FARMINGTON — For the 19th year, the University of Maine at Farmington has been recognized by the U.S. News & World Report as a 2017 “Best College,” with UMF being ranked among the top 10 colleges in four distinct categories.

Rankings are compiled by U.S. News to help families find the best academic quality, fit and value.

UMF is recognized this year within its classification of Regional Colleges in the North as No. 4 in the Top Public category; No. 5 in the Best Value category; and No. 7 in the Best Regional Colleges in the North overall category, including both public and private colleges.

In addition, the U.S. News category of Best Schools for Veterans has ranked UMF among the top three regional colleges in the North. This category was created to provide military veterans and active-duty service members with data on which top-ranked schools offer benefits that can help veterans make pursuing a college education more affordable.

This year’s U.S. News college guide ranked more than 1,300 colleges throughout the U.S. It groups colleges into categories based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the most widely accepted classification system in U.S. higher education.

UMF’s classification of Regional Colleges in the North includes schools that focus on the undergraduate experience and offer a broad range of programs in the liberal arts throughout Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland. Of the total national colleges included in the 2017 U.S. News & World Report ranking, 334 regional colleges were assessed in four geographic regions: North, South, Midwest and West.

UMF has also been recognized in Washington Monthly’s annual “Best Bang for the Buck” rankings for the fourth year in a row. Washington Monthly’s Best Bang for the Buck rankings is an exclusive list of schools that charge students a reasonable price for a quality education that will advance them in their careers.