Top school lists

1,068 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for nursing

1. A+Johns Hopkins University
2. A+Duke University
3. A+University of Pennsylvania

749 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for engineering

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,563 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for business

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Rice University
3. A+Johns Hopkins University

1,318 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for education

1. A+Johns Hopkins University
2. A+Brown University
3. A+Harvard University

1,358 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for biology and pre-med

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Stanford University
3. A+Rice University

1,418 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for psychology

1. A+Princeton University
2. A+Stanford University
3. A+Rice University

750 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for computer science

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,238 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for communications and journalism

1. A+Stanford University
2. A+Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. A+University of Chicago

1,132 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for accounting

1. A+Claremont McKenna College
2. A+University of Pennsylvania
3. A+Hillsdale College

744 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for finance

1. A+Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. A+University of Pennsylvania
3. A+Hillsdale College

834 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for marketing

1. A+Harvard University
2. A+University of Pennsylvania
3. A+Hillsdale College

1,046 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for criminal justice

1. A+University of Pennsylvania
2. A+Swarthmore College
3. ABoston University

1,116 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for political science and pre-law

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

788 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for economics

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,247 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for history

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,283 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for English

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,215 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for mathematics

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,162 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for chemistry

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,063 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for music

1. A+Curtis Institute of Music
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

1,187 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for art and design

1. A+Princeton University
2. A+Stanford University
3. A+Rice University

950 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology

1. A+Rice University
2. A+United States Military Academy
3. A+Hillsdale College

605 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for social work

1. A+University of Chicago
2. A+University of California-Berkeley
3. ABoston University

674 schools · Compass Score

Best value colleges

1. AUnited States Merchant Marine Academy
2. A+Princeton University
3. ACUNY Bernard M Baruch College

No. 1: Value grade A+ · Top 1%

690 schools · Compass Score

Most affordable colleges with strong academics

1. A-CUNY Hunter College
2. ACUNY Bernard M Baruch College
3. A-CUNY City College

No. 1: Net price $2,984 a year

690 schools · Compass Score

Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price

1. A+Princeton University
2. A+University of Chicago
3. A+Stanford University

No. 1: $77,912 off the sticker price

682 schools · Compass Score

Lowest net price for middle-income families

1. A+University of Chicago
2. A+Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. A+Princeton University

No. 1: $549 a year for families earning $30,000–$75,000

684 schools · Compass Score

Colleges with the lowest student debt

1. ABerea College
2. ABoricua College
3. AUnited States Merchant Marine Academy

No. 1: Median debt $3,591

681 schools · Compass Score

Colleges with the best earnings for the price

1. ACUNY Bernard M Baruch College
2. A-CUNY Hunter College
3. A+Princeton University

No. 1: Earnings are 6.3× the four-year net price

598 schools · Compass Score

Colleges that pay for themselves fastest

1. A+Princeton University
2. ACUNY Bernard M Baruch College
3. AUnited States Merchant Marine Academy

No. 1: Pays back in about 0.4 years

197 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges under $20,000 a year

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+Stanford University

No. 1: Net price $16,075 a year

25 schools · Compass Score

Hidden gem colleges

1. AOhio State University
2. ABrigham Young University
3. AUniversity of Minnesota-Twin Cities

239 schools · Compass Score

Best value colleges in the Northeast

1. AUnited States Merchant Marine Academy
2. A+Princeton University
3. ACUNY Bernard M Baruch College

No. 1: Value grade A+ · Top 1%

177 schools · Compass Score

Best value colleges in the Midwest

1. B+University of Illinois Chicago
2. A+University of Chicago
3. BMount Carmel College of Nursing

No. 1: Value grade A+ · Top 2%

153 schools · Compass Score

Best value colleges in the South

1. A+Rice University
2. AUniversity of Florida
3. AUniversity of Florida-Online

No. 1: Value grade A+ · Top 1%

103 schools · Compass Score

Best value colleges in the West

1. A+Stanford University
2. AUniversity of California-Los Angeles
3. A+University of California-Berkeley

No. 1: Value grade A+ · Top 1%

1,829 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges

1. A+Curtis Institute of Music
2. A+California Institute of Technology
3. A+Princeton University

1,829 schools · Compass Score

Colleges with the highest graduation rates

1. ARiverside College of Health Careers
2. AAmerican College of Healthcare Sciences
3. AGnomon

No. 1: 100% graduate

906 schools · Compass Score

Best small colleges

1. A+Curtis Institute of Music
2. A+California Institute of Technology
3. A+Pomona College

256 schools · Compass Score

Best large colleges

1. A+Cornell University
2. A+University of Pennsylvania
3. A+University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

667 schools · Compass Score

Best mid-size colleges

1. A+Princeton University
2. A+Stanford University
3. A+Rice University

367 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes

1. A+Princeton University
2. A+Stanford University
3. A+Rice University

292 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for NCAA Division II athletes

1. A+Hillsdale College
2. ABentley University
3. AColorado School of Mines

430 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Johns Hopkins University
3. A+Massachusetts Institute of Technology

221 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges for NAIA athletes

1. ASoka University of America
2. ACollege of the Ozarks
3. A-Taylor University

1,481 schools · Compass Score

Best test-optional colleges

1. A+Curtis Institute of Music
2. A+California Institute of Technology
3. A+Princeton University

167 schools · Compass Score

Best online colleges

1. AInterCoast Colleges-West Covina
2. AUniversity of Florida-Online
3. AAmerican College of Healthcare Sciences

693 schools · Compass Score

Colleges where the most freshmen return

1. A+Curtis Institute of Music
2. AAmerican College of Healthcare Sciences
3. AManna University

No. 1: 100% of freshmen return

704 schools · Compass Score

Colleges with the most faculty per student

1. A+Curtis Institute of Music
2. A+California Institute of Technology
3. A+Massachusetts Institute of Technology

No. 1: 2 students per faculty member

704 schools · Compass Score

Colleges that spend the most on teaching

1. A+Washington University in St. Louis
2. A+Stanford University
3. A+California Institute of Technology

No. 1: $181,929 on teaching per student

154 schools · Compass Score

Colleges where Pell Grant students thrive

1. ARiverside College of Health Careers
2. AAmerican College of Healthcare Sciences
3. AChamberlain University-Virginia

No. 1: 100% graduate

683 schools · Compass Score

Most selective colleges

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Stanford University
3. A+Harvard University

No. 1: Admits 3%

69 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the New York area

1. A+Princeton University
2. A+United States Military Academy
3. A+Columbia University in the City of New York

21 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Chicago area

1. A+University of Chicago
2. A+Northwestern University
3. AWheaton College

41 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Boston area

1. A+Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. A+Harvard University
3. A+Wellesley College

30 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Philadelphia area

1. A+Curtis Institute of Music
2. A+Princeton University
3. A+University of Pennsylvania

46 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Los Angeles area

1. A+California Institute of Technology
2. A+Pomona College
3. A+Claremont McKenna College

19 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Washington, DC area

1. A+Johns Hopkins University
2. A+United States Naval Academy
3. A+Georgetown University

14 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area area

1. A+Stanford University
2. A+University of California-Berkeley
3. ASanta Clara University

11 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area

1. AMacalester College
2. AUniversity of Minnesota-Twin Cities
3. A-University of St. Thomas

11 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the St. Louis area

1. A+Washington University in St. Louis
2. A-Saint Louis University
3. A-Ranken Technical College

6 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Cleveland area

1. ACase Western Reserve University
2. A-Cleveland Institute of Music
3. A-John Carroll University

7 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Milwaukee area

1. A-Marquette University
2. B+Milwaukee School of Engineering
3. B+Carroll University

9 schools · Compass Score

Best colleges in the Pittsburgh area

1. A+Carnegie Mellon University
2. AUniversity of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
3. A-Duquesne University