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Here are the colleges with the happiest students
The Princeton Review surveyed thousands of college students to come up with its 2020 list.
LOS ANGELES - WalletHub recently released its 2025 rankings of the best US colleges and universities. The study analyzed over 800 higher education institutions across 30 different metrics, including student selectivity, cost, faculty resources, and career outcomes.
Top universities like Princeton, Yale, and Harvard continued to dominate, while smaller colleges like Swarthmore and Hamilton also made their mark.
Top 10 Colleges and Universities for 2025:
- Princeton University
- Yale University
- Harvard University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Dartmouth College
- Rice University
- California Institute of Technology
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Northwestern University
- Johns Hopkins University
What criteria were used to rank these schools?
WalletHub’s rankings considered seven categories:
- Student selectivity: Admission rates, test scores, and high school performance.
- Cost & financing: Net cost, average student debt, and availability of financial aid.
- Faculty resources: Student-to-faculty ratios and faculty salaries.
- Campus safety: On-campus crime rates.
- Campus experience: Student housing, international students, and NCAA membership.
- Educational outcomes: Graduation rates and retention rates.
- Career outcomes: Post-graduation salaries and student loan default rates.
Which schools provide the best return on investment?
Princeton University, Yale University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offer some of the best returns on investment for students. Graduates from these schools tend to earn significantly higher salaries than those with only a high school diploma. Princeton, for example, has an average post-graduation salary of over $110,000, and its graduates can earn up to $1 million more over 20 years.
What is the top college versus the top university?
While universities like Princeton and MIT ranked highest overall, smaller liberal arts colleges also performed well. Swarthmore College, located in Pennsylvania, earned the top spot for colleges, thanks to its high academic standards, excellent student-to-faculty ratio, and strong career outcomes for graduates.
What about regional rankings?
Regional rankings are another important factor. In the Midwest, Northwestern University and the University of Notre Dame lead the pack. In the Northeast, schools like Princeton and Yale stand out, while Stanford and Caltech shine in the West.