Latest Rankings Revealed in 2022 “Best Colleges”

The 2022 version of U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” – often viewed as the bible to the college industry – has just been released.  New Jersey’s Princeton University is still in first place (for the 11th consecutive year) as the “Best National University.”  It’s followed by Columbia, Harvard, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) tied for second place, and Yale coming in fifth.

This guide, in addition to offering overall rankings, lists the “Top Programs” in specific specialties, including Business, Engineering, and Computer Science.  It even offers “sub-categories,” such as Aeronautical, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, and Mechanical in the field of Engineering.  A similar breakdown is offered for Business specialties.

This year an additional category has been added, Nursing, as it’s one of the largest undergraduate majors and has been recognized as an indispensable career during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The 2022 issue marks the 37th annual edition of the guidebook which calculates its ranking based on categories such as student outcomes, faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence, and alumni giving.

In addition to its national rankings, the guide lists the Best Regional Universities by territory. These are colleges and universities that offer a full range of undergraduate and some master’s programs, but few at the doctoral level.  In the North, the rankings listed Providence College (#1), Bentley University (#2), Fairfield University (#3), Loyola University – Maryland (#4), University of Scranton (#5), and The College of New Jersey (#6).  

The newest edition of Best Colleges also features some specialized rankings, including most innovative colleges and universities (Arizona State, Georgia State and MIT), and those with the greatest commitment to undergraduate teaching (Elon, Georgia State and Princeton). 

College-bound students and their parents can also read up on “Best Value Schools,” if need-based financial aid is important.  Students who don’t have straight-A grades can review the article on “A-plus Schools for B Students.” 

Updated lists are also provided on the top public universities, campuses with the greatest ethnic diversity, schools with the highest four-year graduation rates, colleges with the most international students, and schools with the highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students.

Students in the market for a college education should seek all the pertinent information available in making what is likely to be a very expensive decision that will profoundly affect the rest of their lives.

Susan Alaimo is the founder and director of Collegebound Review that, for the past 25 years, has offered PSAT/SAT® preparation and private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362