls or emails threatening bombings since early January. Howard University in Washington has received at least four threats since Jan. 4.
A graduation themed printed mural is seen on the Howard University campus, July 6, 2021, in Washington. More than a third of America's 101 historically Black colleges and universities have been targeted by calls or emails threatening bombings since early January. Howard University in Washington has received at least four threats since Jan. 4.

It is the fourth consecutive year under Anderson’s leadership the university has moved up in the highly competitive rankings. It’s also the sixth consecutive year UMES has maintained a Top-20 overall HBCU ranking.

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How U.S. News makes its rankings

U.S. News asks senior administrators — presidents, academic policymakers and admissions directors — to rate the academic quality of peer institutions. Graduation and retention rates, and faculty resources also factor into the ranking equation.

Other criteria to measure academic quality include student outcomes, financial resources, student excellence, social mobility, success in graduating students from diverse backgrounds, and assessments from peer institutions and high school counselors.

Salisbury University named among 'Best Colleges'

Some 249 students received master’s and doctoral degrees during Salisbury University’s graduate ceremony on Wednesday, May 22.
Some 249 students received master’s and doctoral degrees during Salisbury University’s graduate ceremony on Wednesday, May 22.

U.S. News & World Report has also again named Salisbury University among the nation’s “Best Colleges.”

The nearly 600 institutions in the “Best Regional Universities” category are split among four geographic areas — North, South, Midwest and West. In the northern region, SU ranked 54th in the top tier among 175 publics and privates, 27thamong the north’s “Best Value Schools” and 18th among the region’s “Top Public Schools.”

SU also once again made the publication’s list of “Best Colleges for Veterans.” In addition, Salisbury was recognized as one of the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” and for having one of the “Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs.”

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“At Salisbury, we pave the way for success by putting students first,” said SU President Carolyn Ringer Lepre. “We work diligently to ensure that our students — and, by extension, our faculty, staff and administrators — have the tools, infrastructure and opportunity they need to achieve their goals in the classroom and beyond. Our continued upward trend in U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings demonstrate what most of our students and alumni already know: Salisbury University is the best place to Make Tomorrow Yours.”

Learn more at  www.salisbury.edu.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: UMES nearing Top 10 with highest ever HBCU ranking. Here are top ones