College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life1
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major1
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
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RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Study abroadMajor: ArchitectureClear all

128 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Princeton University

    #1 in New Jersey
    Princeton, NJ · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 8,922 students

    About $6,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Ivy LeagueOne of the eight Ivy League universities. Ivy League membership doesn't change any grade.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Rice University

    #1 in Texas
    Houston, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 8,556 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    #1 in Massachusetts
    Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 11,920 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Yale University

    #1 in Connecticut
    New Haven, CT · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 15,081 students

    About $24,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Ivy LeagueOne of the eight Ivy League universities. Ivy League membership doesn't change any grade.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Brown University

    #1 in Rhode Island
    Providence, RI · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 11,516 students

    About $25,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Ivy LeagueOne of the eight Ivy League universities. Ivy League membership doesn't change any grade.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 1%

    Wellesley College

    Exceptional: Compass grade A+
    Wellesley, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,418 students

    About $25,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.All-femaleAll-female: the school enrolls women only.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    Cornell University

    #2 in New York
    Ithaca, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 26,264 students

    About $29,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Ivy LeagueOne of the eight Ivy League universities. Ivy League membership doesn't change any grade.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    University of Pennsylvania

    Top 1% for earnings
    Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 28,711 students

    About $29,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Ivy LeagueOne of the eight Ivy League universities. Ivy League membership doesn't change any grade.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    Washington University in St. Louis

    #1 in Missouri
    St. Louis, MO · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 16,500 students

    About $22,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    Columbia University in the City of New York

    Top 2% for graduation
    New York, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 35,279 students

    About $22,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Ivy LeagueOne of the eight Ivy League universities. Ivy League membership doesn't change any grade.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 2%

    University of Notre Dame

    #1 in Indiana
    Notre Dame, IN · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 13,174 students

    About $27,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    Middlebury College

    #1 in Vermont
    Middlebury, VT · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,857 students

    About $31,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

    Exceptional: Compass grade A+
    Ann Arbor, MI · Public · 4-year · 52,065 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    Carnegie Mellon University

    Top 1% for earnings
    Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 15,596 students

    About $32,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    University of Southern California

    Exceptional: Compass grade A+
    Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 47,147 students

    About $33,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    University of California-Berkeley

    Exceptional: Compass grade A+
    Berkeley, CA · Public · 4-year · 45,699 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    Georgia Institute of Technology

    Top 2% for earnings
    Atlanta, GA · Public · 4-year · 47,946 students

    About $12,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    Barnard College

    Exceptional: Compass grade A+
    New York, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,353 students

    About $29,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.All-femaleAll-female: the school enrolls women only.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 3%

    Tufts University

    Top 3% for graduation
    Medford, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 13,274 students

    About $40,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 4%

    University of California-Los Angeles

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Los Angeles, CA · Public · 4-year · 46,678 students

    About $13,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 4%

    University of Virginia

    Top 2% for graduation
    Charlottesville, VA · Public · 4-year · 25,924 students

    About $22,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 4%

    Northeastern University

    Top 3% for earnings
    Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 31,159 students

    About $31,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 4%

    Smith College

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Northampton, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,830 students

    About $28,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.All-femaleAll-female: the school enrolls women only.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 4%

    Tulane University of Louisiana

    #1 in Louisiana
    New Orleans, LA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 13,078 students

    About $40,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value FairAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 4%

    University of Florida

    #1 in Florida
    Gainesville, FL · Public · 4-year · 54,814 students

    About $7,000 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent

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