The Top 50 Best Colleges in the US is College Raptor’s most prestigious rankings list. Updated annually, these schools are celebrated for their rich histories, stunning campuses, excellent academics, and vibrant student life. The institutions on this list are known for both academic excellence and impressive extracurricular opportunities, making them “dream schools” for students around the world. Use these rankings as a jumping-off point for you to create your own personalized rankings using our college match tool.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davidson College | 1869 | 13.37 | 1,400 – 1,520 | 26510 | 62866 |
#1
Davidson College
|
| 2 | Macalester College | 2144 | 28.52 | 1,350 – 1,500 | 38571 | 46244 |
#2
Macalester College
|
| 3 | Lafayette College | 2775 | 31.45 | 1,370 – 1,490 | 34728 | 80614 |
#3
Lafayette College
|
| 4 | Rhodes College | 1793 | 49.68 | 1,290 – 1,430 | 30590 | 48898 |
#4
Rhodes College
|
| 5 | Trinity University | 2518 | 25.92 | 1,330 – 1,490 | 32264 | 55224 |
Trinity University
|
| 6 | University of Tulsa | 2852 | 61.5 | 1,220 – 1,510 | 23681 | 54779 |
University of Tulsa
|
| 7 | Agnes Scott College | 843 | 62.15 | 1,180 – 1,370 | 25609 | 41382 |
Agnes Scott College
|
| 8 | Austin College | 1167 | 47.65 | 1,110 – 1,320 | 24777 | 45242 |
Austin College
|
| 9 | Westminster College | 1136 | 92.56 | 1,130 – 1,250 | 21089 | 43938 |
Westminster College
|
| 10 | Hanover College | 962 | 83.97 | 1,130 – 1,300 | 22929 | 42876 |
#10
Hanover College
|
| 11 | Eckerd College | 1893 | 75.8 | 1,170 – 1,340 | 40122 | 37505 |
Eckerd College
|
| 12 | Coe College | 1195 | 64.04 | 1,090 – 1,330 | 20940 | 47136 |
Coe College
|
| 13 | Carroll University | 2581 | 66.84 | 1,070 – 1,280 | 25171 | 54456 |
Carroll University
|
| 14 | Queens University of Charlotte | 1225 | 56.51 | 1,150 – 1,320 | 27178 | 48170 |
Queens University of Charlotte
|
| 15 | Buena Vista University | 810 | 77.61 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 18156 | 43572 |
Buena Vista University
|
| 16 | Alma College | 1159 | 57 | 970 – 1,200 | 24862 | 45720 |
#16
Alma College
|
| 17 | Waynesburg University | 1088 | 91.69 | 980 – 1,220 | 22837 | 48994 |
Waynesburg University
|
| 18 | Illinois College | 940 | 78.19 | 910 – 1,200 | 17255 | 40110 |
Illinois College
|
| 19 | Presbyterian College | 853 | 68.37 | 990 – 1,220 | 20058 | 44387 |
Presbyterian College
|
| 20 | Monmouth College | 727 | 86.6 | 1,050 – 1,250 | 19088 | 43158 |
Monmouth College
|
| 21 | Maryville College | 1136 | 60.92 | 1,040 – 1,300 | 20990 | 39305 |
Maryville College
|
| 22 | Hastings College | 936 | 65.4 | 970 – 1,270 | 21821 | 45590 |
Hastings College
|
| 23 | University of the Ozarks | 782 | 59.51 | 1,040 – 1,200 | 16651 | 37651 |
University of the Ozarks
|
| 24 | Wilson College | 1180 | 95.32 | 960 – 1,120 | 21567 | 37049 |
Wilson College
|
| 25 | Belhaven University | 1453 | 53.25 | 980 – 1,150 | 22145 | 38987 |
Belhaven University
|
| 26 | Mary Baldwin University | 1217 | 94.7 | 980 – 1,220 | 18838 | 39075 |
Mary Baldwin University
|
| 27 | Lyon College | 584 | 65.54 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 22675 | 37629 |
Lyon College
|
| 28 | Schreiner University | 1062 | 87.95 | 970 – 1,170 | 21786 | 45527 |
Schreiner University
|
| 29 | Muskingum University | 1524 | 81.84 | 930 – 1,110 | 20269 | 40536 |
Muskingum University
|
| 30 | University of Jamestown | 1049 | 88.08 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 20897 | 51151 |
University of Jamestown
|
| 31 | Westminster College | 593 | 77.58 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 26780 | 40992 |
Westminster College
|
| 32 | University of Dubuque | 1417 | 88.63 | 950 – 1,200 | 25216 | 44960 |
University of Dubuque
|
| 33 | William Peace University | 722 | 94.25 | 1,100 – 1,240 | 24503 | 39738 |
William Peace University
|
| 34 | King University | 966 | 99.72 | 930 – 1,140 | 23282 | 52248 |
King University
|
| 35 | Lees-McRae College | 873 | 76.85 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 26009 | 41599 |
Lees-McRae College
|
| 36 | University of Pikeville | 1353 | 88.08 | 930 – 1,180 | 13819 | 34508 |
University of Pikeville
|
| 37 | Blackburn College | 389 | 80.14 | 890 – 1,150 | 21349 | 36665 |
Blackburn College
|
| 38 | Davis & Elkins College | 683 | 58.23 | 910 – 1,140 | 19762 | 38495 |
Davis & Elkins College
|
| 39 | St. Andrews University | 806 | 30.48 | 890 – 1,080 | 31503 | 37691 |
St. Andrews University
|
| 40 | Tusculum University | 1022 | 60.42 | 930 – 1,140 | 22961 | 39925 |
Tusculum University
|
| 41 | Stillman College | 779 | 74.22 | 890 – 970 | 12479 | 29790 |
Stillman College
|
| 42 | Missouri Valley College | 1558 | 52.69 | 900 – 1,070 | 18396 | 36902 |
Missouri Valley College
|
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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