<p>Yeah, but…
One of the factors that is considered when ranking a college (I assume you’re talking about U.S. News) is endowment. I think Bates has everything all the others have to offer, and like aluotak said, has more of a budget for financial aid. Besides, colleges aren’t alllowed to just tap into their endowment whenever they want-- most of the gifts are given for very specific reasons. I bet Bates has the same budget that Williams or Amherst has-- just not a bunch of money locked away in the bank that they can never use. I don’t see, however, making a decision on which college to attend based on how much money they have (but don’t use).</p>