2012 College Rankings Released; Harvard and Princeton Tie at the Top

It may not have the same sex appeal as Playboy’s “Best Party Schools” list, but the 2012 College Rankings from U.S. News shows the best schools in the country. The “Best Colleges” list has been around since 1983.

Harvard once again claimed the top spot on the “Best Colleges” list, but this year Harvard was joined by Princeton in the number one spot. Yale University was third in the 2012 College Rankings.

Tuition at Harvard is just under $40 grand, which makes it the third cheapest school in the top 10 for National Universities. Princeton was the cheapest school on the list, with tuition at $37,000.

The 2012 College Rankings also grades Liberal Arts School. Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, was named the number one school again this year. The US News notes:

“Williams College has three undergraduate academic branches: humanities, sciences, and social sciences. Classes at Williams are small and use an Oxford-style teaching method that relies heavily on student participation.”

Williams College was followed by another Massachusetts school, Amherst, and Pennsylvania school Swarthmore.

The 2012 College Rankings is a great tool to help students decide where they want to spend their college career, but Peter Van Buskirk, former admissions dean at Franklin & Marshall College, says that the list should not be the only factor in deciding a school.

“By presuming to ‘score’ colleges against each other, ranking lists tend to be enticing illusions that often distract students from thinking about the things that are most important to them as they contemplate their educational futures. You need to remain focused on the three W’s: who you are, why you want to go to college, and what you hope to get out of the college experience.”

But maybe Buskirk is just upset that Franklin & Marshall didn’t crack the top ten this year. Do you think the 2012 College Rankings are important?