UNC Asheville Recognized in New York Times Bestselling Author Jeff Selingo’s New Book, “Dream School, Finding the College That’s Right for You”

(September 9, 2025) Asheville, NC - The University of North Carolina Asheville, located in the heart of the Blue Ridge mountains of North Carolina, and known for award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and 60+ academic programs in the natural sciences, human sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences, today announced the University is featured in "Dream School: Finding the College That's Right for You," the new book from bestselling author and higher education expert Jeffrey Selingo.

Backed by unparalleled research on colleges and universities in the United States and a survey of more than 3,000 parents, "Dream School" reveals what really matters in a college.

Selingo and his research team narrowed the consideration pool to four-year colleges with at least 1,000 undergraduates across all U.S. regions. The final list of 75 schools was celebrated for their strong student outcomes, accessible admissions, dynamic student experiences, affordability, financial health, student engagement, geographic diversity, and career success.

"We are extremely proud to be recognized as one of the prestigious few universities included in 'Dream School,'" said UNC Asheville Chancellor Kimberly van Noort. "Our campus stood out because of how we deliver on the promise of affordability, positive student outcomes, career success, and a sense of community, among other accolades. This honor is particularly meaningful for our campus as we mark the one-year milestone of Hurricane Helene, and is a testament to the resiliency of our Bulldog community."

Among the following factors were consulted in compiling the list:

● Affordable ROI: Working with the HEA Group and Michael Itzkowitz, who directed the U.S. government's first College Scorecard, we developed an earnings-to-net-price ratio for schools. Schools on the list are either above the median ratio for all colleges or their total net price is commensurate with how much graduates earn, on average, ten years after enrolling.

● Better-Than-Expected Outcomes. Using an analysis of federal data provided by Bain & Company, we compared an institution's predicted outcomes on graduation rates and earnings with actual results to reveal which schools serving similar populations do the best job helping their undergraduates succeed.

● Student Engagement. Working with the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), we identified schools with high student engagement scores across levels of selectivity.

● Value Factors, With the backing of a grant from Lumina Foundation, Jeff partnered with the Burning Glass Institute to pinpoint factors that were most-and least-significant in driving outcomes.

About UNC Asheville Founded in 1927, UNC Asheville is a proud member of the University of North Carolina System. With award-winning faculty, small class sizes, and 90+ academic programs in the natural sciences, human sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences, the University is recognized for its robust paid internship programs to prepare students to immediately enter the workforce. In the US News & World Report 2025 edition of Best Colleges, UNC Asheville is ranked No. #9 in Top Public Schools, and No. #7 in Princeton Review's 2025 Top 50 Guide to Green Colleges. Known as the Bulldogs, UNC Asheville student-athletes compete in 16 NCAA Division I Teams in the Big South Conference. For more information, please visit: https://www.unca.edu.

About Jeffrey Selingo
Jeffrey Selingo has written about colleges and universities for more than two and a half decades and is a New York Times bestselling author of three books. Jeff's previous book, Who Gets In & Why: A Year Inside College Admissions, takes readers inside the admissions offices of three selective universities and was named among the 100 Notable Books of the year by the New York Times. He also writes a bi-weekly newsletter on all things higher ed called Next and co-hosts the podcast, Future U. Jeff is the former top editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education.