#11 United States Naval Academy
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Enrollment: 4,576
Rating: 3.81 out of 5
Tiebreaker: Navy had more '5' ratings than Hopkins.
Like Army, Navy gained five spots from last year's list, demonstrating a rise in interest in U.S. military schools. The academy ranked at #14 in US News' National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking and at #43 overall in Forbes.
Tie breaker: United States Naval Academy had 37.6% excellent ratings, while Johns Hopkins had 31.0% excellent ratings.
Reader comments: "Graduates of military colleges (US Military Academy, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel) have an advantage in knowing how to both lead and work in teams."
"If success is judged by the percentage of graduates with decent paying jobs 3 months after graduation, then Westpoint and the Naval academy probably come out much better than the private liberal arts colleges."
#12 Johns Hopkins University
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Baltimore, Maryland
Enrollment: 5,980
Rating: 3.81 out of 5
Hopkins dropped one spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #67 in Forbes and at #13 in US News' National Universities ranking.
Reader comments: "The "Ivy+" schools have a prestige value that outweighs almost any cost... The "next dozen" also are worth stretching for....Hopkins, Berkeley, Claremont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Amherst, Williams, Chicago, Duke, NYU, Rice, NYU, Swarthmore."
#13 United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, New York
Enrollment: 4,624
Rating: 3.78 out of 5
Like Navy, Army gained five spots from last year's list, showing that military schools are gaining in popularity. The school ranked high in other rankings as well, at #7 in Forbes and at #18 in US News' National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking.
Reader comments: "Graduates of military colleges (US Military Academy, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel) have an advantage in knowing how to both lead and work in teams."
"If you are a business Entrepreneur, just one to 2 years of select business classes...real world training and education come from real world jobs here and overseas...better to join the Military and get the best education possible while serving your country...then enter the business world!"
#14 University of Chicago
www.chicagobooth.eduLocation: Chicago, Ill.
Enrollment: 5,388
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
U Chicago fell three spots from last year's list. The school ranked much higher on other major rankings, taking the #4 spot in both Forbes and US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "I've hired hundreds of people over my career. I no longer hire people from unserious universities where kids can and do graduate being ignorant and sloppy thinkers. The remaining serious universities include University of Chicago, MIT, Caltech and Carnegie-Mellon."
#15 Duke University
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Enrollment: 25,885
Rating: 3.74 out of 5
Duke fell three spots from last year's list. It took the #24 spot in Forbes, and a much higher spot at #8 in US News' list of national universities.
Reader comments: "Duke University: Work Hard, Play Harder."
#16 University of California - Berkeley
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Berkeley, Calif.
Enrollment: 25,885
Rating: 3.70 out of 5
UC Berkeley fell two spots from last year's list. The school ranked at #21 in US News' National Universities ranking and at #50 overall in Forbes.
Reader comments: "If the top public schools (Berkeley, UCLA, UVA, Mich) can keep their tuitions down, I don't see why they won't over take the other top schools - at least for US students."
#17 Brown University
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Enrollment: 6,380
Rating: 3.65 out of 5
Tiebreaker: Brown had more '5' ratings than Carnegie Mellon.
Brown fell two spots from last year's list. The school ranked at #15 in US News' National Universities ranking and at #19 overall in Forbes.
#18 Carnegie Mellon University
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Pittsburgh, Penn.
Enrollment: 6,281
Rating: 3.65 out of 5
Carnegie Mellon fell one spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #69 in Forbes and at #23 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "Carnegie Mellon has Hi-tech companies recruiting Computer Science and Engineering undergraduates before they graduate."
#19 Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, Ill.
Enrollment: 8,475
Rating: 3.59 out of 5
Northwestern held the same spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #22 in Forbes and at #12 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "I was hired at my current job almost solely because I went to Northwestern. I think that's crazy but I'll take it."
#20 Georgetown University
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Washington, D.C.
Enrollment: 7,590
Rating: 3.53 out of 5
Georgetown held the same spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #38 in Forbes and at #25 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "Small liberal arts colleges such as Haverford or particular programs such as Georgetown's School of Business are the best type of programs."
#21 University of Michigan — Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Enrollment: 24,407
Rating: 3.36 out of 5
U Michigan rose two spots from last year's list. It took the #57 spot in Forbes and the #25 spot in US News' national universities ranking.
Reader comments: "Michigan has great academics, active alum network and students have minimal attitude."
"Generally, a first rate student from UMichigan is equivalent to an ivy first rater, but the networking factor is not as good."
#22 University of Virginia
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Charlottesville, Virg.
Enrollment: 15,762
Rating: 3.34 out of 5
UVA rose one spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #36 in Forbes and at #24 in US News' National Universities ranking.
Reader comments: "Honestly, the best people that I've seen in the industry have been from Stanford and UVA. Stanford produces more intellectually aware people who have an instinctive drive. UVA, and this comment may surprise a few people, produces some unbelievably well-rounded kids. I mean if you ever go there to recruit, you'll know what I'm talking about. If I were to make a law that made sure that all businesses had its employees only from one school, UVA's company would beat all others, without the slightest doubt."
"While the star universities are all well represented in the alternative asset industry,I have noticed a disproportionate share of the truly bright people across hedge funds and private equity come from UVA's undergraduate business school. As a public school, it seems UVA offers quite a strong value proposition, especially for those who enroll in the business program."
#23 University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, Ind.
Enrollment: 8,452
Rating: 3.30 out of 5
Notre Dame rose four spots from last year's list. The school ranked high on other college ratings, at #12 in Forbes and #17 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "While highly ranked private schools like Notre Dame, Boston College, Emerson, Vassar and Skidmore offer fine educations and a nice experience they are not worth the money."
#24 Georgia Institute of Technology
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Atlanta, Georgia
Enrollment: 13,948
Rating: 3.26 out of 5
Georgia Tech rose eight spots from #32 on last year's list. The school ranked much lower though at #135 in Forbes. It took the #36 spot in US News' National Universities ranking.
#25 New York University
Location: New York, New York
Enrollment: 22,280
Rating: 3.25 out of 5
NYU dropped one spot from last year's list. The Manhattan school ranked at #97 in Forbes and at #32 in US News' National Universities ranking.
Reader comments: "NYU's Tisch School for the Arts is considered one of the most respected training grounds for young actors in the world. However, I speak from experience when I say, "it is not worth thousands of dollars in debt." I look at all of the STEM majors at NYU and wish that I studied something in that area. Those fields are where the jobs are. Either learn an actual skill in college or don't go at all."
"Schools like Columbia or NYU and other urban schools are highly effective as their students tend to have real life experiences during their studies. Interns can attend class and work in a broad array of fields during school, as opposed to rural students who tend to have a more limited exposure."
Business Insider's rating is based on a simple and pragmatic survey that asked how much each college will help students succeed in life. Our ranking tends to favor more famous schools, perhaps rightly so. We also reference Forbes' US college ranking and US News' rankings of US universities and liberal arts colleges.
Click here for the full list of Best Colleges in America.
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Enrollment: 4,576
Rating: 3.81 out of 5
Tiebreaker: Navy had more '5' ratings than Hopkins.
Like Army, Navy gained five spots from last year's list, demonstrating a rise in interest in U.S. military schools. The academy ranked at #14 in US News' National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking and at #43 overall in Forbes.
Tie breaker: United States Naval Academy had 37.6% excellent ratings, while Johns Hopkins had 31.0% excellent ratings.
Reader comments: "Graduates of military colleges (US Military Academy, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel) have an advantage in knowing how to both lead and work in teams."
"If success is judged by the percentage of graduates with decent paying jobs 3 months after graduation, then Westpoint and the Naval academy probably come out much better than the private liberal arts colleges."
#12 Johns Hopkins University
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Baltimore, MarylandEnrollment: 5,980
Rating: 3.81 out of 5
Hopkins dropped one spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #67 in Forbes and at #13 in US News' National Universities ranking.
Reader comments: "The "Ivy+" schools have a prestige value that outweighs almost any cost... The "next dozen" also are worth stretching for....Hopkins, Berkeley, Claremont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Amherst, Williams, Chicago, Duke, NYU, Rice, NYU, Swarthmore."
#13 United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, New York
Enrollment: 4,624
Rating: 3.78 out of 5
Like Navy, Army gained five spots from last year's list, showing that military schools are gaining in popularity. The school ranked high in other rankings as well, at #7 in Forbes and at #18 in US News' National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking.
Reader comments: "Graduates of military colleges (US Military Academy, US Naval Academy, US Air Force Academy, US Coast Guard Academy, Virginia Military Institute and The Citadel) have an advantage in knowing how to both lead and work in teams."
"If you are a business Entrepreneur, just one to 2 years of select business classes...real world training and education come from real world jobs here and overseas...better to join the Military and get the best education possible while serving your country...then enter the business world!"
#14 University of Chicago
www.chicagobooth.eduLocation: Chicago, Ill.Enrollment: 5,388
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
U Chicago fell three spots from last year's list. The school ranked much higher on other major rankings, taking the #4 spot in both Forbes and US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "I've hired hundreds of people over my career. I no longer hire people from unserious universities where kids can and do graduate being ignorant and sloppy thinkers. The remaining serious universities include University of Chicago, MIT, Caltech and Carnegie-Mellon."
#15 Duke University
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Enrollment: 25,885
Rating: 3.74 out of 5
Duke fell three spots from last year's list. It took the #24 spot in Forbes, and a much higher spot at #8 in US News' list of national universities.
Reader comments: "Duke University: Work Hard, Play Harder."
#16 University of California - Berkeley
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Berkeley, Calif.Enrollment: 25,885
Rating: 3.70 out of 5
UC Berkeley fell two spots from last year's list. The school ranked at #21 in US News' National Universities ranking and at #50 overall in Forbes.
Reader comments: "If the top public schools (Berkeley, UCLA, UVA, Mich) can keep their tuitions down, I don't see why they won't over take the other top schools - at least for US students."
#17 Brown University
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Enrollment: 6,380
Rating: 3.65 out of 5
Tiebreaker: Brown had more '5' ratings than Carnegie Mellon.
Brown fell two spots from last year's list. The school ranked at #15 in US News' National Universities ranking and at #19 overall in Forbes.
#18 Carnegie Mellon University
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Pittsburgh, Penn.Enrollment: 6,281
Rating: 3.65 out of 5
Carnegie Mellon fell one spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #69 in Forbes and at #23 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "Carnegie Mellon has Hi-tech companies recruiting Computer Science and Engineering undergraduates before they graduate."
#19 Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, Ill.
Enrollment: 8,475
Rating: 3.59 out of 5
Northwestern held the same spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #22 in Forbes and at #12 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "I was hired at my current job almost solely because I went to Northwestern. I think that's crazy but I'll take it."
#20 Georgetown University
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Washington, D.C.Enrollment: 7,590
Rating: 3.53 out of 5
Georgetown held the same spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #38 in Forbes and at #25 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "Small liberal arts colleges such as Haverford or particular programs such as Georgetown's School of Business are the best type of programs."
#21 University of Michigan — Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Enrollment: 24,407
Rating: 3.36 out of 5
U Michigan rose two spots from last year's list. It took the #57 spot in Forbes and the #25 spot in US News' national universities ranking.
Reader comments: "Michigan has great academics, active alum network and students have minimal attitude."
"Generally, a first rate student from UMichigan is equivalent to an ivy first rater, but the networking factor is not as good."
#22 University of Virginia
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Charlottesville, Virg.Enrollment: 15,762
Rating: 3.34 out of 5
UVA rose one spot from last year's list. The school ranked at #36 in Forbes and at #24 in US News' National Universities ranking.
Reader comments: "Honestly, the best people that I've seen in the industry have been from Stanford and UVA. Stanford produces more intellectually aware people who have an instinctive drive. UVA, and this comment may surprise a few people, produces some unbelievably well-rounded kids. I mean if you ever go there to recruit, you'll know what I'm talking about. If I were to make a law that made sure that all businesses had its employees only from one school, UVA's company would beat all others, without the slightest doubt."
"While the star universities are all well represented in the alternative asset industry,I have noticed a disproportionate share of the truly bright people across hedge funds and private equity come from UVA's undergraduate business school. As a public school, it seems UVA offers quite a strong value proposition, especially for those who enroll in the business program."
#23 University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, Ind.
Enrollment: 8,452
Rating: 3.30 out of 5
Notre Dame rose four spots from last year's list. The school ranked high on other college ratings, at #12 in Forbes and #17 in US News' national universities list.
Reader comments: "While highly ranked private schools like Notre Dame, Boston College, Emerson, Vassar and Skidmore offer fine educations and a nice experience they are not worth the money."
#24 Georgia Institute of Technology
Wikimedia CommonsLocation: Atlanta, GeorgiaEnrollment: 13,948
Rating: 3.26 out of 5
Georgia Tech rose eight spots from #32 on last year's list. The school ranked much lower though at #135 in Forbes. It took the #36 spot in US News' National Universities ranking.
#25 New York University
Location: New York, New York
Enrollment: 22,280
Rating: 3.25 out of 5
NYU dropped one spot from last year's list. The Manhattan school ranked at #97 in Forbes and at #32 in US News' National Universities ranking.
Reader comments: "NYU's Tisch School for the Arts is considered one of the most respected training grounds for young actors in the world. However, I speak from experience when I say, "it is not worth thousands of dollars in debt." I look at all of the STEM majors at NYU and wish that I studied something in that area. Those fields are where the jobs are. Either learn an actual skill in college or don't go at all."
"Schools like Columbia or NYU and other urban schools are highly effective as their students tend to have real life experiences during their studies. Interns can attend class and work in a broad array of fields during school, as opposed to rural students who tend to have a more limited exposure."
Business Insider's rating is based on a simple and pragmatic survey that asked how much each college will help students succeed in life. Our ranking tends to favor more famous schools, perhaps rightly so. We also reference Forbes' US college ranking and US News' rankings of US universities and liberal arts colleges.
Click here for the full list of Best Colleges in America.
