About the Rankings:
We rate schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).
Read more about our methodology here.
More rankings:
College Guide Rankings 2015 – National Universities
College Guide Rankings 2015 – Baccalaureate Colleges
College Guide Rankings 2015 – Master’s Universities
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – Northeast
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – Midwest
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – South
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – Southeast
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – West
| Institution | Social Mobility | Research | Service | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | Students receiving Pell Grants | Net price | Predicted grad rate | Actual grad rate | Rank | Research expenditures, in millions | Rank | Bachelor's to PhD rank | Peace Corps rank | ROTC rank | Federal work-study funds spent on service | Rank | Community service participation and hours served rank | Service staff, courses, and financial aid support rank | ||
| 1 | Bryn Mawr College (PA) | 100 | 19% | $28,924 | 89% | 84% | 230 | $9 | 3 | 10 | 37 | 132 | 55% | 1 | 4 | 14 |
| 2 | Carleton College (MN) | 91 | 13% | $30,311 | 97% | 93% | 228 | $5 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 132 | 13% | 139 | 60 | 27 |
| 3 | Berea College (KY) | 89 | 85% | $2,323 | 51% | 63% | 1 | $0 | 137 | 110 | 121 | 132 | 17% | 92 | 34 | 51 |
| 4 | Swarthmore College (PA) | 82 | 15% | $21,018 | 97% | 93% | 163 | $3 | 27 | 2 | 50 | 132 | 8% | 225 | 35 | 65 |
| 5 | Harvey Mudd College (CA) | 82 | 13% | $30,392 | 100% | 88% | 242 | $4 | 21 | 1 | 103 | 80 | 26% | 28 | 125 | 123 |
| 6 | Reed College (OR) | 75 | 19% | $19,476 | 89% | 79% | 217 | $2 | 43 | 4 | 6 | 92 | 16% | 98 | 125 | 130 |
| 7 | Pomona College (CA) | 74 | 17% | $17,929 | 97% | 96% | 80 | $4 | 23 | 5 | 74 | 101 | 10% | 183 | 113 | 106 |
| 8 | Bates College (ME) | 73 | 12% | $21,274 | 90% | 91% | 106 | $2 | 40 | 39 | 51 | 132 | 16% | 101 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Haverford College (PA) | 72 | 15% | $20,605 | 92% | 93% | 100 | $3 | 33 | 6 | 35 | 132 | 9% | 188 | 26 | 115 |
| 10 | New College of Florida (FL)* | 71 | 30% | $11,599 | 77% | 68% | 87 | $1 | 68 | 9 | 172 | 132 | 52% | 2 | 125 | 130 |
| 11 | Knox College (IL) | 70 | 27% | $23,005 | 72% | 79% | 69 | $0 | 144 | 52 | 3 | 132 | 43% | 4 | 21 | 92 |
| 12 | Macalester College (MN) | 70 | 16% | $23,310 | 91% | 88% | 173 | $3 | 36 | 16 | 8 | 88 | 20% | 65 | 93 | 22 |
| 13 | Williams College (MA) | 70 | 19% | $17,787 | 93% | 95% | 50 | $4 | 17 | 7 | 81 | 121 | 18% | 82 | 125 | 130 |
| 14 | Wesleyan University (CT) | 68 | 17% | $21,684 | 92% | 92% | 124 | $9 | 4 | 14 | 60 | 132 | 15% | 116 | 95 | 86 |
| 15 | Grinnell College (IA) | 67 | 22% | $22,435 | 88% | 88% | 132 | $3 | 34 | 8 | 4 | 132 | 8% | 212 | 125 | 130 |
| 16 | Oberlin College (OH) | 67 | 12% | $35,984 | 92% | 87% | 235 | $2 | 55 | 11 | 26 | 132 | 26% | 29 | 24 | 43 |
| 17 | Wellesley College (MA) | 66 | 19% | $18,954 | 92% | 92% | 86 | $8 | 7 | 18 | 94 | 67 | 25% | 33 | 125 | 130 |
| 18 | Michigan Jewish Institute (MI) | 64 | 94% | $9,978 | 38% | 52% | 4 | $0 | 144 | 214 | 204 | 132 | 13% | 133 | 125 | 130 |
| 19 | Amherst College (MA) | 64 | 21% | $18,715 | 93% | 96% | 54 | $5 | 12 | 13 | 122 | 97 | 24% | 44 | 125 | 130 |
| 20 | Smith College (MA) | 64 | 24% | $22,821 | 82% | 85% | 104 | $4 | 16 | 12 | 31 | 132 | 25% | 34 | 116 | 95 |
| 21 | Rhodes College (TN) | 63 | 16% | $26,856 | 84% | 78% | 225 | $0 | 114 | 69 | 98 | 59 | 24% | 45 | 2 | 5 |
| 22 | Tougaloo College (MS) | 60 | 87% | $9,036 | 36% | 50% | 3 | $3 | 35 | 124 | 204 | 55 | 9% | 185 | 125 | 130 |
| 23 | Claflin University (SC) | 60 | 80% | $13,794 | 38% | 43% | 18 | $4 | 14 | 199 | 204 | 16 | 15% | 117 | 49 | 9 |
| 24 | Allegheny College (PA) | 59 | 26% | $25,692 | 72% | 79% | 98 | $1 | 78 | 34 | 11 | 102 | 27% | 25 | 74 | 59 |
| 25 | Kalamazoo College (MI) | 58 | 18% | $26,275 | 81% | 80% | 183 | $1 | 86 | 32 | 14 | 132 | 17% | 97 | 50 | 24 |
| 26 | Davidson College (NC) | 57 | 13% | $23,975 | 88% | 92% | 105 | $2 | 48 | 21 | 95 | 27 | 17% | 85 | 12 | 34 |
| 27 | Xavier University of Louisiana (LA) | 56 | 61% | $17,598 | 54% | 52% | 84 | $10 | 2 | 130 | 184 | 31 | 8% | 224 | 98 | 104 |
| 28 | Centre College (KY) | 56 | 17% | $24,065 | 84% | 84% | 155 | $1 | 90 | 50 | 45 | 49 | 24% | 49 | 25 | 46 |
| 29 | Vassar College (NY) | 55 | 22% | $18,619 | 90% | 92% | 57 | $2 | 57 | 17 | 79 | 126 | 19% | 73 | 125 | 130 |
| 30 | Salem College (NC) | 55 | 62% | $15,910 | 54% | 60% | 27 | $0 | 144 | 128 | 141 | 116 | 34% | 11 | 125 | 130 |
| 31 | Spelman College (GA) | 55 | 50% | $28,692 | 62% | 73% | 99 | $2 | 44 | 35 | 68 | 25 | 9% | 201 | 10 | 62 |
| 32 | Earlham College (IN) | 54 | 27% | $20,647 | 76% | 70% | 189 | $1 | 93 | 25 | 5 | 132 | 20% | 62 | 125 | 130 |
| 33 | Lewis & Clark College (OR) | 54 | 20% | $28,509 | 80% | 75% | 224 | $3 | 30 | 66 | 22 | 77 | 23% | 52 | 22 | 88 |
| 34 | Morehouse College (GA) | 54 | 50% | $25,938 | 53% | 55% | 156 | $9 | 5 | 117 | 110 | 8 | 17% | 94 | 94 | 82 |
| 35 | Whitman College (WA) | 53 | 12% | $32,685 | 84% | 87% | 196 | $1 | 73 | 20 | 9 | 132 | 17% | 87 | 65 | 114 |
| 36 | Bowdoin College (ME) | 53 | 15% | $23,000 | 93% | 93% | 137 | $4 | 18 | 15 | 44 | 132 | 12% | 161 | 125 | 130 |
| 37 | Emory and Henry College (VA) | 52 | 43% | $18,962 | 50% | 51% | 71 | $0 | 144 | 141 | 178 | 132 | 15% | 112 | 3 | 1 |
| 38 | Wheaton College (IL) | 52 | 21% | $24,629 | 84% | 88% | 114 | $1 | 64 | 33 | 80 | 7 | 19% | 68 | 125 | 130 |
| 39 | College of Saint Benedict (MN) | 52 | 24% | $24,985 | 75% | 81% | 95 | $1 | 67 | 150 | 21 | 132 | 30% | 18 | 78 | 23 |
| 40 | St. Olaf College (MN) | 51 | 16% | $26,838 | 86% | 86% | 176 | $1 | 59 | 29 | 25 | 132 | 9% | 193 | 57 | 76 |
| 41 | Fisk University (TN) | 51 | 61% | $19,270 | 48% | 50% | 68 | $8 | 6 | 62 | 64 | 32 | 14% | 130 | 125 | 130 |
| 42 | Warren Wilson College (NC) | 50 | 30% | $24,882 | 63% | 51% | 240 | $0 | 144 | 175 | 24 | 132 | 7% | 236 | 7 | 3 |
| 43 | Agnes Scott College (GA) | 50 | 43% | $19,889 | 63% | 67% | 61 | $1 | 77 | 53 | 48 | 71 | 28% | 22 | 112 | 118 |
| 44 | Barnard College (NY) | 50 | 19% | $23,248 | 90% | 91% | 140 | $4 | 22 | 22 | 59 | 113 | 24% | 47 | 125 | 130 |
| 45 | Lawrence University (WI) | 50 | 21% | $27,471 | 74% | 77% | 159 | $0 | 98 | 23 | 49 | 132 | 18% | 79 | 61 | 74 |
| 46 | Ohio Wesleyan University (OH) | 50 | 22% | $25,705 | 72% | 64% | 231 | $0 | 101 | 49 | 58 | 83 | 28% | 21 | 19 | 39 |
| 47 | Southwestern University (TX) | 49 | 26% | $24,374 | 72% | 73% | 150 | $0 | 111 | 68 | 114 | 128 | 18% | 83 | 31 | 12 |
| 48 | Mount Holyoke College (MA) | 49 | 22% | $26,350 | 83% | 83% | 182 | $3 | 26 | 26 | 34 | 99 | 26% | 32 | 125 | 130 |
| 49 | Colgate University (NY) | 49 | 11% | $20,023 | 92% | 91% | 113 | $3 | 32 | 36 | 82 | 132 | 32% | 14 | 117 | 117 |
| 50 | Occidental College (CA) | 49 | 23% | $29,370 | 81% | 85% | 166 | $2 | 56 | 56 | 91 | 129 | 27% | 24 | 88 | 80 |
| 51 | Illinois Wesleyan University (IL) | 48 | 19% | $27,871 | 82% | 81% | 198 | $1 | 74 | 61 | 36 | 76 | 12% | 153 | 15 | 47 |
| 52 | Talladega College (AL) | 48 | 89% | $10,329 | 39% | 42% | 12 | $0 | 144 | 182 | 176 | 22 | 6% | 238 | 125 | 130 |
| 53 | Colby College (ME) | 48 | 10% | $19,041 | 89% | 91% | 64 | $2 | 49 | 24 | 16 | 117 | 24% | 42 | 125 | 130 |
| 54 | St. John's College (MD) | 47 | 27% | $27,077 | 79% | 66% | 241 | $0 | 144 | 19 | 102 | 132 | 14% | 124 | 125 | 130 |
| 55 | Denison University (OH) | 47 | 17% | $27,959 | 85% | 82% | 213 | $0 | 124 | 55 | 20 | 130 | 17% | 90 | 46 | 66 |
| 56 | Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) | 47 | 25% | $23,395 | 78% | 82% | 101 | $0 | 108 | 74 | 78 | 37 | 13% | 150 | 41 | 72 |
| 57 | Washington and Lee University (VA) | 47 | 9% | $19,507 | 94% | 90% | 145 | $1 | 87 | 85 | 134 | 30 | 35% | 9 | 33 | 30 |
| 58 | Guilford College (NC) | 47 | 48% | $25,426 | 53% | 58% | 116 | $0 | 144 | 176 | 147 | 118 | 23% | 53 | 70 | 17 |
| 59 | Illinois College (IL) | 47 | 34% | $16,795 | 58% | 61% | 42 | $0 | 144 | 160 | 157 | 132 | 13% | 140 | 6 | 2 |
| 60 | Hobart William Smith Colleges (NY) | 46 | 19% | $32,311 | 77% | 77% | 215 | $2 | 54 | 144 | 38 | 132 | 34% | 10 | 14 | 45 |
| 61 | Hamilton College (NY) | 46 | 14% | $21,508 | 92% | 91% | 134 | $3 | 28 | 48 | 27 | 132 | 24% | 41 | 125 | 130 |
| 62 | Central College (IA) | 46 | 29% | $21,682 | 63% | 66% | 92 | $0 | 144 | 161 | 113 | 132 | 24% | 46 | 13 | 10 |
| 63 | Willamette University (OR) | 46 | 23% | $28,694 | 72% | 78% | 144 | $2 | 39 | 88 | 17 | 89 | 17% | 96 | 55 | 103 |
| 64 | Pitzer College (CA) | 46 | 18% | $23,723 | 82% | 83% | 130 | $0 | 117 | 87 | 75 | 90 | 15% | 120 | 11 | 8 |
| 65 | Maryville College (TN) | 45 | 42% | $15,958 | 61% | 55% | 127 | $0 | 144 | 156 | 149 | 132 | 8% | 223 | 8 | 19 |
| 66 | Ripon College (WI) | 45 | 36% | $20,241 | 63% | 72% | 40 | $0 | 144 | 109 | 90 | 12 | 15% | 115 | 87 | 67 |
