In our 2019 edition of The Best Colleges' Top 50 Colleges and Universities in America, we aim to create a college ranking that exceeds all others in focusing on what really matters to students and their families. Beyond investigating standard indicators of academic quality and student satisfaction used by other major ranking systems, we've also considered indicators such as the economic value of good colleges and the quality of life offered by its host city or town.

The quality of the social and economic opportunities available to a person in their lifetime will largely be determined by whether they choose to go to college and where. To choose a college is to choose a future. This is why a college education is referred to by many as an investment. Students and their families spend large amounts of money on tuition, fees, books, and living expenses, not to mention time and effort expecting to get something invaluable in return.

Most students want to know they will receive a high-quality education where they can get individualized attention from professors. They want to know they are at a college that inspires others to flock to their programs and follow through to the end. Most also want to be sure that where they will be living for the next four (or more) years will be a place where they can collaborate and connect with other educated people near their own age -- and not have to go broke doing it.

In generating our rankings, The Best Colleges awarded schools with competitive admissions and a low student-to-faculty ratio. Schools with high enrollment, retention, and graduation rates were also sought out, specifically those in locations with a lower cost of living. The median age and number of residents with higher education degrees was also assessed and taken into consideration.

Finally, as we continue a gradual return to a stable economy, students and those who support them want to know that when they graduate they won't be overburdened by student loan debt and can potentially earn a livable income. For this, The Best Colleges awarded colleges with low tuition, generous financial aid, and a track record of graduating students who go on to make a living in their field, both immediately following graduation and later down the road. In total, The Best Colleges measured each school across a dozen different data points to assign an overall score to each school. A more detailed explanation of our ranking methodology and data sources can be found by clicking here.

Before moving on to the rankings, a few notes to help navigate the list: Underneath each school's name is a brief introduction, as well as information about the city or town in which the school is located. Below that is the school's classification, setting, population, and student-to-faculty ratio. Clicking on the magnifying glass icon next to the "student-to-teacher ratio" of a school will expand to display additional information on the school and its location.

The entire list of top colleges and universities can be expanded or collapsed by clicking the "expand all" or "collapse all" buttons at the top of the rankings list. These criteria ensured that only top colleges and universities of significant reputation and recognition within the marketplace were included. Because of their specialized programs and unique mission, military academies were not included in this rankings pool.

What Are the Best Colleges & Universities in America?

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Why Should I Attend College?

The ideal college student is anyone who wants to learn. Some colleges have competitive admissions, but others have more open admission and all colleges offer academic support. Whatever a student's interests and passions, there is a college program available in those areas, so it's worth the time to do the research and try to find the best fit; this will help ensure that the experience is worthwhile and beneficial.

From a numbers standpoint, college graduates earn more money than high school graduates. While the percentage fluctuates, in 2015 college graduates earned 56% more, which is the largest gap since 1973. College graduates are also more competitive when applying for jobs, and their job search may benefit from college resources such as career services or participating in an internship. One of the lesser-known benefits is networking, or meeting peers and faculty in a college program that may alert one another to future job opportunities. Some experts estimate that over 70% of people found their current job through networking.

In addition to resources and experience, the college experience also teaches time management and organization as students learn how to budget their time between classes, extracurricular events, and employment. College graduates learn written and verbal communication skills through writing assignments and presentations, and group work teaches cooperation and collaboration. Even the out-of-classroom activities, such as intramural sports and service organizations, can teach students about community and leadership.

What Can I Do With a College Degree?

Programs exist for almost every interest and passion that a student might have, and there are many career options for college graduates. To be successful in any field, students should have effective communication skills and a strong work ethic, both of which are skills learned in college. Many of the careers listed here also require computer, analytic, and teamwork skills.

Highest Paying Bachelor's Degrees

Petroleum Engineering

Mid-Career Pay: $175,500

Petroleum engineers can work in research or for universities, but most work for oil companies. These engineers devise the methods for extracting oil and gas, including the storage, pumping, and drilling. Petroleum engineers may have to work overtime and should be able to work with people from many backgrounds.

Actuarial Mathematics

Mid-Career Pay: $131,700

One of the reasons actuaries have such a high income is that they must pass a series of exams to become certified. In addition to math skills, they also need to have skills in business, financial theory, and statistics. They should also have strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Actuarial Science

Mid-Career Pay: $130,800

People who work in actuarial science may also be called actuarial analysts. These analysts use modeling and statistics to assess the risk of different events. Many employers prefer actuarial scientists to have passed two or more Society of Actuaries exams. Analysts should have effective communication skills.

Nuclear Engineering

Mid-Career Pay: $127,500

Nuclear engineers can work in a variety of fields, such as designing equipment and instruments, performing experiments, studying nuclear energy, and monitoring nuclear facilities. Generally, a master's degree or doctorate is required. These engineers must have well-developed communication skills and be familiar with specific software and codes.

Chemical Engineering

Mid-Career Pay: $124,500

Chemical engineers often develop chemicals such as lubricants, cleaning products, and fuels. They can work in a variety of settings including in the field, an office, or a factory. Many engineers complete an internship in college before moving into work where tasks may involve testing, developing safety procedures, performing project estimates, and conducting research.

Marine Engineering

Mid-Career Pay: $123,200

These engineers design and develop new marine equipment and maintain existing vessels. They may specialize in areas such as passenger boats, battleships, cruise ships, or aircraft carriers. Often employed by the military or private organizations, these engineers usually need to have a bachelor's degree and robust computer, communication, and teamwork skills.

Economics and Mathematics

Mid-Career Pay: $122,900

Economists advise organizations on areas including energy, health, tax rates, and international trade. They may also work with data collection, compiling reports, and conducting research. Economists should hold at least a bachelor's degree, but those who want to work in academia should obtain a graduate degree. They should also have sound computer and analytical skills.

Geophysics

Mid-Career Pay: $122,200

Geophysicist positions associated with seismic interpretation and data analysis tend to have the higher salaries. Other options include the study of the Earth with seismic, electrical, and gravitational methods. They may work in computer data modeling in an office setting or outdoors performing tests and studies. Most geophysicists have a bachelor's degree in earth sciences, physical sciences, or a similar area.

Cognitive Science

Mid-Career Pay: $121,900

Cognitive scientists work to understand the human mind. These scientists need multidisciplinary skills in areas including computer science, psychology, mathematics, artificial intelligence, linguistics, and neuroscience. Cognitive scientists should have excellent technical, verbal, and written communication skills.

Electrical Power Engineering

Mid-Career Pay: $119,100

Electrical engineers need at least a bachelor's degree, and some employers may require a master's degree or doctorate. Power engineers work with electrical operations, evaluate power systems, and may also work with renewable energy. These engineers must have exceptional communication and teamwork skills.

Source: PayScale, U.S. Department of Labor, and Indiana University

How to Choose a College

When students are choosing a college, they should first consider whether they want to attend a community college for an associate degree or four-year college for a bachelor's degree. To qualify for federal aid, ensure that colleges of interest are either regionally or nationally accredited.

Tuition is a crucial factor for many students and will vary based on the type of institution chosen and the scholarships available. Other costs to consider are books, transportation, and the cost of living in the area where the college is located. Some students might stay close to home while others may be interested in leaving their city, state, or region. Additionally, many colleges offer online programs, which benefit students who need a flexible college schedule.

Ensure that specific programs of interest are available at the colleges under consideration. Check out their curriculum and see what classes are available. Some programs offer specializations as well. Most institutions allow students to choose whether to attend full or part time, although that will affect the length of time it will take to complete the degree as well as the amount of financial assistance you may be eligible for. Programs usually conclude with a either a written thesis or a practicum. The former allows students to demonstrate everything learned in the program, while the latter provides real-world experience prior to graduation.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid: The FAFSA should be completed by every student who plans to attend college. This application provides students the chance to qualify for loans and work-study programs, and the results are often used by institutions to determine eligibility for need-based scholarships.

The FAFSA should be completed by every student who plans to attend college. This application provides students the chance to qualify for loans and work-study programs, and the results are often used by institutions to determine eligibility for need-based scholarships. U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Programs: This database allows students to search for accredited programs across the country and also lists all specialized accreditations held by an institution.

This database allows students to search for accredited programs across the country and also lists all specialized accreditations held by an institution. Bureau of Labor Statistics: The BLS is a fantastic resource for learning more about prospective careers. Search the career of interest and learn salary range, job outlook, and the education and skills necessary for that career.

The BLS is a fantastic resource for learning more about prospective careers. Search the career of interest and learn salary range, job outlook, and the education and skills necessary for that career. Federal Student Aid: The Federal Student Aid website has answers to any questions students might have about financial assistance, including types, qualifications, and applications. Click on the type of aid and learn details about availability, eligibility, and how types of aid can impact one another.

The Federal Student Aid website has answers to any questions students might have about financial assistance, including types, qualifications, and applications. Click on the type of aid and learn details about availability, eligibility, and how types of aid can impact one another. State Department of Education: State education departments usually have information about the state's college and university system as well as state-specific grants and scholarships.

Detailed Ranking Methodology

A college education is among the largest and most important investments of time, effort, and money many Americans will make in their lives. The Best Colleges ranking of the 50 top colleges and universities in America for 2018 aims to guide undergraduate students and their parents in making a wise investments toward a brighter future at the college or online college program of their choice.

The schools on our list endured a rigorous selection process and were objectively evaluated across 12 unique data points in four different categories: economic value, quality of life, academic quality, and student satisfaction. Subjective decisions were limited to which data points to consider and how much weight should be given to each.

Reputation and Recognition

To be included in our rankings pool, a school must be a four-year, bachelor's degree-granting liberal arts college or university in the U.S. Reputable colleges must have ranked at least once in the last year among the top 50 in another major American ranking system, such as U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, Washington Monthly, or Newsweek. In ranking systems for the Salary Report, data was collected through a voluntary survey of full-time employees in the U.S. with a bachelor's degree. Salary data for each of the schools in our pool was standardized using Z-scores, then weighted to give it a 10% overall importance in the final ranking of top colleges.

Rankings Criteria and Weights

Economic Value (35%)

Real Cost (15%) Median starting salary of graduates (10%) Median mid-career salary of graduates (10%)

Quality of Life (30%)

Cost of Living Index of city/town (15%) Median age of city/town residents (5%) Median household income of city/town residents (5%) Percentage of city/town residents with bachelor's degree or higher (5%)

Academic Quality (20%)

Acceptance rate (10%) Student-to-faculty ratio (10%)

Student Satisfaction (15%)

Enrollment rate (5%) Freshman to sophomore retention rate (5%) Six-year graduation rate (5%)

Economic Value Real Cost: As the cost of a college education continues to climb, keeping costs and student loan debt low is more important to students and their families than ever. With that in mind, The Best Colleges awarded schools for having lower real costs. This was calculated by subtracting the average amount of freshmen financial aid from the estimated undergraduate student tuition and fees. Schools typically assess average financial aid amounts based on the tuition costs of the majority of their student body, with public schools drawing most of their students from in-state, so we subtracted the average aid amount from in-state tuition costs. Data on tuition, fees, and aid was taken from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the core postsecondary education data collection program of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) branch of the U.S. Department of Education. After determining the real cost, we standardized the data using Z-scores and weighted it 15% of overall importance in the final ranking. Median Starting Salary of Graduates: To get a sense of the value of a degree from any given college, the likely economic payoff should be a consideration. Students and their parents want to know that there is a well-paying job awaiting graduates in return for all their time, effort, dedication -- and cash. To this end, The Best Colleges awarded schools with higher starting salaries for recent graduates by collecting data on the median starting salary of college graduates from the 2016-2017 PayScaleU College Salary Report. Median Mid-Career Salary of Graduates: The salary of a college graduate several years into a career is just as important as their salary immediately after graduation. To this end, The Best Colleges awarded schools with higher mid-career salaries for graduates. We considered the median mid-career salaries of college graduates (10-19 years post-graduation) from the 2016-2017 PayScaleU College Salary Report. Data for the report was collected through a voluntary survey of full-time employees in the U.S. with a bachelor's degree. The salary data for each of the schools in our pool was standardized using Z-scores and then weighted to give it a 10% overall importance in the final ranking. Quality of Life Cost of Living Index: The Best Colleges measured the buying power of a student's dollar in a given location by using the cost-of-living index (COLI), a theoretical price index which measures the relative cost of living in a place based on the relative costs of goods and services. Schools were awarded for being in locations with a lower COLI. The COLI of each city/town came from City-Data.com, a private company which collects and analyzes data on thousands of U.S. locations. This COLI data was standardized using Z-scores and assigned a weight of 15% overall importance in the final ranking. Median Age of Population: Assuming most students prefer to live with and around other young people and appreciate the social and cultural opportunities therein, The Best Colleges awarded cities/towns with more youthful populations. Data on the median age of a city/town's population was taken from City-Data.com. Median age date for each of the cities/towns in our pool was standardized using Z-scores and assigned a weight of 5% overall importance in the final ranking. Median Household Income: Assuming most students prefer to live in areas populated by economically successful people, as this is often tied to greater social, cultural and economic opportunities, The Best Colleges awarded cities/towns with higher amounts of income wealth. Data on the median household income of a city/town's population was collected from City-Data.com. After median household income was collected, it was standardized using Z-scores and assigned a weight of 5% overall importance in the final ranking. Percentage of Population with College Degrees: Assuming that students prefer to live in places with well-educated populations, often leading to greater tolerance and more interesting social opportunities, The Best Colleges awarded cities/towns with a greater percentage of residents with college degrees. Data on the percentage of a town/city's residents with a bachelor's degree or higher was collected from City-Data.com. Percentage of population with college degrees was standardized using Z-scores and assigned a weight of 5% overall importance in the final ranking. Academic Quality Acceptance Rate: The quality of a college education is largely determined by the academic quality and competitiveness of the student body. Generally, the more stringent and selective a college's admissions process, the better the quality of its students. As a result, The Best Colleges awarded schools with lower acceptance rates. Data on acceptance rates was collected from the IPEDS database and standardized using Z-scores, then assigned a weight of 10% overall importance in the final ranking. Student-to-Faculty Ratio: Smaller class sizes and fewer students per professor equals more individualized attention and greater access to faculty during and after class, so The Best Colleges awarded schools with lower student-to-faculty ratios. The most recent student-to-faculty ratio data was collected from the IPEDS database and standardized using Z-scores, then assigned a weight of 10% overall importance in the final ranking. Student Satisfaction Enrollment Rate: Generally, students are happier and more satisfied at a school where they really want to be. As a result, The Best Colleges awarded schools with higher enrollment rates, which measure the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll. In most cases, a higher enrollment rate indicates a school is more desirable to students who apply. The most recent data available on enrollment rates was collected from the IPEDS database. This data was then standardized using Z-scores and assigned a weight of 5% overall importance in the final ranking. Retention Rate: The freshman-to-sophomore retention rate measures the percentage of students who return to a school after their freshman year. We interpret this as a general measure of student satisfaction and awarded schools with higher retention rates. Data on enrollment rates was collected from the IPEDS database, standardized using Z-scores, and assigned a weight of 5% overall importance in the final ranking. Six-Year Graduation Rate: The six-year graduation rate measures the percentage of students who graduate from a school within six years of enrolling. We interpret this as a general measure of good colleges in terms of student satisfaction and awarded schools with higher graduation rates. Data on graduation rates was collected from the IPEDS database, standardized using Z-scores, and assigned a weight of 5% overall importance in the final ranking.

Last Updated: July 01, 2019