UMW Publicity Rises in the Ranks
2 min read 
By VANESSA MOORE
This summer saw the recognition of the University of Mary Washington in several best colleges guides, a trend that appears to be continuing into the fall.
Having recently been listed in the Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of the country’s best buy schools, UMW has also been ranked thirteenth among a group of southern universities in the U.S News & World Report’s rankings.
This is the fifth year that UMW has been selected as one of 44 U.S institutions on the Fiske Best Buy list, and it is the only school in the Virginia and Washington, DC area to be included.
In the most recent September issue, Virginia Living Magazine also included UMW in its list of featured high schools and colleges.
The university has increasingly been recognized for its affordability, academic merit and historical background.
“Mary Washington could easily be mistaken for one of Virginia’s elite private colleges,” states the Fiske Guide. “It offers just as much history and tradition – for a much lower price.”
Aside from recognition, these rankings are an excellent way to garner positive national exposure, which can allow for UMW to receive a wider range of students.
“The rankings serve as good publicity to people who don’t know about this school,” senior biology major CahnMee Chung said. “It’s nice that the school is starting to get recognized, because when I came to the school I didn’t even know it existed, and I think a lot of other people feel that way too.”
While the rankings may encourage new students, some hope that the recent publicity can also have an even deeper effect.
“Since it’s getting recognized more, I think that the school will draw in new people and experiences and that the community has more of a chance to diversify and flourish,” Chung said. “Maybe we can even become one of the top schools in Virginia. This school is really hard education wise, and I think it’s good that our academic reputation is getting out there.”
In addition to the Fiske, Virginia Living and U.S News & World Report rankings, the university has also been recognized on lists compiled by Forbes and the Princeton Review.
