The University of Lynchburg has been recognized as a top school in Virginia by the 2022 Plexuss Global Rankings for several undergraduate programs. Most notably, Lynchburg ranked No. 2 in Virginia for criminology programs and No. 65 nationally.
The University also scored third place for public health programs in the state. It’s listed at No. 7 for environmental science and No. 8 for its sports science, education, and leisure and fitness programs. Environmental studies came in at No. 9. Several other programs at Lynchburg were ranked in the top 20, 30, and 40.
“There are about 20 criminology majors at colleges and universities in Virginia, so this is a fantastic recognition for us and really highlights the quality of our program,” said Dr. Kim McCabe, professor of criminology at Lynchburg.
Criminology is one of the University’s most popular undergraduate majors with 126 students enrolled this fall. In total, there are 246 students in a School of Social Sciences major. The College of Health Sciences accounts for 432 undergraduates. The environmental science major has 30 students, out of 338 total in the School of Sciences.
“I’m thrilled our public health program has once again been named among the best in the state,” said Dr. Rusty Smith, dean of Lynchburg’s College of Health Sciences. “We offer students a top-notch educational experience — both on campus and in the community — that prepares them well for life beyond college.”
While the Plexuss rankings include undergraduate programs only, Lynchburg also offers a Master of Public Health and several graduate and doctorate health sciences degrees.
Plexuss aggregates various sources into one overall ranking, relying on “methodologically sound” college rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges, Times Higher Education World University Rankings (Reuters), QS World University Rankings, and The Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Rankings).
Just like other college ranking websites, Plexuss does not recommend using the list as the only guide when selecting a college.
“Colleges that are on top of our rankings will not necessarily be the best colleges for all students,” they caution, suggesting students compare schools based on personal criteria.
“Come up with your decision based on criteria that matters most to you,” the website says. “Ultimately, we want you to decide which college is best for you, and Plexuss College Rankings is just one of the many tools that we are providing to help get you there.”
