US News & World Report 2008 College Rankings

U.S. News & World Report came out with their annual “Best College” rankings edition online. This group of schools looks strikingly similar to the 2007 rankings despite the magazine’s vows to make “substantial changes in methodology.” The top ten is still dominated by brand names and Ivies, and the top 3 spots haven’t budged. Umm, let’s see, the University of Pennsylvania moved up from #7 to #5…

The Best Values section will be far more valuable to students who are researching which colleges to attend: Where Applying Early May Help, Schools That Award the Most (and Least) Need-Based Aid and Schools Whose Freshmen Are Least (and Most) Likely to Return

Best National Universities 2008

1. Princeton University (NJ)
2. Harvard University (MA)
3. Yale University (CT)
4. Stanford University (CA)
5. California Institute of Technology
6. University of Pennsylvania
7. Massachusetts Inst. Of Technology
8. Duke University (NC)
9. Columbia University (NY)
10. University of Chicago
11. Dartmouth College (NH)
12. Cornell University (NY)
13. Washington University in St. Louis
14. Brown University (RI)
15. Johns Hopkins University (MD)
16. Northwestern University (IL)
17. Emory University (GA)
18. Rice University (TX)
19. University of Notre Dame (IN)
20. Vanderbilt University (TN)
21. University of California – Berkeley
22. Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
23. Georgetown University (DC)
24. University of Virginia
25. University of California – Los Angeles
25. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Universities with Highest Retention Rates 2008
When looking at college rankings and college stats, an important factor in determining quality is a retention rate above 80%. Of course there is a lot of overlap with the Best National Universities list at the top, but you’ll find many gems with retention rates above 80%.

1. Yale University (CT) - 98%
2. University of Pennsylvania - 98%
3. University of Notre Dame (IN) - 98%
4. Stanford University (CA) - 98%
5. Princeton University (NJ) - 98%
6. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology - 98%
7. Harvard University (MA) - 98%
8. Dartmouth College (NH) - 98%
9. Columbia University (NY) - 98%
10. Washington University in St. Louis - 97%
11. University of Virginia - 97%
12. University of Chicago - 97%
13. Univ. of California–Los Angeles - 97%
14. University of California–Berkeley - 97%
15. Rice University (TX) - 97%
16. Northwestern University (IL) - 97%
17. Georgetown University (DC) - 97%
18. Duke University (NC) - 97%
19. California Institute of Technology - 97%
20. Brown University (RI) - 97%
21. U. of North Carolina–Chapel Hill - 96%
22. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor - 96%
23. Tufts University (MA) - 96%
24. Johns Hopkins University (MD) - 96%
25. Cornell University (NY) - 96%
26. Vanderbilt University (TN) - 95%
27. Univ. of Southern California - 95%
28. College of William and Mary (VA) - 95%
29. Brandeis University (MA) - 95%
30. Boston College - 95%
31. Wake Forest University (NC) - 94%
32. University of Rochester (NY) - 94%
33. University of Florida - 94%
34. Univ. of California–San Diego - 94%
35. University of California–Irvine - 94%
36. Lehigh University (PA) - 94%
37. Emory University (GA) - 94%
38. Carnegie Mellon University (PA) - 94%