UNC ranks 5th among national public universities for 12th year in a row Posted Sep 12, 2012 The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranks fifth among the nation’s best public universities for the 12th consecutive year, according to U.S. News & World Report. The rankings appear in the 2013 “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook and at www.usnews.com starting on Wednesday (Sept. 12). (UNC.edu)