Best Colleges Ranking

Size matters when it comes to higher education. That’s generally true when choosing between colleges and universities. Although the term “college” is used broadly to refer to post-secondary education in the U.S., it’s more narrowly defined as a smaller institution than a large university. It also may be one of several colleges within a university system. There are exceptions, however, such as Boston College, Dartmouth College and the College of William & Mary, which hold university status but prefer to retain the “college” designation in their names.

But there are other differences that set the two types of institutions apart. Unlike universities, which offer both undergraduate and graduate study programs, colleges primarily confer bachelor’s degrees and often don’t award advanced degrees. Class, campus and enrollment sizes are relatively smaller, which can be preferable for students who seek more intimate social settings and more focused attention from instructors. In the absence of research programs and facilities typically present at universities, many colleges also compete with more specialized areas of instruction, such as technical or agricultural colleges.

Smaller, however, doesn’t necessarily equate with inferior. For those considering attending a college, WalletHub compared more than 90 such institutions across 30 key measures to determine where prospective students can expect to receive top-notch education at the lowest price points. Our data set is grouped into seven categories, such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes. Metrics range from student-faculty ratio to graduation rate to post-attendance median salary.

Separate comparisons for universities as well as for colleges and universities combined also are available on WalletHub.

Main Findings

Ranking of the Best Colleges in the U.S.

*Note: Some institutions were excluded from our sample due to data limitations. If you would like to have your university included in the 2023 Ranking, please contact us at: [email protected]
With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that college, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

Admission Rate

Lowest

• 1. Swarthmore College (PA)
• T-2. Amherst College (MA)
• T-2. Colby College (ME)
• 4. Harvey Mudd College (CA)
• T-5. Barnard College (NY)
• T-5. Grinnell College (IA)

Highest

• T-87. Bluefield State College (WV)
• T-87. College of Coastal Georgia (GA)
• T-89. Belmont Abbey College (NC)
• T-89. Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (MO)
• T-91. Lewis-Clark State College (ID)
• T-91. Southern Virginia University (VA)

Best Institution vs. Worst Institution: 13x Difference

Swarthmore College (PA) vs. Southern Virginia University (VA)

Student-Faculty Ratio

Lowest

• 1. Amherst College (MA)
• T-2. Carleton College (MN)
• T-2. Haverford College (PA)
• T-2. Lawrence University (WI)
• T-2. Paine College (GA)
• T-2. Swarthmore College (PA)

Highest

• 88. John Paul the Great Catholic University (CA)
• T-89. Alice Lloyd College (KY)
• T-89. College of Coastal Georgia (GA)
• 91. Edward Waters College (FL)
• 92. Paul Quinn College (TX)

Best Institution vs. Worst Institution: 3x Difference

Amherst College (MA) vs. Paul Quinn College (TX)

Graduation Rate

Highest

• T-1. Harvey Mudd College (CA)
• T-1. Swarthmore College (PA)
• T-3. Barnard College (NY)
• T-3. College of the Holy Cross (MA)
• T-5. Amherst College (MA)
• T-5. Hamilton College (NY)

Lowest

• T-88. Livingstone College (NC)
• T-88. Paul Quinn College (TX)
• 90. Saint Augustine's University (NC)
• 91. Paine College (GA)
• 92. Bacone College (OK)

Best Institution vs. Worst Institution: 13x Difference

Harvey Mudd College (CA) vs. Bacone College (OK)

% of International Students

Highest

• 1. Denison University (OH)
• 2. DePauw University (IN)
• 3. Wellesley College (MA)
• 4. Whitman College (WA)
• 5. Grinnell College (IA)

Lowest

• 83. Southern Virginia University (VA)
• 84. Central College (IA)
• 85. Livingstone College (NC)
• 86. SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill (NY)
• 87. Spelman College (GA)

Safety

Safest

• T-1. Alice Lloyd College (KY)
• T-1. Bluefield State College (WV)
• T-1. Central Baptist College (AR)
• T-1. Holy Cross College (IN)
• T-1. John Paul the Great Catholic University (CA)
• T-1. Lyon College (AR)

Least Safe

• 88. Albion College (MI)
• 89. Hampden-Sydney College (VA)
• 90. Amherst College (MA)
• 91. Saint Augustine's University (NC)
• 92. Dillard University (LA)

Student-Loan Debt

Lowest

• 1. Paul Quinn College (TX)
• 2. Thomas Aquinas College (CA)
• 3. Alice Lloyd College (KY)
• 4. Birmingham-Southern College (AL)
• 5. Barnard College (NY)

Highest

• 87. Swarthmore College (PA)
• 88. Lafayette College (PA)
• 89. College of Saint Benedict (MN)
• 90. Union College (NY)
• 91. Davidson College (NC)

Best Institution vs. Worst Institution: 3x Difference

Paul Quinn College (TX) vs. Davidson College (NC)

Student-Loan Default Rate

Lowest

• T-1. Amherst College (MA)
• T-1. Harvey Mudd College (CA)
• T-1. Haverford College (PA)
• 4. Macalester College (MN)
• T-5. Grinnell College (IA)
• T-5. Lafayette College (PA)

Highest

• 87. Paine College (GA)
• 88. Paul Quinn College (TX)
• 89. Edward Waters College (FL)
• 90. Saint Augustine's University (NC)
• 91. Livingstone College (NC)

Return on Educational Investment

Highest

• 1. Harvey Mudd College (CA)
• 2. Virginia Military Institute (VA)
• 3. Wabash College (IN)
• 4. Lafayette College (PA)
• 5. Swarthmore College (PA)

Lowest

• 76. Livingstone College (NC)
• 77. Northland College (WI)
• 78. Alice Lloyd College (KY)
• 79. Saint Augustine's University (NC)
• 80. Paine College (GA)

Post-Attendance Median Salary

Highest

• 1. Harvey Mudd College (CA)
• 2. Lafayette College (PA)
• 3. College of the Holy Cross (MA)
• 4. Hamilton College (NY)
• 5. Swarthmore College (PA)

Lowest

• 87. Saint Augustine's University (NC)
• 88. College of Coastal Georgia (GA)
• 89. Paine College (GA)
• 90. Edward Waters College (FL)
• 91. Livingstone College (NC)

Best Institution vs. Worst Institution: 4x Difference

Harvey Mudd College (CA) vs. Livingstone College (NC)

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Ranking by Region

Ask the Experts

As students consider their college options, they must consider both school quality and cost. And with tuition rates rising every year, many students are likely to be more selective with their options. To advance the discussion on cost-related matters in post-secondary education, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. Are Ivy League and other “name-brand” schools worth the high sticker price?
2. What types of universities do you think provide the best return on investment?
3. Should college be tuition-free? How else can we work to make college more affordable?
4. What tips do you have for a student looking to graduate with minimal debt and great job prospects?
5. Given that the top 25 universities hold about 52% of all endowment wealth, should the government consider taxing endowments of the wealthiest universities?

Ask the Experts

Allison L. Hurst
Professor and Associate Director of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts – Oregon State University
Read More

Joydeep Roy
Visiting Professor of Economics and Education, Department of Education Policy and Social Analysis, Teachers College – Columbia University
Read More

Alex McCormick
Associate Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Indiana University Bloomington and Former director, National Survey of Student Engagement
Read More

David Feldman
Professor of Economics – William & Mary
Read More

Lisa Wolf-Wendel
Ph.D. – Roy O. Roberts University Distinguished Professor, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Professor of Higher Education Administration, School of Education – The University of Kansas
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the best colleges in the U.S., WalletHub compared 92 such institutions across seven key dimensions: 1) Student Selectivity, 2) Cost & Financing, 3) Faculty Resources, 4) Campus Safety, 5) Campus Experience, 6) Educational Outcomes and 7) Career Outcomes.

We evaluated those dimensions using 30 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best school performance and the most favorable conditions for undergraduate students during and after attendance.

Finally, we determined each school’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

In constructing our sample, we took into account the following types of institutions:

1. Sector of institution:
   • Public, four-year or above
   • Private, not-for-profit, four-year or above
2. Carnegie Classification:
   • Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
   • Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity
   • Doctoral/Professional Universities
   • Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
   • Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
   • Master's Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
   • Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus
   • Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
   • Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: Mixed Baccalaureate/Associate's

Institutions were considered colleges if they provide only undergraduate, or baccalaureate degree, programs, and universities if they offer graduate, including masters and/or doctoral degree, programs. (Separate rankings for universities as well as for colleges and universities combined also are available on WalletHub.)

Some institutions were excluded from our sample due to data limitations. Data collected is relevant to undergraduate students only.

Student Selectivity – Total Points: 25

• Admission Rate: Triple Weight (~12.50 Points)
• 25th Percentile of ACT/SAT Score: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
  Note: This metric refers to the figure below which 25 percent of students scored.
• 75th Percentile of ACT/SAT Score: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)
  Note: This metric refers to the figure above which 25 percent of students scored.
• Share of Freshmen in Top 10 Percent of High School Graduating Class: Full Weight (~4.17 Points)

Cost & Financing – Total Points: 20

• Net Cost: Triple Weight (~12.00 Points)
• Availability of Employment Services for Students: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of “activities intended to assist students in obtaining part-time employment as a means of defraying part of the cost of their education,” as described by the National Center for Education Statistics, as follows:
  • 1 - Yes
  • 0 - No
• Student-Loan Debt: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the average amount of student loans awarded to full-time, first-time undergraduates.

Faculty Resources – Total Points: 10

• Student-Faculty Ratio: Quadruple Weight (~4.57 Points)
• Average Class Size: Triple Weight (~3.43 Points)
• Share of Full-time Professors among Total Full-Time Instructional Staff: Half Weight (~0.57 Points)
• Share of Full-Time Faculty: Quarter Weight (~0.29 Points)
• Faculty Staff Salary: Full Weight (~1.14 Points)
  Note: This metric was adjusted by the cost-of-living index.

Campus Safety – Total Points: 5

• On-Campus Arrests: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Total On-Campus Arrests / Total Enrollment.
• On-Campus Crime: Full Weight (~2.50 Points)
  Note: This metric was calculated using the following formula: Total On-Campus Crimes / Total Enrollment.

Campus Experience – Total Points: 5

• Share of International Students: Double Weight (~1.18 Points)
• Percentage of Students Living On-Campus: Double Weight (~1.18 Points)
• NCAA Membership: Full Weight (~0.59 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers whether the university is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as follows:
  • 1: Member of NCAA
  • 0: Not a member of NCAA
• Availability of Study-Abroad Program: Full Weight (~0.59 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of a study-abroad program, an arrangement by which a student completes part of his or her college program studying in another country, as follows:
  • 1: Study-abroad program available
  • 0: Study-abroad program not available
• Gender & Racial Diversity: Full Weight (~0.59 Points)
  Note: This metric is based on the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index method, a commonly accepted measure of market concentration that also works effectively as a general-purpose measure of diversity.
• Average Earnings from On-Campus Employment: Full Weight (~0.59 Points)
• Presence of Placement Services for Graduates: Half Weight (~0.29 Points)
  Note: Assistance for students in evaluating their career alternatives and in obtaining full-time employment upon leaving the institution.This binary metric considers the presence or absence of placement services for graduates, as follows:
  • 1 - Yes
  • 0 - No

Educational Outcomes – Total Points: 20

• Retention Rate: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of the fall full-time cohort from the prior year minus exclusions from the fall full-time cohort that re-enrolled at the institution as full-time in the current year.
• Graduation Rate: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)
• Credentials Awarded per Undergraduate Enrollment: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
  Note: “Credentials” refers to bachelor’s degrees.

Career Outcomes – Total Points: 15

• Return on Educational Investment: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the ratio of starting salary for graduates to cost of education.
• Share of Graduates Offered Full-Time Employment Within 6 Months: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
• Post-Attendance Median Salary: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the median earnings — 10 years after entering the school — of former students who received federal financial aid.
• Share of Former Students Outearning High School Graduates: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of former students earning more than $25,000, or about the average earnings of a high school graduate aged 25 to 34, six years after they first enrolled.
• Share of Students Reducing Their Debt: Double Weight (~3.33 Points)
  Note: This metric measures the share of students who have repaid at least $1 of the principal balance on their federal loans within three years of leaving school.
• Student-Loan Default Rate: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)

 
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from National Center for Education Statistics, Council for Community and Economic Research, U.S. Department of Education, COLLEGEdata and PayScale.