UNH Today

The University of New Hampshire was selected to The Best Colleges in America 2023 list by Money, earning four-and-a-half out of a possible five stars under the outlet’s updated metrics that focus on affordability, quality of education and student outcomes. 

Only 34 colleges and universities scored five-star ratings, with UNH among 189 in the next tier to receive four-and-a-half, putting it in the top 30 percent of the 736 institutions to earn a spot on the list. Schools were evaluated on 26 categories within the three primary “buckets,” including graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid and alumni salaries. 

The selection comes on the heels of UNH being named the No. 1 best value public university in New England for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report in its Best Value Schools rankings of National Universities released last fall, which also placed UNH as a top-10 best value public university in the country. 

Those accolades coincide with UNH preparing to welcome its highest-achieving undergraduate class ever this fall. The incoming cohort features the highest average GPA of any incoming undergraduate class in UNH history, as well as the highest percentage of merit scholarships received and the highest number of students ranked among the top 10% in their high school classes. The group boasts a 3.66 average GPA and includes 259 honors students and seven valedictorians, with students representing 43 states and 14 countries. 

This year’s Best Colleges in America list represented a shift from Money’s previous numbered ranking, instead placing schools in one of six star ratings, ranging from five stars to two-and-a-half. Money began by examining all four-year public and private nonprofit colleges in the United States – more than 2,400 in total – before culling it to the final 736 to make the list.  

Those schools were then evaluated on the aforementioned 26 factors in three categories, with affordability accounting for a 40% weight in the evaluation and quality of education and student outcomes each carrying 30% weight.