The University of Mary Washington kicked off the Fall 2019 semester by racking up a ranking based on one of its core principles – service.

As students hurried across campus on the first official day of classes, Washington Monthly today released its 2019 College Rankings, placing UMW among the nation’s elite by including it in not one but two categories: Best Master’s Universities and Best Bang for the Buck. Departing from measurements used by other college guides, Washington Monthly distinguishes itself as “rating schools based on what they do for the country and the public good.” Since 2005, the magazine has ranked institutions on their ability to promote upward mobility, produce scholars and scholarship, and encourage students to be active citizens.

In the guide, UMW ranked 32, taking the second highest distinction in the state of Virginia, among master’s universities, which the publication defines as “four-year institutions that award . . . master’s degrees but few or no doctoral degrees.” Read more.

The University of Mary Washington is a premier, selective public liberal arts and sciences university in Virginia, highly respected for its commitment to academic excellence, strong undergraduate liberal arts and sciences program, and dedication to life-long learning. The university, with a total enrollment of more than 5,000, features colleges of business, education and arts and sciences, and three campuses, including a residential campus in Fredericksburg, Va., a second one in nearby Stafford and a third in Dahlgren, Va., which serves as a center of development of educational and research partnerships between the Navy, higher education institutions and the region’s employers.