COPLAC

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COPLAC The Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC) advances the aims of its member institutions an COPLAC serves both external and internal constituencies.

Established in 1987 and now consisting of 30 colleges and universities in 28 states and one Canadian province, COPLAC represents a distinguished sector in higher education. Some campuses have received designation from their state legislatures or public university systems as the state's public liberal arts college or the public honors college for the liberal arts. Others have carved out a less formal but no less visible role as such in their states or province. It communicates to state and federal policy makers the vital importance and benefits of providing students with comprehensive public higher education in the liberal arts and sciences. It collaborates with major national higher education organizations like the Association of American Colleges and Universities to advance the aims of liberal learning in a global society. And it partners with the Council on Undergraduate Research to advance student learning through a recognized high impact practice. COPLAC enjoys an organizational and administrative structure that facilitates member collaborations, including multi-campus faculty and student research projects, professional development opportunities for faculty and professional staff, and enhanced information sharing through its interactive web portal. COPLAC has developed regional undergraduate research conferences and a web-based platform for outstanding scholarship at the undergraduate level. Students who enroll at a COPLAC institution are now directly engaged in the wider mission of public liberal arts education, the best preparation for a meaningful life and professional career. The Governing Board of COPLAC consists of the 30 Presidents/Chancellors or their designees. The Board elects a president of the organization for a two-year term and the full board meets on a semi-annual basis. The Board also elects a five-person Executive Committee whose members oversee the administrative work of the Director of COPLAC.

10/12/2026

The Princeton Review has named SUNY Geneseo a Best Value College for 2027.

10/12/2026
09/28/2026

The 2027 college rankings are in! UVA Wise is proud to be recognized by Niche as No. 1 in Virginia for both Best Value Colleges and Best Colleges with No Application Fee. We're also ranked No. 20 on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top Public National Liberal Arts Colleges. These rankings reflect our commitment to making a high-quality education accessible and affordable!

View the rankings here: www.niche.com/colleges/search/best-value-colleges/s/virginia/

www.niche.com/colleges/search/colleges-with-no-application-fee/s/virginia/

www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-liberal-arts-colleges/top-public

09/28/2026

🏆 TOP 10! 🎉

We’re celebrating! 💛 UMN Morris is ranked #9 among Top Public Schools in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings!

✨ 27 consecutive years ranked
✨ Nationally recognized liberal arts education
✨ A community committed to engagement & impact

And the recognition doesn’t stop there! UMN Morris was also recently named a 2026–27 College of Distinction and received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification.

We’re proud to be UMN Morris. 🐾

🔗 See all our national rankings at z.umn.edu/UMMRankings

09/28/2026

The University of Mary Washington has once again been ranked among the Top 10 Public Liberal Arts Colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for the 4th consecutive year!

From national nods in business, psychology, computer science, and nursing, to a big leap in overall national liberal arts rankings, this achievement represents our dedicated students, faculty, and staff. 🦅💙

Read about our latest accolades, program highlights, and rankings: https://www.umw.edu/news/2026/09/22/top-10-again-umw-among-the-best-public-liberal-arts-colleges-in-u-s-news/

09/28/2026
09/28/2026

The W continues to earn recognition as a top regional university in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings, with the university distinguishing itself in value and social mobility.

The annual Best Colleges ranking placed the university at No. 25 (tied) in Top Public Schools – Regional Universities (South). Additionally, U.S. News placed The W at No. 11 in Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (South) and No. 21 (tied) in Social Mobility – Regional Universities (South).

“This recognition as one of the top public universities in the South reaffirms that The W delivers a high-quality education that is both affordable and transformative,” Interim President Dr. Scott Tollison said. “To be specifically recognized in areas such as overall value, service to veterans, and creating opportunity for in-state students further demonstrates that we are an institution of public higher education doing its job for the region and the state of Mississippi.”

https://www.muw.edu/news/u-s-news-ranks-the-w-among-souths-best-regional-universities/

09/28/2026
09/28/2026

G eorgia College & State University was named No. 4 among all public colleges and universities in the 12-state regional South in U.S. News & Report’s 2027 Best Colleges list, released today.

09/28/2026

SUNY Geneseo has been ranked the #5 Best Public Liberal Arts College in the nation by US News & World Report.

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One University Heights
Asheville, NC
28804

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