US News and World Report Best Colleges, 2022-23, released on September 12, 2022, has ranked Princeton University and Williams College as the best institutions in the USA.
The 38th annual edition of rankings considered 1,500 colleges for different categories of rankings. It used 17 weighing metrics to denote the ranks of colleges and universities.
There was a revision in metrics, especially in regards to institutions that either went test-blind or allowed test waivers, leading to only a few students submitting standardised test scores. The other major revision was the inclusion of part-time faculties in faculty with a terminal degree metric.
The common weightage chart followed by the rankings was:
|
Weighing Category |
Metrics Included |
Percentage Weights |
|
Outcomes |
Graduation Rate, Retention Rate, Social Mobility, and Student Indebtedness |
40% |
|
Faculty Resources |
Class Size, Student-Faculty Ratio, Average Faculty Salary, Full-time Faculty, Terminal Degreeholder Faculty |
20% |
|
Expert Opinion |
Reputational Ratings on views of Presidents, Provosts, and Admission Deans of other schools |
20% |
|
Financial Resources |
Academic spending per student (bachelors), including intrusion, student services, and reasearch |
10% |
|
Student Excellence |
ACT/SAT scores, high school class standing |
7% |
|
Alumni Giving |
Percentage of Bachelor courses graduates donating to university |
3% |
Also Read: Record-Breaking 82,000 US Student Visas Issued to Indian Students in 2022
US News and World Report 2022-23 Best National Universities
The US News and World Report ranked the following as the top five universities in the US for 2022-23:
-
(#1) Princeton University (12th year in succession)
-
(#2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
-
(#3) Harvard University, Stanford University, and Yale University
Columbia University has been ranked #18th in a tie with Notre Dame University. Initially, it was ranked #2nd in a tie, however, the questions raised on data accuracy led to a drop in rankings. The top 20 rankings also include all eight Ivy League universities and two public universities, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
US News and World Report 2022-23 Best National Liberal Arts College
The colleges providing over 50% of their degree in fields of liberal arts and are primarily known for bachelors courses were considered for this category. The top five Liberal Arts colleges are:
-
(#1) Williams College
-
(#2) Amherst College
-
(#3) Pomona College
-
(#4) Swarthmore College
-
(#5) Wellesley College
US News and World Report 2022-23 Best Public Universities
The best five public universities in the USA as per US News and World Report 2022-23 are:
-
(#1) University of California, Berkeley and UCLA
-
(#3) The University of Michigan and the University of Virginia
-
(#5) The University of Florida and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Also Read: Forbes Americas Top Colleges 2022: MIT Tops the List
There is huge pressure from educational critics on the US News to do away with SAT/ACT scores metrics for institutional evaluations. As over 1800 colleges and universities are going test-optional for 2023, the current weighing pattern could result in their dropping out from the chart in the next edition.
Source: Forbes
Apply to US University Best Suited for You!
