WashU ranks high on Forbes list

Forbes released its 10th annual ranking of  America’s Top Colleges  Aug. 2, and Washington University was #4 among the Top 25 Colleges in the Midwest for 2017. Nationally, Forbes ranks WashU at #36 on a list of 50 schools dominated by universities located on the east and west coasts.

Methodology
The FORBES Top Colleges ranking has always placed its focus solely on the direct benefits a college or university provides its students. Favoring output over input, Forbes eschews common metrics like acceptance rate, endowment and freshmen SAT scores – numbers that say far more about a school’s “prestige” than its actual effectiveness – and instead favors variables like alumni salary, graduation rate and student satisfaction.

The ROI-centric logic behind this year’s ranking is no different, but part of the methodology and some of the data sources have been reexamined and revamped to better align this list with what FORBES values most: entrepreneurship, success, impact and the consumer experience.

“Before you become a college student, you need to think like a graduate. Our goal is to showcase the colleges and universities that deliver the best return on your education investment dollars: low student debt, on-time graduation, quality academics, high earning potential and career success,” said Caroline Howard, Digital Managing Editor, Forbes Media.

Link to the Forbes list here. 

Source: Forbes news release