For the eighth consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report this week ranked Drake University third for overall quality among regional universities in the Midwest. The organization’s Best Colleges 2017 rankings also named Drake an “A+ School for B Students” and placed Drake among the top colleges for excellence for military veterans. Nationwide, only four of the 653 universities in Drake’s rankings category had a higher peer-generated ranking for academic quality, and five universities have an equivalent peer ranking, the university said in a release. Also in the Midwest regional universities category, the University of Northern Iowa tied for the 20th spot and Grand View University was ranked No. 41. Among universities ranked in the national liberal arts colleges category, Grinnell College ranked in the top 20, tying at No. 19.