Including 16 consecutive years as the #1 Public University in the South
It’s official: For the third year in a row, The Citadel has been ranked the #1 Regional University in the South.
The Military College of South Carolina leads the category, which includes more than 150 public and private institutions from 12 states.
U.S. News & World Report — which released their annual rankings Tuesday, Sept. 22. — also named The Citadel as the #1 Best Public University in the South for the 16th consecutive time.
“This ranking is a credit to our exceptional faculty and staff who work tirelessly to prepare our cadets and students for their next steps after graduation,” said The Citadel President Gen. Frank McKenzie, USMC (Ret.), ’79. “Our unique educational model continues to successfully develop principled leaders and citizen-soldiers in a way that is recognized around the country.”
It was not the only recognition the college received.
Other notable rankings earned by The Citadel include:
- #1 Regional University in the South
- #1 Best Public University in the South
- #1 Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Universities (South)
- #2 Best Value for In-State Students – Regional Universities (South)
- #9 Undergraduate Teaching – Regional Universities (South)
- #9 Best Value – Regional Universities (South)
- #15 (tied) Best Undergraduate Engineering, nationwide (non-doctoral)
“Our goal is to prepare graduates for life after college,” said Kevin Bower, Ph.D. interim provost of The Citadel. “Our faculty integrate rigorous academics with hands-on learning opportunities that prepare students for success after graduation. It is rewarding to see the impact of those efforts, and the achievements of our graduates, recognized by U.S. News & World Report.”
This is also the ninth consecutive year that The Citadel is ranked Best College for Veterans in the South, demonstrating The Citadel’s continued commitment to its veteran students. Veterans may enroll in any of the programs offered by The Citadel, including the day and evening undergraduate programs as well as the master’s programs.
For more information on the academic programs offered by The Citadel, click here.
The announcement follows The Citadel’s recent recognition by TIME as South Carolina’s leading institution in its inaugural America’s Best Colleges ranking. That evaluation emphasized student outcomes relative to the cost of an education.
U.S. News & World Report was one of the first American publishers to produce a college rankings list based on a complex formula of publicly reported data that is submitted to the U.S. Department of Education annually by all institutions of higher education.
To learn more about the methodology used for these rankings, click here.

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