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.

Filters

Search & sort
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 life
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.
Clear all
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).
Major: Kinesiology and exercise scienceClear all

962 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 8%

    Occidental College

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,854 students

    $38,263 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.ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 8%

    Ohio State University

    #5 in Ohio
    Columbus, OH · Public · 4-year · 60,046 students

    $17,339 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 8%

    Fairfield University

    Top 5% for earnings
    Fairfield, CT · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 6,289 students

    $48,095 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.ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 8%

    Gettysburg College

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Gettysburg, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,895 students

    $31,490 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 8%

    St. Olaf College

    #3 in Minnesota
    Northfield, MN · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,074 students

    $23,874 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 8%

    University of Florida-Online

    Top 4% for low net price
    Gainesville, FL · Public · 4-year · 5,462 students

    $4,815 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Rutgers University-New Brunswick

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    New Brunswick, NJ · Public · 4-year · 50,617 students

    $24,406 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Southern Methodist University

    #4 in Texas
    Dallas, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 11,842 students

    $40,892 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.ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Citadel Military College of South Carolina

    #2 in South Carolina
    Charleston, SC · Public · 4-year · 3,727 students

    $20,723 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    University of Massachusetts-Amherst

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    Amherst, MA · Public · 4-year · 31,810 students

    $22,383 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Furman University

    #3 in South Carolina
    Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,505 students

    $30,308 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Texas Christian University

    #5 in Texas
    Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 12,785 students

    $36,660 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.ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Brigham Young University

    #1 in Utah
    Provo, UT · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 35,074 students

    $15,564 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    University of Connecticut

    Top 9% for graduation
    Storrs, CT · Public · 4-year · 27,364 students

    $25,097 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Berea College

    #1 in Kentucky
    Berea, KY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,487 students

    $6,106 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    Syracuse University

    Top 8% for earnings
    Syracuse, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 22,948 students

    $38,793 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.ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

    Top 7% for graduation
    Pittsburgh, PA · Public · 4-year · 34,525 students

    $30,434 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    College of the Ozarks

    #2 in Missouri
    Point Lookout, MO · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,427 students

    $6,100 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 not rated yetAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    Texas A&M University-College Station

    #6 in Texas
    College Station, TX · Public · 4-year · 76,633 students

    $21,315 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    University of Central Florida

    #6 in Florida
    Orlando, FL · Public · 4-year · 69,233 students

    $10,411 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

    Top 7% for graduation
    Minneapolis, MN · Public · 4-year · 54,890 students

    $16,778 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    San Diego State University

    Exceptional: Compass grade A
    San Diego, CA · Public · 4-year · 39,241 students

    $15,364 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.ValueExcellentAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    Pennsylvania State University

    Top 7% for graduation
    University Park, PA · Public · 4-year · 50,399 students

    $32,875 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.ValueFairAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 11%

    The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

    #3 in Tennessee
    Knoxville, TN · Public · 4-year · 36,304 students

    $18,976 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.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 11%

    Pepperdine University

    Top 7% for earnings
    Malibu, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 9,545 students

    $58,098 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueFairAcademicsExcellent

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