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 | 27720 | 62866 |
#1
Davidson College
|
| 2 | Lafayette College | 2775 | 31.45 | 1,370 – 1,490 | 38442 | 80614 |
Lafayette College
|
| 3 | Macalester College | 2138 | 28.52 | 1,360 – 1,510 | 40225 | 46244 |
Macalester College
|
| 4 | Rhodes College | 1838 | 50.35 | 1,260 – 1,450 | 31037 | 48898 |
#4
Rhodes College
|
| 5 | Trinity University | 2518 | 25.92 | 1,360 – 1,500 | 32224 | 55224 |
Trinity University
|
| 6 | University of Tulsa | 2852 | 61.51 | 1,220 – 1,510 | 13095 | 54779 |
University of Tulsa
|
| 7 | Agnes Scott College | 843 | 62.15 | 1,180 – 1,360 | 27499 | 41382 |
Agnes Scott College
|
| 8 | Hanover College | 1035 | 83.7 | 1,120 – 1,300 | 23683 | 42876 |
Hanover College
|
| 9 | Austin College | 1165 | 47.65 | 1,110 – 1,320 | 23462 | 45242 |
#9
Austin College
|
| 10 | Eckerd College | 1893 | 75.8 | 1,170 – 1,340 | 43884 | 37505 |
Eckerd College
|
| 11 | Queens University of Charlotte | 1225 | 62.08 | 1,100 – 1,320 | 31839 | 48170 |
Queens University of Charlotte
|
| 12 | Alma College | 1159 | 57.03 | 1,040 – 1,230 | 22094 | 45720 |
Alma College
|
| 13 | Westminster College | 1137 | 92.56 | 1,040 – 1,260 | 20394 | 43938 |
Westminster College
|
| 14 | Coe College | 1195 | 64.04 | 1,130 – 1,330 | 20864 | 47136 |
#14
Coe College
|
| 15 | Carroll University | 2581 | 66.84 | 1,070 – 1,280 | 27031 | 54456 |
#15
Carroll University
|
| 16 | Presbyterian College | 853 | 68.37 | 1,020 – 1,220 | 20840 | 44387 |
Presbyterian College
|
| 17 | Illinois College | 937 | 78.19 | 920 – 1,200 | 17375 | 40110 |
Illinois College
|
| 18 | Westminster College | 640 | 79.2 | 1,010 – 1,190 | 24358 | 40992 |
Westminster College
|
| 19 | Monmouth College | 713 | 90.93 | 1,010 – 1,230 | 17768 | 43158 |
Monmouth College
|
| 20 | Buena Vista University | 1436 | 77.61 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 19704 | 43572 |
Buena Vista University
|
| 21 | Waynesburg University | 1030 | 89.82 | 950 – 1,240 | 18667 | 48994 |
Waynesburg University
|
| 22 | Muskingum University | 1523 | 81.84 | 930 – 1,110 | 19695 | 40536 |
Muskingum University
|
| 23 | Maryville College | 1132 | 60.92 | 1,040 – 1,300 | 21469 | 39305 |
#23
Maryville College
|
| 24 | Hastings College | 933 | 71.65 | 1,240 – 1,370 | 24406 | 45590 |
#24
Hastings College
|
| 25 | Mary Baldwin University | 1124 | 87.1 | 950 – 1,140 | 17810 | 39075 |
Mary Baldwin University
|
| 26 | William Peace University | 722 | 94.25 | 1,100 – 1,260 | 24216 | 39738 |
William Peace University
|
| 27 | Lees-McRae College | 873 | 76.78 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 29833 | 41599 |
Lees-McRae College
|
| 28 | University of Dubuque | 1440 | 88.63 | 980 – 1,200 | 26067 | 44960 |
University of Dubuque
|
| 29 | Schreiner University | 1120 | 88.2 | 970 – 1,170 | 22884 | 45527 |
#29
Schreiner University
|
| 30 | Wilson College | 1379 | 92.11 | 930 – 1,180 | 21748 | 37049 |
Wilson College
|
| 31 | University of Jamestown | 1049 | 88.08 | 930 – 1,180 | 20510 | 51151 |
University of Jamestown
|
| 32 | Lyon College | 657 | 62.76 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 19872 | 37629 |
Lyon College
|
| 33 | University of the Ozarks | 778 | 59.51 | 1,040 – 1,200 | 20088 | 37651 |
University of the Ozarks
|
| 34 | Belhaven University | 1614 | 49.75 | 1,010 – 1,200 | 16299 | 38987 |
Belhaven University
|
| 35 | University of Pikeville | 1540 | 100 | 970 – 1,140 | 13227 | 34508 |
University of Pikeville
|
| 36 | King University | 964 | 99.72 | 980 – 1,180 | 22748 | 52248 |
#36
King University
|
| 37 | Davis & Elkins College | 661 | 94.33 | 760 – 1,040 | 19784 | 38495 |
Davis & Elkins College
|
| 38 | Blackburn College | 513 | 63.19 | 890 – 1,150 | 18460 | 36665 |
#38
Blackburn College
|
| 39 | Tusculum University | 940 | 72.17 | 930 – 1,110 | 20355 | 39925 |
Tusculum University
|
| 40 | St. Andrews University | 628 | 64.8 | 810 – 1,170 | 29474 | 37691 |
St. Andrews University
|
| 41 | Missouri Valley College | 1687 | 69.18 | 900 – 1,060 | 18923 | 36902 |
Missouri Valley College
|
| 42 | Stillman College | 731 | 62.25 | 800 – 930 | 15152 | 29790 |
Stillman College
|
School data is from 2023–2024 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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