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.
Location1
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.
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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).
State: OhioMajor: EconomicsClear all

41 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 6%

    Denison University

    #1 in Ohio
    Granville, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,405 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 6%

    Case Western Reserve University

    #2 in Ohio
    Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 12,266 students

    About $41,000 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 6%

    Kenyon College

    #2 in Ohio
    Gambier, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,184 students

    About $39,000 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 7%

    Oberlin College

    #4 in Ohio
    Oberlin, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,976 students

    About $39,000 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 8%

    Ohio State University

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

    About $17,000 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 ScoreExcellent · Top 12%

    University of Dayton

    #6 in Ohio
    Dayton, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 11,304 students

    About $30,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 13%

    The College of Wooster

    #7 in Ohio
    Wooster, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,876 students

    About $23,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 14%

    Miami University-Oxford

    #8 in Ohio
    Oxford, OH · Public · 4-year · 18,618 students

    About $28,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 16%

    Franciscan University of Steubenville

    #13 in Ohio
    Steubenville, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,750 students

    About $24,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 16%

    John Carroll University

    Top 12% for graduation
    University Heights, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,773 students

    About $29,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 19%

    University of Cincinnati

    Top 15% for graduation
    Cincinnati, OH · Public · 4-year · 43,338 students

    About $26,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 29%

    Xavier University

    #18 in Ohio
    Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 6,000 students

    About $33,000 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.Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 29%

    Otterbein University

    #18 in Ohio
    Westerville, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,357 students

    About $19,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 30%

    Ohio University

    #20 in Ohio
    Athens, OH · Public · 4-year · 24,937 students

    About $22,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 31%

    Baldwin Wallace University

    #22 in Ohio
    Berea, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,308 students

    About $28,000 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.Value FairAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 35%

    Ohio Wesleyan University

    #26 in Ohio
    Delaware, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,452 students

    About $21,000 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.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    University of Toledo

    #29 in Ohio
    Toledo, OH · Public · 4-year · 14,939 students

    About $17,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    Bowling Green State University

    #35 in Ohio
    Bowling Green, OH · Public · 4-year · 17,027 students

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

    Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 46%

    Ashland University

    #38 in Ohio
    Ashland, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 4,143 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 46%

    Kent State University at Kent

    #39 in Ohio
    Kent, OH · Public · 4-year · 26,106 students

    About $21,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Capital University

    #41 in Ohio
    Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,388 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Marietta College

    #46 in Ohio
    Marietta, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,171 students

    About $21,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of Mount Union

    #47 in Ohio
    Alliance, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,169 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of Akron Main Campus

    #49 in Ohio
    Akron, OH · Public · 4-year · 13,518 students

    About $14,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Wittenberg University

    #51 in Ohio
    Springfield, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,333 students

    About $19,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong

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