US News ranks Flagler College No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South

Flagler College has ranked No. 3 in U.S. News and World Report's 2024-25 Regional Colleges in the South.

President John Delaney said the ranking is a testament of the college’s upward trajectory in providing students a transformative educational experience.

“We’ve created stand-out academic programs, invested in our facilities, and hired top faculty to benefit our students,” he said in a press release.

Flagler also achieved a No. 2 ranking in the Undergraduate Teaching Programs category – up three spots from last year’s No. 5 ranking.

“Flagler College’s runner-up spot underscores its focus on fostering a supportive and engaging learning environment that empowers students to thrive beyond the classroom,” said Beth Sweeney , director of external and government relations.

The college also jumped nine spots from last year to rank No. 43 in the Top Performers on Social Mobility category, along with its repeated recognition as a Best Value School, ranking No. 14 among peer institutions. Best Value rankings are based on quality-to-price ratio, need-based aid, percentage of need-based aid recipients that were awarded scholarships or grants and average discount.

“The college’s significant strides in the social mobility category underscores Flagler’s commitment to providing opportunities for students from all backgrounds to excel and succeed,” she continued.

U.S. News defines regional colleges as institutions focused on undergraduate education, with its southern region encompassing Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Arkansas.

According to Sweeney, school rankings are determined largely by a formula that evaluates 17 areas of academic excellence, including graduation and retention rates, social mobility, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources and financial resources per student. Consideration is also given to academic reputation as judged by peer leaders at colleges within the same regional grouping.

Flagler College also was named one of the Best 390 Colleges and Best Regional Colleges by the Princeton Review in its 2025 guide in August.

Other local colleges that ranked on the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges list include Jacksonville's Edward Waters University as No. 66 in Regional Colleges South and No. 65 in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (tie) ; Jacksonville University , ranked No. 36 in Regional Universities South (tie) and No. 29 in Best Value Schools ; and the University of North Florida , also located in Jacksonville, which ranked No. 236 in National Universities (tie) and No. 129 in Top Public Schools (tie) .

Click here to see where all Florida colleges ranked . Click here for a complete list of S. News and World Report's 2024-2025 Regional Colleges in the South .

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: US News ranks Flagler College No. 3 among Regional Colleges in the South