Adrian College ranked No. 1 Most Innovative Regional College in Midwest by U.S. News & World Report
Posted Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Author: Mickey Alvarado
U.S. News & World Report has named Adrian College the No. 1 Most Innovative Regional College in the Midwest in its 2026 Best Colleges rankings.
The report also listed Adrian College as tied for No. 4 in Undergraduate Teaching, No. 10 in Best Value, tied for No. 30 among Regional Colleges in the Midwest, and tied for No. 39 in First-Year Experiences. It marks the 12th consecutive year Adrian College has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report in the Regional Colleges Midwest category.
“We are honored to be recognized once again by U.S. News & World Report,” said Adrian College President Jeffrey Docking. “This achievement reflects the innovation, dedication and excellence of our faculty and staff as they prepare students for meaningful lives and successful careers.”
The Most Innovative Schools designation recognizes colleges and universities that are making the most innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, students, campus life, technology, or facilities. U.S. News & World Report asked leading academics in a peer assessment survey to name the institutions they consider the most innovative for the 2026 Best Colleges rankings. The survey was conducted in spring and summer 2025.
College presidents, provosts and admissions deans were asked to nominate up to 15 colleges or universities in their U.S. News Best Colleges category that are making significant innovations in curriculum, faculty, student experience, campus life, technology or facilities. The Most Innovative Schools rankings are based solely on their responses.
Best Value Schools are determined by a calculation of a school’s academic quality and the 2024-25 net cost of attendance for an out-of-state student receiving the average level of need-based financial aid.
“The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal,” U.S. News & World Report notes on its Best Value Colleges description. “Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.”
“These distinctions highlight our dedication to delivering high-quality, accessible education, and we take pride in being part of a community devoted to student achievement,” said Frank Hribar, vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Adrian College.
The Best Undergraduate Teaching rankings focus on schools whose faculty and administrators are committed to teaching undergraduate students in a high-quality manner. College presidents, provosts and admissions deans who participated in the annual U.S. News peer assessment survey were asked to nominate up to 15 schools in their Best Colleges ranking category that have strength in undergraduate teaching.
“Using a wide range of data sources, U.S. News analysts and editors calculated more than 80 Best Colleges rankings, all with the intent of enabling students and their families to identify colleges that best meet their needs,” said Mark White, vice president of U.S. News & World Report, when announcing the rankings. “The rankings highlight colleges that excel in such areas as value, social mobility, teaching, veterans’ needs, HBCUs and in six academic disciplines: business, computer science, engineering, nursing, economics and psychology.”
Adrian College is a traditional four-year residential institution offering a focused undergraduate education, traditional two-year master’s programs and advanced 3+2 master’s programs. The college offers 110 undergraduate programs, 19 graduate programs, six pre-professional programs and 99 minors and certificates, with a 15-to-1 student-faculty ratio. Adrian College has 53 sports teams and 10 institutes dedicated to a diverse and personalized approach to education. The college features state-of-the-art facilities, small class sizes and an innovative approach to students’ academic and personal growth.
To see how Adrian College compares with other institutions and how the rankings were calculated, go to usnews.com.
