Shenandoah University Named Among Top Private Universities In Virginia

Shenandoah University continues to climb the list of U.S. News & World Report’s Best National Universities while maintaining its status as one of the top private schools in Virginia.

In U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings released on Sept. 22, Shenandoah jumped to No. 2 among private national colleges and universities in Virginia. The Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing also continues to provide one of the best educational opportunities in the state, with Shenandoah’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program ranking No. 2 in Virginia among private universities.

Earlier this year, Shenandoah’s nurse-midwifery program was listed as the No. 1 program in the state. U.S. News will release its 2027 Best Graduate School rankings next spring.

Over the past two years, Shenandoah University has climbed 27 spots in the rankings of the best national universities.

U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings compare over 1,700 colleges and universities using up to 17 measures of academic quality and graduate success. To maintain fair comparisons, schools are first grouped into 10 categories based on the 2025 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education’s institutional classifications and research designations. Within those categories, each school is scored on up to 17 academic quality factors. Those factors, and how much weight is applied to each, are informed by literature reviews, opinion polling, and consultations with higher education leaders and researchers.

For undergraduate programs, including nursing, U.S. News rankings are based on peer assessment surveys of deans and senior faculty from accredited U.S. institutions.