Best Colleges and Universities in the United States

 

Trying to figure out which college to go to isn't an easy task. There are many different things to factor in to the decision. You need to consider location, cost, available programs and other features. As a result, it's difficult to say definitively that certain colleges are the best colleges in the nation because the right college depends on so many different things. However, there are certainly colleges that are considered to be among the best on the whole for the average person to consider attending. Here is a closer look at some of the best colleges based on different things that you might be considering as you look at schools:

 

Best Overall Schools in the Nation

 

These schools are considered to be the ten best schools in the nation based on a diverse range of criteria including peer assessment of the school, student retention, class size, grades and alumni assessment:

 

1. Princeton.
2. Harvard.
3. Yale.
4. Stanford.
5. University of Pennsylvania.
6. California Institute of Technology.
7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
8. Duke.
9. Columbia University.
10. University of Chicago.

 

Top Public Schools in the Nation

 

Some of the schools that are best may be really great but if you can't get a scholarship to them then you might not be able to afford them because they're private schools and those are pretty expensive. If you're on a budget, look at public schools. Here are the top three that you should take a closer look at:

 

1. University of California. Look at either UC Berkeley or UCLA.
2. University of Virginia.
3. University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

 

Schools with the Best Values

 

You might not actually need to go to one of the less expensive public schools to get the best value for your money. If you take a look at the economic situation of the school as a whole, including cost of the school with need-based grants factored in, you may be able to afford one of the following ten schools. These are ranked as the best in the nation in terms of overall value:

 

1. Harvard.
2. Princeton.
3. Yale.
4. California Institute of Technology.
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
6. Stanford.
7. Dartmouth.
8. Columbia.
9. UNC - Chapel Hill.
10. Duke.

 

Top Liberal Arts Colleges

 

Not everyone is looking for an education in the major leading fields of study such as technology of engineering. Some people still want to get just your basic liberal arts degree and they want to have a great time in school while they get it. If you're one of those students, these are the top ten schools to think about attending:

 

1. Williams.
2. Amherst.
3. Swarthmore.
4. Wellesley.
5. Carleton.
6. Middlebury.
7. Pomona.
8. Bowdoin.
9. Davidson.
10. Haverford.

 

Top Masters Programs

 

Many people want to attend a Masters Program at the same school where they completed their Bachelors Degrees. As a result, it really helps to know ahead of time what the good schools are for these advanced degrees. Here are ten of the best:

 

1. Villanova.
2. Providence.
3. Fairfield.
4. Rollins.
5. Elon.
6. Creighton.
7. Xavier.
8. Trinity.
9. Santa Clara.
10. Gonzaga.

 

Finding the BestSchool for You

 

Ultimately, looking at these lists is only going to be one thing that you'll need to do in order to determine which college is the best college for you. You need to factor in a lot of things other than just what people generally think about these schools. But starting with these can help you to narrow down the decision-making process.