Content Section

COLLEGE RANKINGS 2014

Our list takes into account nine factors, with future earnings, affordability, and academics weighted most heavily. The other criteria are graduation rates, diversity, athletics, nightlife, student activities, and campus quality (things like food, weather, and crime rate). This year, we used data from The National Center for Education Statistics, as well as private organizations like PayScale, for salary data, and Niche, for student opinions. Below, the top 250 and a sampling of how each fared within the given criteria. Click here for our full methodology.

1

Stanford University

Stanford, California

#4 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $61,300 starting; $119,000 mid-career

#510 AFFORDABILITY

$19,233 average net price

#61 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 80%

#2
Academics

#17
Campus Quality

#27
Student Life

#362
Nightlife

#14
Diversity

#18
Athletics
2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

#2 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $55,300 starting; $119,000 mid-career

#320 AFFORDABILITY

$14,445 average net price

#27 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 86%

#10
Academics

#250
Campus Quality

#493
Student Life

#83
Nightlife

#154
Diversity

#9
Athletics
3

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut

#18 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,000 starting; $117,000 mid-career

#491 AFFORDABILITY

$18,479 average net price

#4 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 89%

#1
Academics

#371
Campus Quality

#45
Student Life

#79
Nightlife

#2
Diversity

#5
Athletics
4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

#5 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $68,600 starting; $118,000 mid-career

#564 AFFORDABILITY

$20,629 average net price

#42 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 84%

#6
Academics

#307
Campus Quality

#56
Student Life

#62
Nightlife

#119
Diversity

#44
Athletics
5

Columbia University

New York, New York

#10 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $57,600 starting; $99,600 mid-career

#591 AFFORDABILITY

$21,274 average net price

#12 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 88%

#7
Academics

#286
Campus Quality

#125
Student Life

#51
Nightlife

#4
Diversity

#91
Athletics
6

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey

#9 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $56,100 starting; $121,000 mid-career

#541 AFFORDABILITY

$20,040 average net price

#12 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 88%

#11
Academics

#58
Campus Quality

#62
Student Life

#434
Nightlife

#179
Diversity

#1
Athletics
7

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

#1 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $57,000 starting; $107,000 mid-career

#683 AFFORDABILITY

$23,684 average net price

#19 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 87%

#26
Academics

#49
Campus Quality

#72
Student Life

#246
Nightlife

#10
Diversity

#2
Athletics
8

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

#7 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $57,200 starting; $109,000 mid-career

#603 AFFORDABILITY

$21,821 average net price

#19 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 87%

#12
Academics

#497
Campus Quality

#470
Student Life

#24
Nightlife

#8
Diversity

#21
Athletics
9

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island

#6 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $52,300 starting; $119,000 mid-career

#665 AFFORDABILITY

$23,127 average net price

#50 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 83%

#15
Academics

#234
Campus Quality

#41
Student Life

#126
Nightlife

#1
Diversity

#16
Athletics
10

University of California, Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

#21 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $49,600 starting; $95,300 mid-career

#343 AFFORDABILITY

$14,857 average net price

#113 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 71%

#41
Academics

#4
Campus Quality

#97
Student Life

#22
Nightlife

#50
Diversity

#12
Athletics
11

University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, California

#8 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $54,700 starting; $111,000 mid-career

#402 AFFORDABILITY

$16,178 average net price

#142 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 68%

#37
Academics

#67
Campus Quality

#48
Student Life

#68
Nightlife

#310
Diversity

#10
Athletics
12

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California

#14 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $68,400 starting; $124,000 mid-career

#639 AFFORDABILITY

$22,645 average net price

#67 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 79%

#3
Academics

#25
Campus Quality

#44
Student Life

#704
Nightlife

#232
Diversity

#770
Athletics
13

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

#59 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $52,100 starting; $97,700 mid-career

#521 AFFORDABILITY

$19,667 average net price

#19 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 87%

#8
Academics

#141
Campus Quality

#21
Student Life

#6
Nightlife

#18
Diversity

#404
Athletics
14

Rice University

Houston, Texas

#17 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $55,700 starting; $109,000 mid-career

#531 AFFORDABILITY

$19,888 average net price

#42 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 84%

#14
Academics

#51
Campus Quality

#96
Student Life

#114
Nightlife

#210
Diversity

#39
Athletics
15

University of Michigan

Ann Arbor, Michigan

#16 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $54,000 starting; $85,400 mid-career

#324 AFFORDABILITY

$14,490 average net price

#89 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 76%

#62
Academics

#190
Campus Quality

#151
Student Life

#9
Nightlife

#89
Diversity

#7
Athletics
16

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, Virginia

#26 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $51,000 starting; $95,700 mid-career

#212 AFFORDABILITY

$12,672 average net price

#19 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 87%

#66
Academics

#189
Campus Quality

#356
Student Life

#21
Nightlife

#459
Diversity

#33
Athletics
17

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina

#11 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $55,900 starting; $102,000 mid-career

#698 AFFORDABILITY

$24,134 average net price

#19 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 87%

#13
Academics

#619
Campus Quality

#308
Student Life

#269
Nightlife

#156
Diversity

#43
Athletics
18

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

#67 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,400 starting; $111,000 mid-career

#446 AFFORDABILITY

$17,365 average net price

#1 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 91%

#16
Academics

#187
Campus Quality

#23
Student Life

#679
Nightlife

#17
Diversity

#124
Athletics
19

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

#27 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $55,000 starting; $102,000 mid-career

#554 AFFORDABILITY

$20,490 average net price

#12 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 88%

#29
Academics

#170
Campus Quality

#83
Student Life

#453
Nightlife

#3
Diversity

#3
Athletics
20

Pomona College

Claremont, California

#127 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $48,500 starting; $94,000 mid-career

#473 AFFORDABILITY

$18,112 average net price

#4 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 89%

#17
Academics

#7
Campus Quality

#1
Student Life

#598
Nightlife

#253
Diversity

#339
Athletics
21

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

#71 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $44,200 starting; $79,500 mid-career

#131 AFFORDABILITY

$11,092 average net price

#89 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 76%

#59
Academics

#228
Campus Quality

#160
Student Life

#28
Nightlife

#656
Diversity

#17
Athletics
22

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia

#15 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $53,000 starting; $103,000 mid-career

#759 AFFORDABILITY

$25,993 average net price

#4 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 89%

#24
Academics

#263
Campus Quality

#646
Student Life

#26
Nightlife

#185
Diversity

#19
Athletics
23

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

#13 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $54,000 starting; $110,000 mid-career

#727 AFFORDABILITY

$24,956 average net price

#4 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 89%

#35
Academics

#272
Campus Quality

#185
Student Life

#304
Nightlife

#323
Diversity

#4
Athletics
24

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York

#51 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $51,800 starting; $117,000 mid-career

#515 AFFORDABILITY

$19,384 average net price

#38 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 85%

#44
Academics

#230
Campus Quality

#102
Student Life

#92
Nightlife

#44
Diversity

#79
Athletics
25

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia

#76 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $48,000 starting; $113,000 mid-career

#499 AFFORDABILITY

$18,788 average net price

#12 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 88%

#19
Academics

#104
Campus Quality

#61
Student Life

#192
Nightlife

#383
Diversity

#501
Athletics
26

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

#80 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $55,600 starting; $95,200 mid-career

#659 AFFORDABILITY

$22,973 average net price

#27 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 86%

#9
Academics

#343
Campus Quality

#543
Student Life

#334
Nightlife

#7
Diversity

#630
Athletics
27

College of William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

#103 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $44,500 starting; $93,300 mid-career

#250 AFFORDABILITY

$13,246 average net price

#50 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 83%

#64
Academics

#95
Campus Quality

#216
Student Life

#756
Nightlife

#126
Diversity

#49
Athletics
28

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California

#23 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,900 starting; $99,600 mid-career

#797 AFFORDABILITY

$27,544 average net price

#97 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 74%

#20
Academics

#33
Campus Quality

#68
Student Life

#18
Nightlife

#215
Diversity

#60
Athletics
29

University of Washington

Seattle, Washington

#41 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $49,300 starting; $89,500 mid-career

#62 AFFORDABILITY

$9,395 average net price

#238 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 56%

#131
Academics

#178
Campus Quality

#306
Student Life

#118
Nightlife

#331
Diversity

#22
Athletics
30

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, Texas

#36 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,400 starting; $91,700 mid-career

#389 AFFORDABILITY

$15,844 average net price

#289 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 51%

#86
Academics

#56
Campus Quality

#84
Student Life

#1
Nightlife

#468
Diversity

#25
Athletics
31

Washington University in St. Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

#85 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $51,900 starting; $99,400 mid-career

#878 AFFORDABILITY

$32,728 average net price

#12 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 88%

#5
Academics

#50
Campus Quality

#81
Student Life

#86
Nightlife

#12
Diversity

#221
Athletics
32

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

#31 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $53,000 starting; $104,000 mid-career

#611 AFFORDABILITY

$22,022 average net price

#27 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 86%

#23
Academics

#602
Campus Quality

#218
Student Life

#471
Nightlife

#112
Diversity

#431
Athletics
33

University of California, Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

#135 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $46,300 starting; $96,200 mid-career

#242 AFFORDABILITY

$13,144 average net price

#150 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 67%

#121
Academics

#16
Campus Quality

#250
Student Life

#5
Nightlife

#123
Diversity

#119
Athletics
34

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia

#24 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $51,100 starting; $84,500 mid-career

#773 AFFORDABILITY

$26,458 average net price

#42 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 84%

#38
Academics

#164
Campus Quality

#358
Student Life

#67
Nightlife

#6
Diversity

#478
Athletics
35

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania

#119 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $38,600 starting; $115,000 mid-career

#563 AFFORDABILITY

$20,623 average net price

#4 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 89%

#40
Academics

#455
Campus Quality

#4
Student Life

#385
Nightlife

#40
Diversity

#371
Athletics
36

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

#72 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $51,000 starting; $109,000 mid-career

#544 AFFORDABILITY

$20,112 average net price

#27 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 86%

#18
Academics

#425
Campus Quality

#541
Student Life

#668
Nightlife

#5
Diversity

#654
Athletics
37

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, California

#3 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $73,300 starting; $143,000 mid-career

#844 AFFORDABILITY

$30,205 average net price

#50 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 83%

#27
Academics

#11
Campus Quality

#35
Student Life

#454
Nightlife

#339
Diversity

#
Athletics
38

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont

#61 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $51,900 starting; $96,300 mid-career

#687 AFFORDABILITY

$23,824 average net price

#12 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 88%

#30
Academics

#74
Campus Quality

#47
Student Life

#637
Nightlife

#217
Diversity

#56
Athletics
39

Wesleyan University

Middletown, Connecticut

#165 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $43,900 starting; $93,900 mid-career

#585 AFFORDABILITY

$21,160 average net price

#19 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 87%

#34
Academics

#472
Campus Quality

#28
Student Life

#130
Nightlife

#9
Diversity

#187
Athletics
40

Colby College

Waterville, Maine

#132 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $49,000 starting; $91,500 mid-career

#462 AFFORDABILITY

$17,842 average net price

#27 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 86%

#54
Academics

#314
Campus Quality

#85
Student Life

#502
Nightlife

#26
Diversity

#54
Athletics
41

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

#35 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,000 starting; $93,200 mid-career

#822 AFFORDABILITY

$28,868 average net price

#27 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 86%

#21
Academics

#191
Campus Quality

#117
Student Life

#181
Nightlife

#27
Diversity

#206
Athletics
42

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California

#106 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,100 starting; $96,000 mid-career

#688 AFFORDABILITY

$23,842 average net price

#19 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 87%

#25
Academics

#54
Campus Quality

#75
Student Life

#336
Nightlife

#231
Diversity

#397
Athletics
43

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#28 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $51,600 starting; $93,300 mid-career

#419 AFFORDABILITY

$16,495 average net price

#130 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 69%

#207
Academics

#477
Campus Quality

#204
Student Life

#15
Nightlife

#420
Diversity

#65
Athletics
44

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

#32 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,200 starting; $95,100 mid-career

#724 AFFORDABILITY

$24,941 average net price

#4 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 89%

#81
Academics

#46
Campus Quality

#901
Student Life

#84
Nightlife

#284
Diversity

#24
Athletics
45

University of California, San Diego

La Jolla, California

#45 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $49,300 starting; $101,000 mid-career

#263 AFFORDABILITY

$13,408 average net price

#225 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 57%

#103
Academics

#20
Campus Quality

#658
Student Life

#623
Nightlife

#389
Diversity

#389
Athletics
46

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia

#25 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $60,700 starting; $108,000 mid-career

#57 AFFORDABILITY

$9,116 average net price

#497 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 34%

#112
Academics

#684
Campus Quality

#120
Student Life

#170
Nightlife

#476
Diversity

#203
Athletics
47

University of Maryland, College Park

College Park, Maryland

#39 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $50,600 starting; $89,800 mid-career

#318 AFFORDABILITY

$14,402 average net price

#171 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 63%

#154
Academics

#675
Campus Quality

#140
Student Life

#45
Nightlife

#454
Diversity

#93
Athletics
48

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#97 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $45,600 starting; $92,700 mid-career

#869 AFFORDABILITY

$31,917 average net price

#27 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 86%

#4
Academics

#290
Campus Quality

#180
Student Life

#259
Nightlife

#167
Diversity

#388
Athletics
49

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

#19 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $58,500 starting; $111,000 mid-career

#740 AFFORDABILITY

$25,331 average net price

#78 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 78%

#63
Academics

#797
Campus Quality

#680
Student Life

#174
Nightlife

#61
Diversity

#114
Athletics
50

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York

#128 FUTURE EARNINGS

Average Salary - $53,700 starting; $83,800 mid-career

#675 AFFORDABILITY

$23,414 average net price

#38 GRADUATION RATE

4-year rate - 85%

#39
Academics

#292
Campus Quality

#26
Student Life

#474
Nightlife

#46
Diversity

#207
Athletics

Nov	DEC	Jan
	05
2013	2014	2016

The Daily Beast’s Colleges Rankings 2014

COLLEGE RANKINGS 2014

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COLLEGE RANKINGS 2014