Forbes: Best American Colleges

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Princeton University

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Harvard University

Swarthmore College

Williams College

United States Military Academy

Amherst College

Wellesley College

Yale University

Columbia University

Northwestern University

Wabash College

Centre College

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Bowdoin College

United States Air Force Academy

Middlebury College

University of Chicago

Smith College

Pomona College

Wesleyan University

Haverford College

Stanford University

Hamilton College

Sarah Lawrence College

Barnard College

Brown University

Whitman College

New College of Florida

Brandeis University

Vassar College

Boston College

Bryn Mawr College

Kenyon College

Franklin and Marshall College

United States Naval Academy

Colby College

Washington and Lee University

Westminster College

Claremont McKenna College

Rice University

Cooper Union

University of Virginia

Colgate University

Bates College

Knox College

DePauw University

Tufts University

College of William and Mary

Hampden-Sydney College

Oberlin College

Harvey Mudd College

Lafayette College

Carleton College

St. John’s College

Hampshire College

Kalamazoo College

Trinity College

Doane College

Connecticut College

University of Pennsylvania

Wofford College

Drew University

Reed College

Huntington University

University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill

Sewanee University of the South

Lawrence University

Wake Forest University

Mount Holyoke College

Cornell College

Wesleyan College

University of California–Berkeley

Colorado College

Mills College

Georgetown University

University of Notre Dame

Nebraska Wesleyan University

College of the Holy Cross

Duke University

Johns Hopkins University

Emory University

Bellarmine University

Dickinson College

Salem College

Bucknell University

St. Olaf College

Bard College

Wheaton College

Clarke College

Wheaton College

Skidmore College

Davidson College

Earlham College

Erskine College

Carroll University

Hendrix College

Emory and Henry College

Union College

Bethany College

Principia College

Denison University

Gustavus Adolphus College

Pitzer College

Vanderbilt University

Wells College

Grinnell College

Virginia Military Institute

Ripon College

Hollins University

University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA)

Agnes Scott College

Juniata College

Lyon College

Randolph-Macon College

Carson-Newman College

Covenant College

St. Joseph’s College

State University of New York–Binghamton (SUNY)

Washington and Jefferson College

Cornell University

Samford University

College of Wooster

Millsaps College

St. John’s College

Macalester College

Dartmouth College

Sweet Briar College

Mississippi College

Birmingham-Southern College

George Fox University

Hanover College

Southwestern University

Bennington College

Eckerd College

St. Mary’s College of California

St. Mary’s College of Maryland

Spring Hill College

Scripps College

St. Norbert College

Claflin University

Marlboro College

Washington College

University of Mary Washington

Tulane University

Washington University in St. Louis

Converse College

Transylvania University

Master’s College and Seminary

Muhlenberg College

Otterbein College

John Carroll University

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Furman University

University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign

University of Richmond

Maryville College

Lebanon Valley College

Goshen College

Lake Forest College

University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Wisconsin Lutheran College

Oklahoma Baptist University

Centenary College of Louisiana

Whitworth College

Hope College

University of Florida

Marietta College

United States Coast Guard Academy

Lewis and Clark College

Thomas Aquinas College

The Citadel

Allegheny College

College of Idaho

Warren Wilson College

University of Puget Sound

University of Georgia

University of Washington

Augustana College

Trinity University

Florida Southern College

Coe College

Roanoke College

Pacific University

Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Southern Methodist University

Ohio Wesleyan University

Luther College

State University of New York–Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY)

Presbyterian College

Houghton College

Randolph College

St. Anselm College

Spelman College

James Madison University

Beloit College

University of Mississippi

Hamline University

University of California–Santa Barbara (UCSB)

University of Rochester

St. Joseph’s University

Cedar Crest College

College of the Atlantic

Berea College

Biola University

Hiram College

Georgetown College

St. Lawrence University

University of Dallas

Willamette University

Northwestern College

Providence College

Asbury College

Indiana University–Bloomington

University of Texas–Austin

Alfred University

Brigham Young University (BYU)

Siena College

Albion College

Ithaca College

Trinity International University

University of Delaware

University of Wyoming

Bethel University

Xavier University

Hastings College

Mississippi State University

Illinois Wesleyan University

University of North Carolina, Wilmington

Pacific Lutheran University

Ursinus College

Baldwin-Wallace College

Occidental College

Susquehanna University

St. Michael’s College

University of California–Riverside

University of North Carolina–Asheville

Mount St. Mary’s College

North Central College

Guilford College

Simpson College

University of Redlands

Austin College

Villanova University

Brigham Young University (Idaho)

Linfield College

Utah State University

Berry College

William Jewell College

Appalachian State University

California Lutheran University

University of Evansville

High Point University

University of California–Santa Cruz (UCSC)

University of Utah

University of California–San Diego (UCSD)

Westmont College

Gettysburg College

Loyola University New Orleans

Texas A&M University–College Station

Oglethorpe University

University of Southern Mississippi

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

University of Missouri–Columbia

Stetson University

Carnegie Mellon University

St. Mary’s University

St. Francis College

University of Scranton

Clark University

Northwestern College

Pennsylvania State University–University Park

Fordham University

Florida State University

University of Idaho

Miami University–Oxford

Le Moyne College

Loyola College in Maryland

Hillsdale College

University of Kansas

Grove City College

Union University

University of Alabama

University of California–Irvine (UCI)

Rocky Mountain College

Middle Tennessee State University

University of Oregon

St. Vincent College

Whittier College

University of New Mexico

Montana State University–Bozeman

Ohio State University–Columbus

Dillard University

Ouachita Baptist University

State University of New York–Albany

Monmouth College

University of Pittsburgh

Rockhurst University

University of Massachusetts–Amherst

University of Southern California (USC)

New School

Colorado State University

Bethel College

Drury University

Metropolitan State College of Denver

University of California–Davis

Virginia Tech

Taylor University

Catholic University of America

Lehigh University

West Virginia University

College of New Jersey

Wittenberg University

Lycoming College

Rollins College

Millikin University

Chapman University

Santa Clara University

St. Mary’s College

Syracuse University

United States Merchant Marine Academy

Murray State University

Utah Valley University

New York University

University of Louisiana–Lafayette

St. Mary’s University–San Antonio

Michigan State University

University of Tennessee–Knoxville

Simmons College

Fairfield University

University of Iowa

State University of New York–Stony Brook

Butler University

Manhattan College

University of Wisconsin–Madison

University of South Florida

University of Memphis

Emerson College

California State University–Fresno

Cedarville University

Louisiana State University

Florida Atlantic University

Gordon College

University of South Carolina–Columbia

Rhode Island College

University of San Diego

Yeshiva University

Ohio University

Elmhurst College

George Washington University

Hartwick College

Baylor University

St. John’s University

University of Alabama–Birmingham

CUNY, CCNY

University of Colorado–Boulder

Messiah College

Vanguard University of Southern California

Capital University

Belmont University

Northern Arizona University

Georgia State University

Pepperdine University

Rhodes College

University of Texas–El Paso (UTEP)

SUNY, Geneseo

CUNY, Brooklyn

University of Arkansas

Cal Poly–San Luis Obispo

St. John Fisher College

Washington State University

Calvin College

Carroll College

Dordt College

Old Dominion University

University of Maine–Orono

Moravian College

University of Denver

King’s College

University of Oklahoma–Norman

Concordia College Moorhead

George Mason University

University of Arizona

Boston University

Texas Tech University

Mercer University

Goucher College

Hood College

City University of New York–Queens

Mount Union College

University of New Hampshire

Auburn University

University of Nevada–Las Vegas (UNLV)

California State University–Sacramento

Arizona State University

Elon University

Florida International University

Western Washington University

California Maritime Academy

University of Louisville

Millersville University

University of Rhode Island

Case Western Reserve University

University of La Verne

Marquette University

Oklahoma State University

University of Montana

Russell Sage College

University of Colorado–Denver

University of Maryland–College Park

Miami Dade College

University of San Francisco

California State University–Long Beach

Westminster College

Wayne State University

Bradley University

University of Miami

California State University–Northridge (CSUN)

University of the Pacific

LaGrange College

College of Charleston

California State University–Chico

Meredith College

University of the Ozarks

Clemson University

La Salle University

Gonzaga University

Eastern Kentucky University

University of Connecticut

Wartburg College

Texas State University–San Marcos

University of Central Florida

Virginia Commonwealth University

Alma College

Seattle Pacific University

State University of New York–Buffalo

Wheeling Jesuit University

University of Vermont

California State University–Fullerton

Stonehill College

Creighton University

University of Texas–Arlington

Corban College

Abilene Christian University

Truman State University

Illinois State University

San Jose State University

Indiana University-Purdue University–Indianapolis

Southeastern Louisiana University

Seton Hall University

DePaul University

University of Alabama–Huntsville

University of Hawaii–Manoa

Colby-Sawyer College

Adelphi University

John Brown University

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

San Diego State University

Loyola Marymount University

Valparaiso University

Ball State University

North Carolina State University–Raleigh

Kennesaw State University

East Carolina University

Azusa Pacific University

Towson University

St. Edward’s University

University of Kentucky

Rutgers University–New Brunswick

California State Polytechnic University–Pomona

Missouri State University

University of Northern Iowa

St. Louis University

Georgia Southern University

College of St. Benedict

Western Kentucky University

Marist College

St. John’s University

Loyola University Chicago

Northern Illinois University

Ohio Northern University

Kent State University

University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Illinois College

South Carolina State University

Drake University

Purdue University–West Lafayette

Elizabethtown College

Southern Illinois University–Carbondale

American University

University of Maryland–Baltimore County

Elmira College

Quinnipiac University

Merrimack College

Drexel University

University of Minnesota–Morris

San Francisco State University

Duquesne University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

University of Akron–Main Campus

Georgia Institute of Technology

University of Houston

Augustana College

Kansas State University

Bowling Green State University

University of St. Thomas

Clarkson University

University of North Texas

University of Texas–San Antonio

Tuskegee University

Grand Valley State University

Sam Houston State University

Texas Christian University

University of Massachusetts–Lowell

University of Tulsa

University of Cincinnati

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Colorado School of Mines

Christian Brothers University

Fisk University

University of Texas–Dallas

Oregon State University

Rutgers University–Newark

University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

Andrews University

University of Dayton

University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Western Michigan University

Rider University

Polytechnic Institute of NYU

Central Michigan University

University of Portland

Fairleigh Dickinson University

Bentley College

University of North Carolina–Charlotte

Widener University

Montana Tech of the University of Montana

Seattle University

University of Missouri–Kansas City

College of St. Catherine

Illinois Institute of Technology

Oregon Institute of Technology

Eastern Michigan University

Albright College

Embry Riddle Aeronautical University

Temple University

University of Illinois–Chicago

Hofstra University

Bryant University

University of North Dakota

Morehouse College

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Iona College

Central College

Florida Institute of Technology

North Dakota State University

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Michigan Technological University

New Jersey Institute of Technology

Howard University

Pace University

St. Cloud State University

Iowa State University

University of Toledo

Stevens Institute of Technology

Roger Williams University

Rochester Institute of Technology

Northeastern University

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Source: Forbes

Methodology:

In conjunction with Dr. Richard Vedder, an economist at Ohio University, and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Forbes.com inaugurates its first ranking of America’s Best Colleges, an annual list. In this report, the CCAP ranks 569 undergraduate institutions based on the quality of the education they provide, and how much their students achieve…

 

CCAP’s methodology attempts to put itself in a student’s shoes. How good will my professors be? Will the school help me achieve notable career success? If I have to borrow to pay for college, how deeply will I go into debt? What are the chances I will graduate in four years? Are students and faculty recognized nationally, or even globally?

 

To answer these questions, the staff at CCAP (mostly college students themselves) gathered data from a variety of sources. They based 25% of the rankings on 7 million student evaluations of courses and instructors, as recorded on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com. Another 25% depends on how many of the school’s alumni, adjusted for enrollment, are listed among the notable people in Who’s Who in America.

 

The other half of the ranking is based equally on three factors: the average amount of student debt at graduation held by those who borrowed; the percentage of students graduating in four years; and the number of students or faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards like Rhodes Scholarships or Nobel Prizes. (Click here for complete methodology.)