UNA Ranked Among U.S. News & World Report's Best Regional Universities (South) For Five Consecutive Years; Earns New Distinctions
Sep. 22, 2026
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@una.edu, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – For a fifth consecutive year, the University of North Alabama has ranked among the Best Regional Universities (South) category in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of college rankings. Further, UNA earned two new U.S. News & World Report distinctions this year, being named among the Most Innovative – Regional Universities (South) and for Undergraduate Teaching – Regional Universities (South).
“UNA has consistently ranked well in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings, and these high marks reflect the growth we have experienced, the launch of new degree programs across our academic colleges, and, most recently, and as we near the conclusion of our $100 million comprehensive campaign,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Our addition to the list of colleges cited as Most Innovative and Best for Undergraduate Teaching speaks volumes about UNA’s unique ability to ensure our students enjoy their collegiate experience as they prepare to enter the workforce.”
U.S News publishes the Best Colleges rankings annually to provide prospective students and their families with helpful data and information on factors such as graduation rates, social mobility, and graduate indebtedness. Prospective students can see how UNA compares to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated at https://www/usnews.com/best-colleges.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; the Spencer College of Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I and United Athletic conference. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: www.una.edu and www.una.edu/unaworks/.