VALLEY CITY, N.D. (VCSU) – Valley City State University has been ranked fourth among public regional colleges in the Midwest by U.S. News and World Report in its “2021 U.S. News Best Colleges” guidebook.

VCSU has now appeared in the U.S. News “Best College” rankings for 23 consecutive years, and the university has been ranked in the top five Midwest public regional colleges each year since 2010.

“We’re very proud of the students, faculty, staff and alumni of Valley City State University who have maintained a standard of excellence over time matched by few others,” said President Alan LaFave. “Rankings such as these provide credence and credibility to the notion we hold in our hearts and minds that VCSU is an exceptional place with extraordinary people.”

The U.S. News rankings are based on data including retention and six-year graduation rates, graduation rates for low-income students (based on federal Pell Grant recipients), measures of student excellence (high school class standing and ACT/SAT scores), the alumni giving rate and educational expenditure per student. A peer assessment by college and university officers also factors into the rankings.

The Midwest region comprises 12 states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.