Iowa Schools Improve in U.S. News College Rankings

In a separate survey from the one put out last week on college TOWNS in America, U.S. News & World Report has released its rankings of 2020's Best Colleges in America.

After losing a little ground among public universities last year, the University of Iowa improves by 4 spots, up to #34. Iowa State improved from #56 to #55. Adding private universities to the mix, those numbers are significantly lower, with Iowa at #84 and Iowa State at #121 overall.

Northern Iowa saw a gain among the sub-category "Midwest public and private schools", from #25 to 21.

U.S. News' rankings are often seen as a go-to guide among prospective college students, as well as offering bragging rights and a selling point for the universities and colleges who get picked.

Out of 399 total colleges and universities ranked, it's no surprise who makes the Top 5: Princeton, Harvard, Columbia, MIT, Yale, and Stanford.

For its rankings, U.S. News measures institutions who offer bachelor's degrees, and on 15 categories of academic quality, such as retention and graduation rates, financial resources; class sizes; and faculty pay.

[Via Gazette]