America’s Top Colleges 2019

20 августа 2019

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The value of a college degree may not mean the same thing to the parents involved in this year’s admissions cheating and bribery scandal as it means to the some 6 million first-generation college students in the U.S.⁠ Or to most of us. There’s a difference between gaming the system and having a shot at the American Dream. So when it comes to the question everyone seems to be asking, “Is college worth it?,” we emphatically say yes

Photo: pixabay.com/MonicaVolpin

Harvard University, Massachusetts

With an asterisk. That’s the mission of this college ranking, our annual review of the undergraduate institutions that deliver the top academics, best experiences, career success and lowest debt. Whether a school is in the Top 10 or near the bottom of the list, these 650 count as the best in the country. We include just 15% of the 4,300 degree-granting postsecondary institutions in the U.S., so appearing here at all is an indication that a school meets a high standard.

The rise of megacities

The average total cost for these colleges is $45,000 annually; nationally, 49% of graduates under the age of 30 are carrying loan debt, on the hook for a median amount of $25,000 for the privilege of earning a bachelor’s degree, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. In sum, Americans now owe about $1.5 trillion in student loans. For most families, choosing a four-year college is one of the biggest and most expensive decisions they can make. For students, the time of your life may stress out your future plans. Choose carefully.

RANK	NAME	STATE	NET PRICE	TYPE	AVERAGE DEBT	AVERAGE EARLY CAREER SALARY

1	Harvard University	Massachusetts	$69,600	Private not-for-profit	$7,372	$74,800
2	Stanford University	California	$69,109	Private not-for-profit	$8,155	$79,000
3	Yale University	Connecticut	$71,290	Private not-for-profit	$4,962	$70,300
4	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts	$67,430	Private not-for-profit	$7,530	$86,300
5	Princeton University	New Jersey	$66,150	Private not-for-profit	$4,451	$75,200
6	University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania	$71,715	Private not-for-profit	$7,733	$72,800
7	Brown University	Rhode Island	$71,050	Private not-for-profit	$7,794	$68,200
8	California Institute of Technology	California	$68,901	Private not-for-profit	$5,988	$84,100
9	Duke University	North Carolina	$71,764	Private not-for-profit	$6,114	$71,100
10	Dartmouth College	New Hampshire	$71,827	Private not-for-profit	$6,239	$71,500
11	Cornell University	New York	$70,321	Private not-for-profit	$8,107	$70,100
12	Pomona College	California	$69,725	Private not-for-profit	$6,561	$63,800
13	University of California, Berkeley	California	$65,003	Public	$6,237	$70,700
14	Columbia University	New York	$74,199	Private not-for-profit	$10,740	$71,400
15	Georgetown University	District Of Columbia	$71,580	Private not-for-profit	$6,358	$66,400
16	University of Chicago	Illinois	$75,735	Private not-for-profit	$10,381	$64,000
17	Northwestern University	Illinois	$72,980	Private not-for-profit	$7,024	$63,400
18	University of Notre Dame	Indiana	$69,395	Private not-for-profit	$6,600	$67,000
19	Williams College	Massachusetts	$70,650	Private not-for-profit	$4,440	$67,500
20	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor	Michigan	$62,176	Public	$6,965	$63,500
21	Rice University	Texas	$63,158	Private not-for-profit	$8,364	$71,000
22	Johns Hopkins University	Maryland	$69,863	Private not-for-profit	$7,036	$67,200
23	Harvey Mudd College	California	$74,428	Private not-for-profit	$7,236	$88,800
24	United States Naval Academy	Maryland	$0	Public	$0	$80,100
25	Swarthmore College	Pennsylvania	$68,846	Private not-for-profit	$8,843	$67,500
26	Bowdoin College	Maine	$68,070	Private not-for-profit	$7,550	$61,300
27	Vanderbilt University	Tennessee	$67,392	Private not-for-profit	$8,051	$65,400
28	Amherst College	Massachusetts	$71,300	Private not-for-profit	$5,460	$63,800
29	Claremont McKenna College	California	$71,745	Private not-for-profit	$4,369	$68,500
30	University of Southern California	California	$72,209	Private not-for-profit	$7,747	$64,500