Stanford University returned to the top spot in the 2026 Best US Colleges ranking, which assesses the financial success of graduates. Babson College held onto second place, while Yale, Princeton, and Harvard Universities took 3rd-5th places, respectively.
Stanford University returned to the top spot in the 2026 Best US Colleges ranking, while Babson College held onto second place. The ranking assesses educational institutions primarily by how well their degrees help graduates achieve financial success, writes UNN with reference to The Wall Street Journal.
Details
As stated, Stanford University tops the list of best US colleges in the latest WSJ/College Pulse ranking.
Unlike other rankings, this list determines "how well a college has prepared students for financial success." The main criterion of the ranking is how much a college education increases the income of its graduates, and not just the level of knowledge they acquire.
Since 2017, Stanford returns to the top of this list for the first time. Yale University, Princeton University, and Harvard University took third, fourth, and fifth places, respectively. Two other Ivy League institutions – Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania – rank eighth and ninth, respectively.
In addition to well-known names, the unique ranking methodology highlights some institutions that do not have such recognition. For example, Babson College – a small institution in Wellesley, Massachusetts, specializing in business and entrepreneurship, according to the publication, "retained its second place from last year." Claremont McKenna College, near Los Angeles, ranked 6th, and Davidson College, near Charlotte, North Carolina, ranked 10th.
The University of California, Berkeley is the best public institution, ranking 7th overall, with five other state public educational institutions making it into the top 25.
18 out of the top 20 remained in the same positions as last year.
Ranking criteria
In addition to graduates' salary levels, the ranking takes into account completion rates, college diversity, and the quality of the learning environment, assessed based on a survey of approximately 120,000 students and recent graduates. The questionnaires evaluated teaching quality and feedback, career preparation, learning conditions, and students' willingness to recommend their institution to friends. The highest scores for the learning environment were received by Babson University, Washington and Lee, Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, and Brigham Young University in Utah.
Value for money
The City University of New York (CUNY) colleges dominate the list of colleges offering the best value for money, taking first to seventh places in this category.
Baruch College in Manhattan took first place, maintaining low costs while providing graduates with earning potential.
This ranking assesses how quickly graduates can recoup the cost of college tuition, based on the increase in income they receive thanks to their degree.
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