UW-Eau Claire has another reason to celebrate this fall (other than its centennial, of course): For the 22nd year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has ranked UWEC as one of the best public regional universities in the Midwest. According to the magazine’s annual Best Colleges guidebook, UWEC is No. 5 among public institutions in the 12-state Midwest region. (Among all schools – including private institutions – UWEC ranks No. 37.) “Being recognized through the U.S. News rankings for the 22nd year in a row is a wonderful testament to the 100-year legacy of excellence that our faculty and staff have created for our students,” said Chancellor James Schmidt. “I believe our continued high ranking is due to our commitment to provide students with high-value experiences — like faculty-student research, internships and study abroad — that help them succeed after graduation. Also important is the work we are doing to reduce our students” time to graduation, which gets them into the workplace or on to the next step in their post-undergraduate plans.” To learn more about all the rankings, visit colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges.