Overall, HPU earns four Top 5 rankings in its first year in a higher category, along with being named #1 in the Earnings by Major ranking factor.
HPU U.S. News 1
HPU U.S. News 2
HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — High Point University has debuted as the #1 Most Innovative Regional University in the South in the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges 2027 edition. HPU advanced this year to a larger category due to continual growth in graduate degree programs. The university also debuted at #5 overall.
In addition, HPU was named #1 out of all 152 schools in the category on Earnings by Major, a new ranking factor measuring what graduates earn four years after leaving campus.
Prior to this year, the university was named the #1 Best Regional College in the South for 14 consecutive years and #1 Most Innovative Regional College in the South for 11 straight years. HPU grew from the Best Regional Colleges in the South category — which includes institutions that focus primarily on undergraduate education — to the Best Regional Universities in the South category for schools that offer a broader scope of undergraduate and graduate programs.
Overall, HPU continues to be recognized for a strong commitment to innovation, undergraduate teaching and student success.
In the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings, which were released today, HPU is named:
- #1 for Most Innovative Schools (Regional Universities in the South)
- #1 Earnings by Major ranking factor (Regional Universities in the South)
- #3 for Top Private Schools (Regional Universities in the South)
- #3 for Best Undergraduate Teaching (Regional Universities in the South)
- #5 for Overall Rank (Regional Universities in the South)
Using data from the U.S. Department of Education, the Earnings by Major ranking factor evaluates graduate outcomes for employed students who received federal financial aid and whose highest degree is a bachelor’s.
HPU’s top score for Earnings by Major reflects the university’s ability to equip students with life skills that make them highly successful and sought-after in the job market. Data collected by HPU, in accordance with the National Association of Colleges and Employers standards, shows 99% of graduates from the Class of 2025 were employed or furthering their education within 180 days of graduation, 13 points higher than the national average.
Nationally, HPU moved up eight spots to #17 for Best First-Year Experiences after being ranked #25 a year ago.
“At High Point University, we are committed to asking every year what a graduate will need to thrive throughout their life, and then we provide it,” said Dr. Nido Qubein, president of HPU. “The fact that our graduates’ earnings reflect our commitment to instilling Premier Life Skills in students is one of our greatest achievements and the reason that families across the country continue to entrust their students to HPU.”
“When I work with students at High Point University as their Innovator in Residence, I see innovation in the way HPU challenges students to think differently, to dream bigger and to imagine what’s possible when you refuse to settle for the ordinary,” said Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak, who serves as HPU’s Innovator in Residence.
The latest accolades come only a month after HPU earned three Top 3 rankings in The Princeton Review’s “Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition.” HPU is the only university in North Carolina to be ranked in the Top 5 nationally by The Princeton Review for Best-Run Colleges, Most Beautiful Campus and Best College Dorms.
HPU received the new classification in the U.S. News & World Report rankings because of the university’s continued academic growth, including the expansion of its graduate programs and another year of record total enrollment. HPU welcomed 6,561 students this academic year, the largest total enrollment in its 102-year history.
Since Qubein was named HPU’s president in 2005, the university has grown from three academic schools to 14 following the opening of the Kenneth F. Kahn School of Law and the Workman School of Dental Medicine in 2024 and the David S. Congdon School of Entrepreneurship a year ago. In addition, HPU’s School of Optometry is in development.
Enrollment in HPU’s graduate programs has grown by 23% since Fall 2023 to a total of 1,285 graduate students this academic year.
Attachments
- HPU U.S. News 1
- HPU U.S. News 2
CONTACT: Alex Abrams High Point University 3369517926 aabrams1@highpoint.edu
