Carolina ranks fifth among national public universities Posted Sep 9, 2015 For the 15th straight year, the nation’s first public university has been ranked as one of the best. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – a top public research university with a strong focus on access and affordability and high graduation rates – ranks fifth among the nation’s best public universities, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2016 “America’s Best Colleges” guidebook. (UNC.edu)