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Special Report

America's Best Colleges

Edited by David M. Ewalt, 08.11.10, 06:00 PM EDT

Forbes' list of public and private colleges and universities ranks the best schools--from the students' point of view.


The best college in America isn't in Cambridge or Princeton, West Point or Annapolis. It's nestled in the Berkshire Mountains. Williams College, a 217-year-old private liberal arts school, tops our third annual ranking of America's Best Colleges. Our list of more than 600 undergraduate institutions is based on the quality of the education they provide, the experiences of the students and how much they achieve. Read More »

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America's Best Colleges 2010

The best public and private colleges and universities, from the student's point of view.

Methodology

The complete methodology for America's Best Colleges 2010.

America's Best College Buys

For many students, the price of a school is as important as its quality.

Features

Deep In Debt

By Hana R. Alberts
College graduates owe more than ever --and it's putting all of our futures at risk.

$200,000 to Get Into Harvard

By Gady Epstein
Inside a prep program for the children of China's rich.

The College Degrees With The Biggest Salaries

By Sam Feldman
You'll do a whole lot better majoring in engineering than choosing visual arts.

Billionaire Universities

By Janhavi Kumar Sapra
Harvard's official color may be crimson, but with all its wealthy alumni, it might as well be green.

Seven Secrets Of College Admissions

By David L. Marcus
These pointers won't just help applicants get into a good college--they'll help get into the right one.

Overinvesting in Higher Ed

By Richard Vedder
Should nearly everyone go to college? No.

Hard Times For America's Biggest Universities

By Liz Moyer
State budget cuts are leading to fewer classes, tuition hikes and reduced aid.

Generation Rx

By Sara Peck
Prescription painkillers are the recreational drug of choice on campuses.

Most Popular College Majors For Women

By Jenna Goudreau
Watch out, liberal arts. Business ranks No. 1.

Ten Most Innovative Business School Classes

By Terra Stanley
Investment banking is so 1999. Try reconstructing war-torn economies and finding solutions to abject poverty.

Viewpoints

Learning To Lead

By Adm. Mike Mullen
America's service academies don't just provide great education--they keep us safe.

Beware Of For-Profit Higher Education

By Sen. Tom Harkin
Student debt may outweigh the degree's value.

Waking The Sleeping Giant

By Margaret Spellings
The need for innovation in higher education.

A Career-Oriented Liberal Arts Education

By Donna Randall
Colleges can provide both the foundation for a lucrative career and a well-rounded education.

DIY U

By Anya Kamenetz
In the end, all education is self-education.

Just-In-Time Innovation

By Holden Thorp and Buck Goldstein
Colleges must focus on real-world problems and enable students to be agents of change.

Why Does College Cost So Much?

By Robert B. Archibald and David H. Feldman
The artisanal nature of higher education makes it expensive, and technology is more a cause of price increases than a solution.

Where's My Professor?

By Ellen Schrecker
The disappearing faculty and the lost soul of American higher education.

Controlling The Crisis On Campus

By Mark C. Taylor
A bold plan for reforming our colleges and universities.

Catering To The 21st-Century Learner

By Peter Smith
Higher education must evolve with an emphasis on mobility, social choice, flexibility and speed.

Higher Education In The Digital Age

By Taylor Walsh
Are online courses making inroads at elite institutions?

Evaluative Judgments Vs. Bias In College Admissions

By Thomas J. Espenshade and Alexandria Walton Radford
How race and social class come into play.

Obama's Goal For Higher Education

By Sec. Arne Duncan
How to make America the best-educated country by 2020.

Making College Affordable Again

By Rep. George Miller
Americans are overwhelmed with student loan debt. The government can help.

Preparing Students to Succeed in College

By Joel Klein
High schools must do more than just increase graduation rates.

What Universities Can Learn From Airline Alliances

By Colin B. Grant
Higher education needs to build tighter global networks to share resources and foster opportunities.

Put Yourself Out There

By Kenneth Jedding
Getting from college to the real world.

The Red Herring Crusade Against For-Profit Colleges

By Daniel L. Bennett and Zac Bissonnette
Colleges of every stripe are soaking up societal resources and saddling students with debt.

Do We Have To Be No. 1?

By Ben Wildavsky
College graduation is not a zero-sum game.

Avoid The Party School Trap

By Craig Brandon
Look for schools that are still in the business of education.

What Competition Means For Higher Ed

By Philip G. Altbach
Universities try to lure different types of students. But they still compete on the same measures.

Not-So-Public Schools

By Glenn C. Altschuler and David J. Skorton
Declining state support means higher education is now out of reach for many Americans.

The Value Of Dissent

By William G Bowen
A campus free of dissent would be a boring place, and not the best environment for genuine learning.

Top 20

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Video

Screener

Credits

Center for College Affordability and Productivity

Director: Richard Vedder

Research: Daniel Bennett, Ryan Brady, Andrew Cadamagnani, Christopher Denhart, Matthew Denhart, Jonathan Leirer, Mac Lloyd, Michael Malesick, Christopher Matgouranis, Jonathan Robe, Karen Vedder, Robert Villwock, William Drabold

Forbes

Editing: Hana Alberts, Jeremy Bogaisky, David M. Ewalt, Lexi Feinberg

Research Director: Natalie Doss

Research: Oana Balajel, Seth Cline, Sam Feldman, Laura Keen, Hannah Kitziger, Anne Louise Korallus-Shapiro, Lauren-Leigh Frum, Emily McKenna, Hilary Miller, Sara Peck, Jacquelyn Smith, Terra Stanley, Nathalie Tadena, Victoria Taylor

Production: Kai Hecker, Mitchel Rand, Carl Subick

Design: Blair Ellis

Complete Coverage