America's Top Colleges: Rising in the Ranks

The college rankings systems of magazines like U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review have sparked lively debates across the country. While some experts claim that national rankings systems are helpful, other scholars firmly assert that national rankings are subjective and misleading. Regardless of your views on national rankings systems, you should understand how they function, especially if you plan on applying for colleges.

How Rankings Are Determined

Without a doubt, U.S. News and World Report has one of the most influential rankings schemes in America. U.S. News compiles data by grading schools on seven independent factors: peer assessment, retention, faculty resources, student selectivity, financial resources, graduation rate, and alumni giving percentage. Each of these items holds different weight: peer assessment, for instance, counts for 25% of a school's ranking. While U.S. News gathers numerical facts and percentages for its list, other organizations, such as The Princeton Review, use enrolled students' opinions to compose their rankings. The Princeton Review's college rankings include such colorful categories as "Best Campus Food," "Most Beautiful Campus," and "Dorms Like Palaces."

Top Colleges for Bookworms

Although U.S. News, The Princeton Review, Kaplan, and other organizations typically award a similar group of elite schools top academic rankings, there is some yearly positional shifting. This is due to the different ways to rate a school's academic prowess, including library size, faculty awards, research amenities, and student achievement. For example, while Harvard University boasts the world's largest academic library, the University of Chicago has produced the most Nobel-Prize-winning alumni and faculty. Some universities that frequently appear on top ten lists for academics include:

Harvard University
Princeton University
Duke University
The University of Pennsylvania
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Stanford University
The University of Chicago

Better, Faster, Stronger: Quality of Life

"Quality of Life" is a slippery term. To evaluate a school's quality of life, organizations take diverse approaches: while U.S. News analyzes colleges' graduation and student retention percentages, The Princeton Review evaluates schools' food service, dorm rooms, and on-campus facilities. Universities known for offering a high quality of life include:

Virginia Tech: tops the Princeton Review's rankings for "Best Food."
Smith College: provides top-notch on-campus housing options
Princeton University: retains 98% of freshmen, 94% of overall student body
Sweet Briar College: boasts the most beautiful campus in America
Whitman College: reports the happiest student population

Best Colleges for the Money

Nobody enjoys shelling out money for student loans. Thankfully, by attending either a low-cost college or a school that awards lots of financial aid, students can steer clear of future debt. Penny-pinching students should check out the The Princeton Review's rundown of cost-saving colleges entitled "Top 10 Best-Value Schools." Surprisingly, the list includes several top-notch private schools, such as Swarthmore, Williams, and Harvard, all of which grant qualified students generous financial aid packages. Public schools, however, give students the best value. The Princeton Review's catalog of the most affordable public universities includes: