Berry College Earned Top Regional Rankings
The institution secured the number one spot for best value and undergraduate teaching in the Southern region.
Updated on Sept. 25, 2026 in Financial Aid
Live Poll
Do national college rankings influence your opinion of a school's actual quality and value?
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Rome-based Berry College as the number one institution for Best Value and Best Undergraduate Teaching among regional universities in the South. The college also achieved an overall second-place standing in the regional rankings.
Why it matters
The high rankings reflect the college's focus on affordability and the LifeWorks program, which provides students with paid professional development. These results emphasize the institution's commitment to combining educational quality with financial accessibility.
Berry College awarded over $60 million in financial aid to its students, with all undergraduates receiving some form of assistance. The institution maintains a 12-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio and offers eight semesters of guaranteed hands-on professional development.
The players
Berry College
This is a private liberal arts college located in Rome that is known for its focus on hands-on student work experiences.
U.S. News & World Report
This is a media company that publishes annual rankings of colleges and universities based on various educational and financial metrics.
The details
The rankings are determined by a methodology that evaluates graduation rates, social mobility, and student debt, with peer assessments accounting for 20 percent of the final score. In addition to its primary regional honors, the college ranked eighth nationally for service learning and is among the top 40 schools for first-year experience.
Timeline
September 2026 marked the release of the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
In 2024, the college held the second-place ranking for Best Value and Undergraduate Teaching.
Culture Shift
These new rankings mark a continuation of the institution's ascent, as it improved upon its 2024 placement in multiple categories. The results track with a broader trend of institutions prioritizing career-integrated learning programs like LifeWorks to remain competitive.
Students at the college benefit from guaranteed paid professional development and significant financial aid packages that reduce the net cost of attendance. These rankings may assist prospective families in evaluating the long-term return on investment for their education budget.
The takeaway
Prospective students should investigate how institutions integrate paid work experience into their academic requirements to lower overall debt. Prioritizing colleges with strong student-to-faculty ratios can also lead to more direct mentorship and teaching opportunities.
Further reading
Learn more about how schools determine costs and support for students in the Financial Aid section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chattooga1180.
Live Poll
Do national college rankings influence your opinion of a school's actual quality and value?
