The University of Arizona offers a strong return on investment and a top-notch scholarly research environment, according to a pair of notable university ratings released this month.

UArizona was awarded a four-star rating and a place on Money's list of The Best Colleges in America 2023, released Friday.

Meanwhile, UArizona is tied for No. 285 globally, No. 54 in the United States and No. 65 in North America in the 2024 QS World University Rankings, released Tuesday. The university ranked No. 27 among public U.S. institutions.

"The University of Arizona is a global powerhouse of academic research that delivers a tremendous return on investment, and it is rewarding to see our university recognized by Money and QS," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "Our international research network is a tremendous source of strength for our university, and it enables our students and faculty to address our world's biggest challenges."

Money began ranking colleges and universities based on affordability and student outcomes in 1990. This year, the colleges and universities that qualify for Money's Best Colleges in America list received a rating between two-and-a-half and five stars. It is the first year Money used a rating system instead of a numbered ranking.

Money's methodology is based on 26 factors in three categories:

• Quality of education (30%)
• Affordability of education (40%)
• Post-graduation outcomes (30%)

Quacquarelli Symonds, a United Kingdom-based global higher education analysis company, analyzed nearly 2,500 colleges and universities worldwide and awarded a ranking to the top 1,500 institutions – 78 more than last year. UArizona's position places it in the top 19% of institutions that earned a ranking – marking the second consecutive year the university has placed in the top 20% since QS began its ranking in 2004.

This year, QS implemented the largest methodological overhaul since its inception, adjusting the weights of certain categories and introducing three new metrics: sustainability, employment outcomes and international research network. QS now uses nine indicators in its methodology to compile the organization's World University Rankings:

• Academic reputation (30%)
• Citations per faculty (20%)
• Employer reputation (15%)
• Faculty student ratio (10%)
• International faculty ratio (5%)
• International student ratio (5%)
• International research network (5%)
• Employment outcomes (5%)
• Sustainability (5%)

UArizona's top marks came in the international research network category (No. 96 globally), faculty-student ratio (No. 175) and sustainability (tied for No. 196).

QS also ranks universities by subject. UArizona received top marks in the following categories in the 2023 update, released in April:

• Geology: tied for No. 24 overall, No. 14 in the U.S.
• Engineering – Mineral and Mining: No. 26 overall, No. 3 in the U.S.
• Geophysics: tied for No. 22 overall, No. 14 in the U.S.
• Archaeology: No. 28 overall, No. 11 in the U.S.
• Library and Information Management: tied for No. 29 overall, No. 13 in the U.S.
• Earth and Marine Science: tied for No. 31 overall, No. 16 in the U.S.
• Anthropology: tied for No. 42 overall, tied for No. 13 in the U.S.
• Linguistics: tied for No. 43 overall, No. 17 in the U.S.