Criteria that were key for my actor:
Urban / Suburban / Rural
Large / Medium / Small school size
Desired Region(s) of the US
Diversity
Conservatory / University
Extent of pre-professional training offered
Strength of Academics
Availability of second majors or academic minors
BFA / BA / BM (for MT)
Honestly just using those criteria with my D’s very definite preferences narrowed the field so much we had to bend on a few!