Every parent of a college-bound teen knows there are many factors — besides grades — that go in to picking a university.
“You’ll also need the financial resources to attend,” financial website WalletHub wrote in announcing its 2023 Best College & University Rankings report. “On average, tuition and room and board at a four-year college costs around $23,000 - $52,000 per year. It varies depending on the school’s public or private status and whether it’s in-state. For those prices, students want to know they are getting a good deal.”
To determine the best higher-education institutions in the United States, WalletHub compared 913 colleges and universities across seven key dimensions: student selectivity, cost & financing, faculty resources, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes, and career outcomes.
It then evaluated those dimensions using 30 relevant metrics, each of which was graded on a 100 point scale, with a score of 100 being the best school for undergraduate students during and after attendance.
When the scores were tallied, Georgia Institute of Technology’s 76.4 earned it the No. 9 ranking nationwide and the No. 1 ranking for the state.
- 1st – graduation rate
- 1st – post-attendance median salary
- 2nd – admission rate
- 5th – gender and racial diversity
- 10th – on-campus crime
- 14th – student-faculty ratio
- 27th – net cost
Emory University came in No. 37 nationwide and No. 2 in the state, with a score of 71.89.
- 1st – admission rate
- 1st – gender and racial diversity
- 2nd – graduation rate
- 2nd – post-attendance median salary
- 2nd – student-faculty ratio
- 11th – on-campus crime
- 32nd – net cost
The University of Georgia just missed making the top 50 nationwide, finishing No. 53. Its score of 69.39 put it No. 3 in the state.
- 3rd – graduation rate
- 3rd – post-attendance median salary
- 4th – admission rate
- 15th – net cost
- 18th – gender and racial diversity
- 21st – student-faculty ratio
- 25th – on-campus crime
Rounding out the state’s top 10 colleges and universities were
4. Mercer University, with a score of 59.49
5. Wesleyan College, with a score of 58.51
6. Oglethorpe University, with a score of 57.83
7. Covenant College, with a score of 56.76
8. Spelman College, with a score of 56.51
9. LaGrange College, with a score of 54.78
10. Georgia College & State University, with a score of 54.78
You can check out all 913 colleges and universities on the WalletHub site.
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