The College of William and Mary has been ranked the second best public university and the fifth best university overall in the South by Forbes.com. Rankings were based on graduation rate, awards received by students and faculty, student satisfaction, average debt after graduation and post-graduation success. The region comprises of 17 states and the District of Columbia.
The United States Naval Academy was named the best public university, while Centre College was named the best university overall. University of Virginia was ranked fourth on the list of public universities and 11th overall. Other top Virginia universities include Hampden-Sydney College and Virginia Military Institute.