Forbes Magazine's List of America's Best Colleges


In 2008, Forbes.com began publishing an annual list of "America's Best Colleges". Post-graduate success constitutes 35% of the score. Student debt loads constitute 20% of the score. Student experience constitutes 20% of the score. Graduation rates constitute 12.5% of the score. Academic success constitutes 12.5%. Public reputation is not considered, which causes some colleges to score lower than in other lists. A three-year moving average is used to smooth out the scoring.
Starting in 2013, four schools that had admitted to misreporting admissions data were removed from the list for two years. The four removed colleges were Bucknell University, Claremont McKenna College, Emory University, and Iona College.

Rankings history