Want to study at one of the Top Universities in the World then you should definitely check out this article. We have mentioned the Top 100 Colleges that are made to the list. You can run down the college rankings that are ranked top in America. You can use these ranking options to decide on the college for your further studies in the USA.
Select the one that meets your requirement and opt for your favorite university. All the University Rankings outlined here are ranked on basis of ROI, Debt, Graduation Rate, and Post Graduate Success.
- Top 100 Colleges US | Best College Rankings in America
- The Methodology we used to Rank these 100 Colleges
Top 100 Colleges US | Best College Rankings in America
Check out the list of famous colleges in USA below and pursue your favorite course in your dream university.
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 1 | Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
|
98% | 0.8% | $146,800 | $68,120 | 16.38% |
| 2 | Stanford University
Stanford, CA
|
95% | 0.5% | $145,200 | $74,570 | 15.98% |
| 3 | Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
|
97% | 3.5% | $139,400 | $65,208 | 14.89% |
| 4 | Yale University
New Haven, CT
|
96% | 0.6% | $120,000 | $77,268 | 14.11% |
| 5 | Williams College
Williamstow, MA
|
95% | 2.3% | $112,000 | $81,260 | 12.91% |
| 6 | Pomona College
Claremont, CA
|
93% | 0% | $105,000 | $76,820 | 12.46% |
| 7 | Brown University
Providence, RI
|
96% | 0.5% | $113,000 | $84,772 | 13.17% |
| 8 | Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
|
94% | 1.6% | $115,000 | $90,228 | 12.26% |
| 9 | Amherst College
Amherst, MA
|
94% | 1.5% | $98,600 | $58,748 | 14.30% |
| 10 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA
|
91% | 1.7% | $137,000 | $88,848 | 14.92% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 11 | University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
|
96% | 1.1% | $120,000 | $90,776 | 13.13% |
| 12 | University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN
|
96% | 0.6% | $111,000 | $108,100 | 11.57% |
| 13 | Dartmouth College
Hanvover, NH
|
95% | 1.7% | $111,000 | $85,108 | 12.74% |
| 14 | Columbia University
New York, NY
|
95% | 1.7% | $109,000 | $83,352 | 13.11% |
| 15 | Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
|
97% | 1% | $102,000 | $114,668 | 10.51% |
| 16 | Duke University
Durham, IL
|
95% | 0.6% | $122,000 | $87,056 | 13.57% |
| 17 | Tufts University
Medford, MA
|
97% | 1.5% | $115,000 | $104,412 | 11.69% |
| 18 | Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA
|
90% | 0% | $105,000 | $95,928 | 11.56% |
| 19 | Georgetown University
Washington DC
|
95% | 0.6% | $116,000 | $103,144 | 11.83% |
| 20 | Cornell University
Ithaca, NY
|
93% | 1% | $114,000 | $114,148 | 11.62% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 21 | Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
|
93% | 0.9% | $103,000 | $96,624 | 10.94% |
| 22 | University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
|
93% | 1.4% | $107,000 | $137,408 | 9.43% |
| 23 | Davidson College
Davidson, NC
|
93% | 1.3% | $90,600 | $89,828 | 10.45% |
| 24 | Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
|
91% | 2.5% | $83,700 | $84,864 | 10.21% |
| 25 | Rice University
Houston, TX
|
91% | 1.7% | $114,000 | $82,048 | 13.59% |
| 26 | Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA
|
88% | 1.7% | $120,000 | $82,800 | 13.31% |
| 27 | Carleton College
Northfield, MN
|
93% | 0.4% | $107,000 | $128,068 | 9.32% |
| 28 | California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA
|
92% | 2.5% | $125,000 | $107,640 | 13.07% |
| 29 | Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
|
94% | 1.1% | $93,900 | $83,612 | 11.19% |
| 30 | University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
|
91% | 2.9% | $120,000 | $66,620 | 14.90% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 31 | University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA
|
94% | 1.7% | $102,000 | $56,276 | 14.52% |
| 32 | Boston College
Boston, MA
|
91% | 0.6% | $109,000 | $105,340 | 11.37% |
| 33 | University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
|
91% | 1.5% | $101,000 | $50,040 | 14.85% |
| 34 | College of William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
|
90% | 0.6% | $99,300 | $49,624 | 14.37% |
| 35 | Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
|
92% | 2.6% | $115,000 | $86,596 | 12.71% |
| 36 | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
|
91% | 1.6% | $100,000 | $63,400 | 13.93% |
| 37 | Barnard College
New York, NY
|
89% | 0.8% | $81,400 | $87,164 | 9.67% |
| 38 | Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
|
89% | 1.1% | $107,000 | $132,508 | 10.18% |
| 39 | Colby College
Waterville, ME
|
90% | 0% | $95,100 | $73,908 | 11.85% |
| 40 | Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
|
93% | 1.4% | $102,000 | $88,692 | 12.01% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 41 | Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD
|
93% | 1.5% | $107,000 | $100,828 | 11.87% |
| 42 | Kenyon College
Gambier, OH
|
89% | 0.9% | $97,600 | $106,936 | 9.75% |
| 43 | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
|
90% | 1.6% | $108,000 | $43,744 | 17.61% |
| 44 | Oberlin College
Oberline, OH
|
88% | 2.2% | $100,000 | $155,548 | 7.54% |
| 45 | Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
|
87% | 2% | $101,000 | $135,152 | 8.44% |
| 46 | Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
|
91% | 2.1% | $94,600 | $89,568 | 11.25% |
| 47 | Reed College
Portland, OR
|
90% | 2.4% | $103,000 | $74,684 | 12.30% |
| 48 | Lafayette College
Easton, PA
|
79% | 2.4% | $102,000 | $108,076 | 11.02% |
| 49 | College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA
|
92% | 2.5% | $97,500 | $104,688 | 10.41% |
| 50 | Washington University in St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
|
95% | 1.4% | $113,000 | $133,496 | 10.47% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 51 | Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA
|
88% | 0.7% | $125,000 | $134,680 | 11.59% |
| 52 | Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA
|
90% | 0% | $133,000 | $132,548 | 12.50% |
| 53 | Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, PA
|
87% | 1.8% | $106,000 | $91,896 | 11.28% |
| 54 | Wake Forest University
Winston Salem, NC
|
88% | 1.2% | $92,100 | $103,304 | 9.78% |
| 55 | University of Rochester
Rochester, NY
|
96% | 2% | $111,000 | $131,984 | 10.25% |
| 56 | Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO
|
94% | 0.9% | $85,100 | $96,564 | 9.02% |
| 57 | University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
|
91% | 1.2% | $99,500 | $124,756 | 9.63% |
| 58 | Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
|
89% | 2% | $92,100 | $99,584 | 9.54% |
| 59 | Macalester College
St Paul, MN
|
90% | 2.2% | $89,300 | $111,996 | 8.22% |
| 60 | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
|
84% | 2.1% | $102,000 | $64,996 | 13.80% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 61 | University of Wisconsin, Madison
Madison, WI
|
84% | 1.5% | $91,400 | $64,524 | 12.49% |
| 62 | Bates College
Lewiston, ME
|
88% | 0.6% | $95,000 | $88,248 | 10.37% |
| 63 | Villanova University
Villanova, PA
|
89% | 1.1% | $101,000 | $130,816 | 9.65% |
| 64 | Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
|
87% | 1.1% | $108,000 | $111,392 | 11.32% |
| 65 | Brandeis University
Waltham, MA
|
91% | 2.4% | $96,200 | $105,468 | 9.66% |
| 66 | University of Washington
Seattle, WA
|
84% | 2.7% | $92,600 | $41,496 | 15.35% |
| 67 | New York University
New York, NY
|
83% | 2% | $99,000 | $142,172 | 8.76% |
| 68 | Emory University
Atlanta, GA
|
89% | 2.1% | $95,100 | $112,812 | 9.90% |
| 69 | Trinity College
Hartford, CT
|
84% | 1.6% | $86,500 | $100,480 | 9.53% |
| 70 | University Texas, Austin
Austin, TX
|
94% | 3.6% | $97,200 | $67,328 | 12.83% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 71 | University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
|
88% | 3% | $86,300 | $59,144 | 12.42% |
| 72 | Sewanee-University of the South
Sewanee, TN
|
79% | 1.3% | $74,000 | $101,656 | 6.68% |
| 73 | Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
|
85% | 2.2% | $117,000 | $146,580 | 10.27% |
| 74 | Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA
|
84% | 3% | $94,900 | $133,828 | 8.59% |
| 75 | Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY
|
87% | 2.3% | $97,600 | $97,264 | 10.03% |
| 76 | Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA
|
82% | 1.7% | $112,000 | $48,748 | 16.39% |
| 77 | Centre College
Danville, KY
|
82% | 1.5% | $86,700 | $99,420 | 8.53% |
| 78 | Boston University
Boston, MA
|
85% | 1.8% | $93,900 | $130,156 | 8.86% |
| 79 | Connecticut College
New London, CT
|
83% | 1.4% | $88,700 | $96,608 | 9.61% |
| 80 | University of Maryland, College Park
College Park, MD
|
85% | 2% | $94,400 | $59,332 | 13.55% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 81 | Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA
|
85% | 2.8% | $112,000 | $130,984 | 9.71% |
| 82 | Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA
|
80% | 1.3% | $79,400 | $109,592 | 7.91% |
| 83 | Denison University
Granville, OH
|
82% | 1.3% | $88,500 | $117,648 | 8.57% |
| 84 | Wofford College
Spartanburg, SC
|
78% | 2.3% | $89,000 | $98,924 | 9.48% |
| 85 | Rhodes College
Memphis, TN
|
80% | 4% | $90,700 | $114,460 | 8.54% |
| 86 | University of Richmond
Richmond, VA
|
84% | 1.5% | $93,200 | $96,044 | 10.23% |
| 87 | Trinity University
San Antonio, TX
|
81% | 2.1% | $93,400 | $111,404 | 9.00% |
| 88 | University of Georgia
Athens, GA
|
85% | 2.9% | $83,600 | $53,148 | 12.45% |
| 89 | University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
|
81% | 4% | $100,000 | $59,864 | 13.56% |
| 90 | Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
|
79% | 1.2% | $97,900 | $49,336 | 14.79% |
| Rank | School Name | Graduation Rate1 | Default Rate | Mid-Career Salary | Net Price (4-year) | 20-year ROI |
| 91 | University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
|
83% | 2.7% | $94,600 | $64,924 | 12.74% |
| 92 | St. John's University
Collegeville, MN
|
80% | 0.2% | $134,000 | $97,332 | 13.55% |
| 93 | Saint Olaf College
Northfield, MN
|
80% | 0.5% | $89,400 | $112,076 | 8.74% |
| 94 | Colorado School of the Mines
Golden, CO
|
76% | 0.8% | $109,000 | $100,552 | 12.27% |
| 95 | Northeastern University
Boston, MA
|
82% | 2.8% | $91,900 | $122,184 | 9.44% |
| 96 | Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
|
81% | 1.2% | $103,000 | $116,560 | 10.63% |
| 97 | Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA
|
84% | 2% | $100,000 | $133,372 | 8.98% |
| 98 | Southern Methodist University
Dallas, TX
|
77% | 3.3% | $93,500 | $136,756 | 8.59% |
| 99 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN
|
78% | 2.6% | $87,200 | $62,356 | 12.25% |
| 100 | Indiana University-Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
|
78% | 3.9% | $83,100 | $46,292 | 13.18% |
Also, Check:
The Methodology we used to Rank these 100 Colleges
All the Colleges and Universities Rankings in USA are given depending on ROI, and student placements. In addition, we also considered the secured high salaries, low debt, and candidates who had successful careers. Several other factors like how quickly students paid their college fees, how schools are providing education to low income students, etc. are considered to make the rankings even more accurate and robust. The major factors considered are explained below
- Post-Graduate Success
- Student Satisfaction
- Student Debt
- Graduation Rate
- Academic Success
Post Graduate Success
Placements are one factor that every student will consider before getting into college. After completion of graduation, everyone looks for job opportunities in order to excel in their chosen career path. The metrics we used to measure Post Graduate Success are as follows
- Early and mid-career salary
- 4-year undergraduate education cost
- Whether an institution makes to the list of America's Leaders List.
The cost of education is also a major concern for us when it comes to giving these colleges rankings. Without considering the cost we can't determine the ROI.
Student Satisfaction
Student Satisfaction can be measured in three variables namely
- Student Happiness
- Actual freshman-to-sophomore student retention rates
- Predicted freshman-to-sophomore retention rates
Student Happiness Score indicates how happy they are studying at a specific institution. Along with these factors like Actual and Predicted Freshman-to-Sophomore Student Retention Rates are a better indicator of how satisfied students are with a college's education system.
Student Debt
When it comes to Student Debt we have counted default rates and debt load. These metrics will tell if a student can afford a particular college or institute and the ability of students to repay the loan debt after completion of their graduation.
Graduation Rate
The graduation rate is not an important factor in college rankings but can't be neglected as well. A low Graduation Rate can indicate several reasons like the college is overselling its offerings to new students, lacking educational offering, unclear communication of expectations, etc. The difficult part about considering graduation rate as a factor in determining the college rankings is that the time duration of pursuing a degree differs from one college to another college. It can be a great metric for assessing relative value it's just that higher education doesn't operate in perfection.
Academic Success
To determine the college's relative rank academic success can be an important metric. However, this doesn't count under the best value metrics if you keep considering ROI as the core metric in your rankings. The Grades and Awards one receives after graduation seem little when college is a thing of the past.
Calculating ROI
We have considered the Annualized Return on Investment as criteria and to calculate ARI we use the below formula ARI = (gain+principal/principal)^(1/years)-1
Conclusion
We believe the knowledge shared on our page with regards to Top 100 Colleges has been helpful to you. In case of any assistance needed regarding the same do let us know via the comment section and we are ready to help you. Stay tuned to our site to avail latest updates on cheap colleges related info in no time.