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The Short List: Colleges

While U.S. News aggregates mountains of data to produce the annual rankings of Best Colleges, the figures are also...READ MORE

While U.S. News aggregates mountains of data to produce the annual rankings of Best Colleges, the figures are also useful when examined on a smaller scale. The U.S. News Short List, separate from the overall rankings, magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas that are important to them. Also, be sure to check out The Short List: Grad School and The Short List: Online Programs.

The Short List: Colleges

Universities Where Most Freshmen Commute

An average of nearly 76% of first-year students lived off campus or commuted at these schools, per U.S. News data.

Josh MoodyJuly 30, 2019

The Latest

Highest College Application Fees

Application fees at these schools average around $77, according to U.S. News data.

Josh Moody June 18, 2019

10 Colleges That Enroll Most Transfers

Each of these colleges had more than 3,750 new transfer students in fall 2017, U.S. News data show.

Ilana Kowarski Feb. 19, 2019

Colleges Where Grads Owe the Most

The class of 2017 borrowed an average of $50,595 at these schools, U.S. News data show.

Josh Moody Feb. 12, 2019

10 Colleges Where Grads Have Least Debt

At each of these colleges, 2017 grads with loans owed less than $13,000 on average, U.S. News data show.

Ilana Kowarski Jan. 29, 2019

10 Schools Where Alumni Donate

On average, nearly half of alumni donated to these schools in the last two academic years, U.S. News data show.

Josh Moody Dec. 18, 2018

10 Colleges That Give Out-of-State Aid

More than 70 percent of out-of-state students at each of these schools received merit scholarships, U.S. News data show.

Ilana Kowarski Dec. 11, 2018

13 Colleges With Lowest Acceptance Rates

At each of these schools, less than 10 percent of applicants in fall 2017 were accepted, U.S. News data show.

Ilana Kowarski Nov. 27, 2018

12 Colleges That Often Give Merit Aid

At least 41 percent of full-time students at each of these schools received merit scholarships in fall 2017, U.S. News data show.

Farran Powell Nov. 20, 2018

10 Colleges With High Early Admit Rates

The acceptance rate for early applicants at these schools in fall 2017 averaged around 84 percent, U.S. News data show.

Farran Powell Nov. 6, 2018

College Admissions: Get a Step Ahead!

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