US News & World Report releases annual college rankings

U.S. News & World Report released its annual rankings of the nation’s top colleges and universities Monday.

Princeton University came in first, followed by Harvard University.

U.S. News said the 2019 edition of Best Colleges marked a significant change by using a new methodology to determine rankings.

The new system places the greatest value on student outcomes, which account for 35 percent of the score. That’s up from 30 percent last year.

The 2019 rankings use new social mobility indicators that measure how well schools succeed at enrolling and graduating students from low-income families.

U.S. News also dropped acceptance rate as a factor and reduced the value of expert opinions, SAT/ACT scores and high school class standing.

In addition to rankings for the best national universities, U.S. News also released its rankings for the top liberal art colleges. Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, topped that list, followed by Amherst College.

Click here to read the complete report and rankings.