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.
School1
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 outcomes1
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).
Major
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).
Net price up to $20,000Small classesClear all

288 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 40%

    Caribbean University-Carolina

    Top 5% for low net price
    Carolina, PR · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 146 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Westminster College

    Good: Compass grade B
    New Wilmington, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,203 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Ursuline College

    #28 in Ohio
    Pepper Pike, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 923 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Trinity Christian College

    #21 in Illinois
    Palos Heights, IL · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 883 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Lycoming College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Williamsport, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,063 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Monmouth College

    #22 in Illinois
    Monmouth, IL · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 727 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 42%

    Daemen University

    Top 25% for earnings
    Amherst, NY · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,625 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    Mount Carmel College of Nursing

    Top 11% for earnings
    Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 712 students

    About $10,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    Baptist University of Florida

    Top 16% for low net price
    Graceville, FL · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 352 students

    About $10,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    Huntington University

    #19 in Indiana
    Huntington, IN · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,504 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico-Arecibo

    Top 19% for low net price
    Arecibo, PR · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 647 students

    About $11,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 43%

    Mount St. Joseph University

    #33 in Ohio
    Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,083 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    SUNY at Fredonia

    Good: Compass grade B
    Fredonia, NY · Public · 4-year · 3,220 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    Aquinas College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Grand Rapids, MI · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,295 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    Caribbean University-Ponce

    Top 4% for low net price
    Ponce, PR · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 607 students

    About $5,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 45%

    Caribbean University-Bayamon

    Top 4% for low net price
    Bayamon, PR · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 929 students

    About $5,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 46%

    Waynesburg University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Waynesburg, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,315 students

    About $18,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 46%

    The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences

    Top 16% for earnings
    Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 765 students

    About $18,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    University of Arkansas at Monticello

    #6 in Arkansas
    Monticello, AR · Public · 4-year · 2,739 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    American National University

    Top 14% for low debt
    Salem, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 824 students

    About $18,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology

    Top 11% for low debt
    Boston, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 592 students

    About $15,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Saint Peter's University

    Top 22% for low net price
    Jersey City, NJ · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,673 students

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

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Judson University

    #25 in Illinois
    Elgin, IL · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,058 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Goshen College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Goshen, IN · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 824 students

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

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 48%

    University of New Hampshire at Manchester

    Top 15% for low net price
    Manchester, NH · Public · 4-year · 748 students

    About $10,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value ExcellentAcademics Strong

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Will you get in?

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