ECU once again named among nation’s best colleges

East Carolina University’s academic quality, net price and base tuition make it a top three Best Value public institution in North Carolina in a new ranking.

The 2027 edition of the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings evaluated more than 1,500 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.

ECU is named a Best Value School for In-State Students, a new category recognizing the value of attending a public university in a student’s home state. U.S. News also named ECU a Best Value School in the U.S., making it a good choice for out-of-state students too. ECU is in the top three UNC System institutions in both Best Value rankings.

Students walk to class on the first day of the fall semester. (ECU photo by Steven Mantilla)

The Best Value schools are those that, according to U.S. News, are above average academically and cost considerably less than other schools after financial aid from grants and scholarships are considered. Variables used in the methodology include: percent of undergraduates receiving need-based scholarship and grants; the average discount from out-of-state sticker price in relation to the average need-based grant; and the percent of need-based aid recipients receiving scholarships or grants.

ECU also remains a Top Performer on Social Mobility among North Carolina’s public institutions.

The social mobility ranking assesses how well schools graduate economically disadvantaged students. The ranking factors are computed by aggregating assessing graduation rates of Pell Grant-awarded students.

ECU is No. 106 in the Top Public (National) category of 227 U.S. universities ranked, placing it fourth in the UNC System.

In Best for Veterans, ECU finished fourth among UNC System schools. To be ranked in this category, a school must be in the top half in the Best College category, certified for the GI bill and participate in the Yellow Ribbon program or be a public institution. Ranking is based on enrollment of and benefits for veterans and active-duty service members.

Overall, ECU was in the top half at No. 202 of 422 national institutions ranked by U.S. News. National universities offer a range of undergraduate majors plus master’s and doctoral programs and emphasize faculty research, according to U.S. News. Ranking factors include student outcomes (52% of weight), peer assessment (20%), faculty resources (11%), financial resources (8%) and faculty research (4%).

In addition, several ECU bachelor’s degree programs were included in the rankings based on peer assessment surveys of deans and senior faculty from accredited U.S. institutions:

• Nursing is ranked second highest in the UNC system and in the top 12% in the U.S. at No. 75 of 671 programs
• Engineering tied at No. 1 in the UNC System, placing No. 82 of 306 institutions in the nation with no doctorate in engineering
• Business is a top UNC system school at No. 199 of 535 programs in the country
• Psychology remains a strong program in North Carolina and the nation at No. 255 of 676.

On its website, U.S. News reported that its ranking factors for the 2027 Best Colleges edition had one change: Postgraduate earnings by major replaced graduate indebtedness at 5% of the formula.

Additionally, for the first time, U.S. News used the 2025 update of the Carnegie Classification’s institutional classifications and research designations, produced by the American Council on Education. This led to category changes for institutions and increases in newly rank-eligible schools.

ECU earned R1 status in 2025, a designation given to the top research universities in the U.S. by Carnegie and ACE.

Visit the U.S. News website for more information on the rankings and methodologies.

ECU Institutional Planning, Assessment and Research contributed to this story.

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