With the first “early decision” college-application deadline looming on Nov. 1, and tuition plus room and board at a four-year college costing $28,000 to $60,000 per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its reports on 2025’s Best College & University Rankings, to help college-bound seniors make the most informed school choices.
WalletHub compared over 800 higher-education institutions in the U.S. based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing and Career Outcomes. The data set ranges from student-faculty ratios to graduation rates to salaries after graduation.
Top 10 Colleges & Universities in California
Taking the top spot in the Golden State was the California Institute of Technology, while Stanford University was second. They were followed by Claremont McKenna College, third; University of California-Los Angeles, fourth; Harvey Mudd College, fifth; Pomona College, sixth; University of California-San Diego, seventh; University of California-Berkeley, eighth; University of California-Irvine, ninth and University of Southern California, tenth.
To view the full reports, visit: Best Colleges & Universities Overall: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/college-rankings/40750
Best Colleges: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-colleges-in-the-us-ranking/40748
Best Universities: https://wallethub.com/edu/e/best-universities-in-usa-ranking/39704
“Princeton University is the best (nationwide) university for 2025. It only has a four percent acceptance rate, and 93 percent of incoming students were in the top 10 percent of their graduating classes. Princeton has one faculty member for every five students, along with a 97 percent graduation rate, the best in the nation. On average, during the 20 years following their graduation, people who went to Princeton earn an average of $1.05 million more than people who only have a high school diploma. That’s the sixth-best return on investment in the country,” said WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo. “The best college of 2025 is Swarthmore College, a school with an admission rate of just seven percent, located in Swarthmore, PA. For the upcoming school year, 89 percent of enrolled students graduated in the top 10 percent of their high school classes, and their SAT and ACT test scores rank among the best in the country. Swarthmore has one faculty member for every eight students and a graduation rate of 94 percent. Over the course of 20 years after they graduate, Swarthmore grads earn an average of $750,000 more than people with only a high school diploma. Finally, Swarthmore has a very safe campus, with virtually nonexistent crime.”
Expert Commentary
What types of universities provide the best return on investment?
“Universities and colleges that offer career placement support, have active alumni, offer internships and externships for students, and have connections to potential employers would, in my opinion, provide the best return on investment. Also, universities and colleges that offer health professions advising and pre-law advising with acceptance rates higher than the national average would also provide the best return on investment.”
Cara Djonko-Moore – Associate Professor and Chair of Educational Studies, Rhodes College
“This varies not only by institution, but also by major or certificate concentration. Some private universities may be very expensive, but their returns are high in specific fields. Community colleges are among the most economical of institutions for the first two years of college. Sometimes, states support the tuition at two-year schools and often some classes can be taken concurrently with the last couple of years of high school. State universities often have high enrollments that can provide savings of scale to the institution, resulting in somewhat lower expenses than private universities. However, in the final analysis, the best decision often comes down to a wide variety of factors and preferences.”
Ray Schroeder – Senior Fellow at UPCEA, The Association for Online and Professional Education; Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois Springfield
What tips do you have for a student looking to graduate with minimal debt and great job prospects?
“While each student’s path is different, many should and do consider starting at a community college. For those seeking an applied associate degree to enter the workforce, there are various technical fields for which a career-focused program can lead to a great career. For those aspiring to transfer to a university, articulation agreements often exist to help credit transfer from one institution to another, but they can be very difficult to navigate. It is essential to identify one’s desired major and destination university as early as possible to ensure good advising and avoid lost credit when transferring. Since community colleges typically ‘admit the top 100 percent’ of applicants, this path is equally viable for those just graduating high school as it is for adults looking to enter college for the first time or return to complete a degree.”
Mark M. D’Amico, Ph.D. – Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
“Taking advantage of advising and career services is a great way to ensure you graduate on time with some idea of employment opportunities once you graduate. Not understanding graduation requirements or taking courses that will not apply to your degree could result in an extra semester or even year of course work. This is expensive. If a student is uncertain about future career plans, as I was in college, try to take courses that will allow you to explore your interests while fulfilling general education requirements or possibly requirements for multiple majors.”
Cara Djonko-Moore – Associate Professor and Chair of Educational Studies, Rhodes College
Are Ivy League and other “name-brand” schools worth the high sticker price?
“This is tricky for several reasons: Very few students at these colleges are paying the actual sticker price. So, the answer comes down to an equation of what price a student is actually paying vs. the return on investment of a particular degree. Some degrees have greater returns on investment than others. Even if a person attended, say, MIT, that person would do better financially with a degree in mechanical engineering than in music. In other words, the brand name and perceived prestige of a college or university only goes so far. It is true that selective colleges, on average, have more resources for students, but the equation of whether these selective colleges are worth it as opposed to going to another college depends on the major and on the price an individual is actually going to pay.”
Martin Van Der Werf – Director of Education Policy and Partnerships, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
“Maybe. A degree from a prestigious university can open doors through professional networks, but it is not a substitute for doing well wherever one attends. Excelling academically, completing internships, and earning leadership opportunities can be the real difference makers in college. Unfortunately, there is too much attention on where one goes over what they do, which also plays into structural inequities and pressure to take on debt to gain potential advantages. Today, higher education is not a linear journey for many. We live in an era defined by students attending multiple institutions on the path to a baccalaureate degree, online programs offering convenience, and a credential focus that fits an ever-increasing emphasis on competencies (what you can do). There are many viable paths to success that do not run through elite universities.”
Mark M. D’Amico, Ph.D. – Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
