College has gotten a lot of flack recently.

With tuition at unbelievable record highs — up to $59,000 per year — and fewer jobs than ever available for graduates, critics from Bill Gross to Peter Thiel have encouraged students to drop out.

This gives Business Insider's third annual colleges list even more relevance. Our list is not based on freshman retention rate, alumni giving rate, quality of cafeteria food, or any of the miscellaneous factors that go into other colleges rankings.

What really matters is how much a college will help you succeed in life.

Here's what a great college does:

Teaches higher level skills involving writing, reading, speaking and critical thinking

Connects you to a influential alumni network

Grants a degree that will impress recruiters, colleagues and clients

As with our World's Best Business Schools list, your input is critical here. Our ranking is based primarily on ratings provided by people outside the world of academics. (Last year 80% of respondents said they had experience interviewing and hiring candidates.)

Please take 5 to 10 minutes to answer the questions below. In a couple of weeks, with your help and our own interviews with professional recruiters, we'll reveal the definitive list of the America's Best Colleges.