Northern Michigan University appears in four categories in U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 Best Colleges Rankings. Among regional universities in the Midwest, NMU tied for 83rd best overall and 18th among the top public institutions. It also ranked 67th as a “best value” and tied for 52nd among the best colleges for veterans in the Midwest. 

U.S. News & World Report issues the annual rankings to help prospective students and their families research more than 1,800 U.S.-based universities. Its methodology focuses on academic excellence, with schools evaluated on hundreds of data points and up to 15 measures of academic quality.

Overall, the rankings emphasize student outcomes, such as graduation and freshman retention rates, which carry the most weight at 30 percent.