University of Michigan No. 2 public university in America, according to Niche

A cluster of COVID-19 cases were reported at the South Quad residence hall on Sept. 18. (University of Michigan)

ANN ARBOR – University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has snagged the No. 2 spot on Niche’s 2022 Top Public Universities in America list.

U-M fell one spot since last year, with University of California, Los Angeles taking the top spot on the rankings. Among private and public colleges and universities, U-M ranked No. 25.

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U-M also ranked No. 5 on Niche’s 2022 Colleges with the Best Student Life in America list.

Here are Niche’s top five schools with the best student life:

  • University of Southern California
  • University of California - Los Angeles
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Wisconsin
  • University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Niche, a website known for its rankings of colleges and communities across the U.S., compared more than 500 state universities and public colleges for the rankings considering the following weighted factors:

  • Academics - 40%
  • Value - 27.5%
  • Professors - 7.5%
  • Campus - 5%
  • Diversity - 5%
  • Student Life - 5%
  • Student surveys on overall experience - 5%
  • Local area - 2.5%
  • Safety - 2.5%

Niche collects data and information on each school directly from the colleges or universities themselves, from the U.S. Department of Education and from students who are Niche users.

For its 2022 rankings, Niche reduced the weight of standardized testing scores as more colleges and universities drop test score requirements.

For more information on Niche’s ranking methodology, click here.