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 | Lafayette College | 2775 | 31.45 | 1,370 – 1,490 | 34728 | 80614 |
Lafayette College
|
| 3 | Macalester College | 2144 | 28.52 | 1,350 – 1,500 | 38571 | 46244 |
Macalester College
|
| 4 | Trinity University | 2518 | 25.92 | 1,330 – 1,490 | 32264 | 55224 |
#4
Trinity University
|
| 5 | Rhodes College | 1793 | 49.68 | 1,290 – 1,430 | 30590 | 48898 |
#5
Rhodes College
|
| 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 | Eckerd College | 1893 | 75.8 | 1,170 – 1,340 | 40122 | 37505 |
Eckerd College
|
| 11 | Hanover College | 962 | 83.97 | 1,130 – 1,300 | 22929 | 42876 |
Hanover College
|
| 12 | Alma College | 1159 | 57 | 970 – 1,200 | 24862 | 45720 |
Alma College
|
| 13 | Queens University of Charlotte | 1225 | 56.51 | 1,150 – 1,320 | 27178 | 48170 |
Queens University of Charlotte
|
| 14 | Carroll University | 2581 | 66.84 | 1,070 – 1,280 | 25171 | 54456 |
#14
Carroll University
|
| 15 | Coe College | 1195 | 64.04 | 1,090 – 1,330 | 20940 | 47136 |
Coe College
|
| 16 | Buena Vista University | 810 | 77.61 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 18156 | 43572 |
Buena Vista University
|
| 17 | Waynesburg University | 1088 | 91.69 | 980 – 1,220 | 22837 | 48994 |
Waynesburg University
|
| 18 | Presbyterian College | 853 | 68.37 | 990 – 1,220 | 20058 | 44387 |
Presbyterian College
|
| 19 | Illinois College | 940 | 78.19 | 910 – 1,200 | 17255 | 40110 |
Illinois 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 | Westminster College | 593 | 77.58 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 26780 | 40992 |
Westminster College
|
| 23 | Belhaven University | 1453 | 53.25 | 980 – 1,150 | 22145 | 38987 |
Belhaven University
|
| 24 | Muskingum University | 1524 | 81.84 | 930 – 1,110 | 20269 | 40536 |
Muskingum University
|
| 25 | University of Jamestown | 1049 | 88.08 | 1,010 – 1,210 | 20897 | 51151 |
#25
University of Jamestown
|
| 26 | University of the Ozarks | 782 | 59.51 | 1,040 – 1,200 | 16651 | 37651 |
University of the Ozarks
|
| 27 | Wilson College | 1180 | 95.32 | 960 – 1,120 | 21567 | 37049 |
#27
Wilson College
|
| 28 | William Peace University | 722 | 94.25 | 1,100 – 1,240 | 24503 | 39738 |
William Peace University
|
| 29 | Hastings College | 936 | 65.4 | 970 – 1,270 | 21821 | 45590 |
Hastings College
|
| 30 | Davis & Elkins College | 683 | 58.23 | 910 – 1,140 | 19762 | 38495 |
Davis & Elkins College
|
| 31 | University of Dubuque | 1417 | 88.63 | 950 – 1,200 | 25216 | 44960 |
University of Dubuque
|
| 32 | Blackburn College | 389 | 80.14 | 890 – 1,150 | 21349 | 36665 |
Blackburn College
|
| 33 | Mary Baldwin University | 1217 | 94.7 | 980 – 1,220 | 18838 | 39075 |
Mary Baldwin University
|
| 34 | Lees-McRae College | 873 | 76.85 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 26009 | 41599 |
Lees-McRae College
|
| 35 | King University | 966 | 99.72 | 930 – 1,140 | 23282 | 52248 |
King University
|
| 36 | Schreiner University | 1062 | 87.95 | 970 – 1,170 | 21786 | 45527 |
Schreiner University
|
| 37 | Lyon College | 584 | 65.54 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 22675 | 37629 |
Lyon College
|
| 38 | University of Pikeville | 1353 | 88.08 | 930 – 1,180 | 13819 | 34508 |
University of Pikeville
|
| 39 | Tusculum University | 1022 | 60.42 | 930 – 1,140 | 22961 | 39925 |
Tusculum University
|
| 40 | St. Andrews University | 806 | 30.48 | 890 – 1,080 | 31503 | 37691 |
St. Andrews University
|
| 41 | Missouri Valley College | 1558 | 52.69 | 900 – 1,070 | 18396 | 36902 |
Missouri Valley College
|
| 42 | Stillman College | 779 | 74.22 | 890 – 970 | 12479 | 29790 |
Stillman College
|
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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