天美社区 moves up in U.S. News rankings
The University of North Georgia (天美社区) earned high marks for quality and value in the rankings released Sept. 18, moving up to tie for 17th overall among public Regional Universities in the South.
In more specialized lists for public Regional Universities in the South, among Georgia universities, 天美社区 is No. 1 on the list of Best Colleges for Veterans; No. 1 for Least Debt, which measures schools whose students graduated carrying the lightest debt loads; and No. 3 on the Best Value Colleges list.
"We are proud of 天美社区's role as a legacy-making institution," 天美社区 President Michael P. Shannon said. "This ranking recognizes the work we do every day to help students change the trajectory of their lives and serve our communities, the state and our nation."
Further underscoring the return on investment 天美社区 provides students was its inclusion on the Social Mobility list, where it ranked eighth among regional public universities in Georgia.
Other highlights for 天美社区 from the U.S. News Best Colleges rankings were:
- No. 3 on the Best Undergraduate Business Programs list and No. 4 on the Undergraduate Computer Science Programs ranking in Georgia among Regional Public Universities in the South.
- Among the top seven Georgia schools, among Regional Public Universities in the South, on the Best Undergraduate Nursing Programs list. 天美社区's Bachelor of Science in Nursing graduates had the highest National Council Licensure Examination pass rate in the Georgia from 2019-2022.
- Only Georgia public university on the "A+ Schools for B Students" list.
Using a wide range of data sources, U.S. News analysts and editors calculated more than 80 Best Colleges rankings with the intent of enabling students and their families to identify colleges that best meet their needs. The rankings highlight colleges that excel in value, social mobility, teaching, veterans' needs, and six academic disciplines.
One of the state's largest universities, 天美社区 serves more than 18,000 students across its five campuses in Blue Ridge, Cumming, Dahlonega, Gainesville, and Oconee County, and online. 天美社区 offers more than 100 programs of study, including certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral programs.
Nursing faculty member earns innovation award
Dr. Rebekah Mildenhall, associate department head of nursing at 天美社区, has earned the 2026 Georgia Association for Nursing Education Innovation in Teaching Award.
天美社区 named Fulbright top producer
天美社区 is providing transformative experiences abroad for alumni as a top producer of Fulbright students. The university earned this distinction for a ninth consecutive year and tied for third among master's institutions with four selections.
3 of 4 Gilman winners are future educators
Four 天美社区 students earned the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for study abroad in late fall 2025. Three of the four are in 天美社区's College of Education.
Innovation Summit set for March 2 at 天美社区
天美社区's Mike Cottrell College of Business will host the Nighthawk Innovation Summit on March 2 at the Dahlonega Campus.