U.S. News and World Report’s Best Colleges ranking elevates UHCL to national designation

September 14, 2022 | UHCL Staff

University of Houston-Clear Lake is among just 10% of universities in the U.S. whose designation has been elevated from regional to national by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges.

Many factors are taken into consideration to determine a college or university’s ranking, whether on the regional or national scale. UH-Clear Lake’s Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Christopher Maynard said that the university’s Carnegie Classification had moved up from the Master’s Colleges and Universities category to the Doctoral Universities category. 

 “In recent years, our Carnegie Classification elevated due to our research productivity and growth in our doctoral programs,” Maynard said. “We have had an increase in graduates from those programs and an increase in research expenditures. That change in classification was one of the factors that contributed to the shift in the latest U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges. Being included in the national category means that we are now listed among the top universities in the country.”

UHCL’s elevated ranking to the national category places it alongside other well-known universities in Texas such as Texas State University, University of Texas at San Antonio, Tarleton State University, and University of Texas A&M-Commerce. University of Houston is the only other university within the UH System ranked in national category. 

Maynard said other elements factored into the change in designation as well. “In this same ranking, we have been recognized for our achievement in areas such as social mobility, campus ethnic diversity, and affordability.”

UHCL’s business, engineering and computer science programs also ranked on the list. 

“National rankings are a reflection of the great work this university is doing,” Maynard continued. “We are constantly improving with an increased focus on student success. We are growing and building partnerships in the area to meet the work force needs of our region. Simply put, this is a great time to be at University of Houston-Clear Lake.”

UHCL President Richard Walker said the elevation to national status in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges is an acknowledgement of the deans’ and faculty’s ability to build strong academic programs that are centered on student success. 

“This new status directly speaks to our work on our strategic plan, Impact 2025 and Beyond,” Walker said. “At UHCL, we transform student lives through experiential learning and workforce development. We translate knowledge to actionable solutions and interventions by generating and applying research and discovery learning. We transcend boundaries to collaborate across industry and community partnerships.”