In what ranking does the University of Wisconsin-Madison top the likes of Berkeley, John Hopkins and Georgetown? How could Florida International University beat out the state’s flagship when other popular rankings wouldn’t even place it in their top 100? Washington Monthly has three simple answers: social mobility, research and promoting public service.
The D.C.-based nonprofit magazine released its annual college ranking on Monday, aiming to combat the cog of mainstream narratives the publication believes are skewing the sector’s reputation.
“In the past year, higher ed has dealt with tone-deaf college presidents, threats from Project 2025, the defunding of DEI offices and the unpredictable politics of student loan forgiveness,” Paul Glastris, editor in chief of Washington Monthly, said in a press release. “But as [these] rankings show, there are hundreds of great schools out there, many of them regional public universities, that are achieving the real purpose of college: helping students of modest means earn affordable degrees that lead to good incomes and encouraging them to be informed and active citizens of our democracy.”
President moves: This state flagship finds its next president amid heap of retirements
The website also called out U.S. News & World Report, arguably the most popular college ranking website, for continually ignoring program costs and student debt loads of the colleges they rank highly. “[It] relies on crude and easily manipulated measures of wealth, exclusivity and prestige,” Washington Monthly states in the preface of its four-year college rankings category.
While Tulane University may be touted by U.S. News as a top-100 school, Monthly shoots it into the stratosphere at 429. On the contrary, the less renowned Utah State University ranks 54 on the Monthly’s list; U.S. News placed it at 269 in its last ranking. Washington Monthly praises regional state universities for their low-cost programs and for producing alumni who contribute to the local economy.
In its “Best Bang for Buck” category, schools are most highly touted for helping non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices. Two out of the three best-ranked institutions in each region are public universities (except in the Midwest). This could be a significant category for parents who are most concerned about costs in their children’s college search.
- Northeast: Massachusetts Maritime Academy / Charter Oak State College / Boricua College
- Southeast: University of Florida-Online / Florida International University / Washington and Lee University (Va.)
- South: Berea College (Ky.) / University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley / University of North Texas-Dallas
- Midwest: Governors State University (Ill.) / Trine–Regional/Non-Traditional (Ind.) / College of the Ozarks (Mo.)
- West: Stanford University (Calif.) / CA State University–Los Angeles / CA State Univ.–Dominguez Hills
The best-ranked colleges nationally
For a detailed methodology, click here.
National universities
Seven of the top 20 are public universities.
| Rank | Name | 8-year graduation rate | Net price of attendance for families below $75,000 income | Social mobility rank | Research rank | Service rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MA Institute of Technology (MA) | 96% | -$1,896 | 2 | 2 | 247 |
| 2 | Stanford University (CA) | 97% | $131 | 1 | 1 | 297 |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania (PA) | 97% | $3,393 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| 4 | Harvard University (MA) | 98% | $2,293 | 18 | 3 | 23 |
| 5 | Princeton University (NJ) | 98% | $4,697 | 6 | 5 | 135 |
| 6 | Columbia Univ. in the City of NY (NY) | 93% | $3,061 | 4 | 12 | 160 |
| 7 | Duke University (NC) | 96% | $5,117 | 35 | 14 | 8 |
| 8 | Cornell University (NY) | 96% | $5,249 | 25 | 13 | 26 |
| 9 | California Institute of Tech. (CA) | 93% | $4,732 | 13 | 4 | 341 |
| 10 | University of Notre Dame (IN) | 97% | $11,026 | 21 | 51 | 3 |
| 11 | Yale University (CT) | 97% | $3,125 | 23 | 9 | 86 |
| 12 | University of WI-Madison (WI)* | 88% | $6,567 | 42 | 18 | 7 |
| 13 | University of CA–Berkeley (CA)* | 94% | $10,632 | 51 | 6 | 48 |
| 14 | Johns Hopkins University (MD) | 94% | $3,583 | 61 | 8 | 47 |
| 15 | Georgetown University (DC) | 94% | $7,394 | 12 | 97 | 9 |
| 16 | Florida International University (FL)* | 68% | $5,439 | 3 | 112 | 316 |
| 17 | University of WA–Seattle (WA)* | 84% | $6,407 | 57 | 15 | 44 |
| 18 | University of MI–Ann Arbor (MI)* | 93% | $7,337 | 56 | 11 | 91 |
| 19 | University of NC–Chapel Hill (NC)* | 90% | $7,038 | 67 | 23 | 16 |
| 20 | University of California–LA (CA)* | 93% | $9,468 | 54 | 16 | 130 |
Liberal arts colleges
| Rank | Name | 8-year graduation rate | Net price of attendance for families below $75,000 income | Social mobility rank | Research rank | Service rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berea College (KY) | 67% | $3,647 | 2 | 120 | 17 |
| 2 | Harvey Mudd College (CA) | 93% | $19,250 | 6 | 2 | 148 |
| 3 | Amherst College (MA) | 95% | $7,156 | 5 | 11 | 128 |
| 4 | Williams College (MA) | 96% | $2,815 | 10 | 7 | 86 |
| 5 | Wesleyan University (CT) | 91% | $6,731 | 14 | 8 | 63 |
| 6 | Haverford College (PA) | 92% | $9,098 | 22 | 5 | 29 |
| 7 | Washington and Lee University (VA) | 95% | $3,205 | 4 | 75 | 30 |
| 8 | Swarthmore College (PA) | 96% | $8,723 | 39 | 1 | 39 |
| 9 | Claremont McKenna College (CA) | 93% | $9,518 | 3 | 30 | 139 |
| 10 | Pomona College (CA) | 95% | $5,660 | 40 | 13 | 27 |
| 11 | Bowdoin College (ME) | 95% | $7,130 | 16 | 21 | 37 |
| 12 | Davidson College (NC) | 92% | $8,161 | 7 | 23 | 101 |
| 13 | Bryn Mawr College (PA) | 86% | $14,612 | 71 | 3 | 25 |
| 14 | Hampshire College (MA) | 67% | $16,255 | 80 | 10 | 5 |
| 15 | Charter Oak State College (CT)* | 56% | $11,148 | 1 | 186 | 171 |
| 16 | Macalester College (MN) | 91% | $14,266 | 54 | 24 | 3 |
| 17 | Middlebury College (VT) | 93% | $9,575 | 36 | 41 | 9 |
| 18 | Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) | 78% | $16,651 | 19 | 95 | 10 |
| 19 | Hobart & William Smith Colls. (NY) | 78% | $18,658 | 53 | 88 | 1 |
| 20 | Wellesley College (MA) | 93% | $9,066 | 30 | 12 | 140 |
