The 50 most underrated colleges in America

"… College preparation and admissions consulting firm CollegeVine assembled a ranking of the most underrated colleges and universities in the US. To compile the ranking, it evaluated several career- and outcome-based metrics for each of the schools, including cost of attendance and financial aid, career outcomes, and overall return on investment.

Schools were given a score out of 100 for each of those metrics, with schools being rewarded for scoring better on those measures than their traditional rankings from publications like US News and World Report would suggest.

Here are the 50 most underrated colleges in the US, according to CollegeVine’s measures:" …

https://www.businessinsider.in/the-50-most-underrated-colleges-in-america/articleshow/67855409.cms

UT-Austin is one of the top 10 underrated colleges in America? 8-|

I felt the same way when I saw Bucknell.

I have a quizzical look on my face over several of the colleges listed…Whuuuuuuuuuut?

Seems like the list is heavy on non-elite big state schools.

I do agree Kansas state should be on this list. They are underrated!

Lots of interesting photos. How did #7 Babson College photo slip by the censors ?

Wellesley is underrated. Oh ok.

If by ‘underrated’ they mean ‘overrated’, then yes, I agree.

Ursinus is a very interesting one to be included - very small private that I would say many people have never heard of unless in PA. It tends to be looked down upon because of the high acceptance rate, but I’ve met many graduates who loved it and are successful in their fields. It also offers great merit aid.

Ursinus is a standardized test optional school. Most popular majors are Biology, Applied Economics, Psychology, Mass Communications / Media Studies & Exercise Physiology.

Yes, because the methodology is highly questionable.

Is UT El Paso - which boasts a 12% (!) 4 year graduation rate and abysmal 38% 6 year graduation rate - really one of the 25 most underrated schools in the US? Career options for UTEP graduates may be decent, but it seems most students do not graduate.

The article is from Business Insider India. I’d agree with most of the article from an international’s perspective. There are quite a few excellent schools on the list that I’d never heard of before starting to research for D16.

Wellesley MA Chamber of Commerce places two on the list for the win!

The article missed lots of schools that are truly underrated in my book. On my personal underrated list, I include–

  • Beloit
  • Southwestern University near Austin
  • Hendrix
  • Earlham
  • Simmons in Boston
  • Agnes Scott near Atlanta
  • University of the Pacific
  • University of Maine at Orono (also cheap!)
  • New Mexico Tech
  • South Dakota Mines
  • University of Southern Oregon (great for theater)
  • Rhodes
  • Mills
  • Wheaton in Massachusetts
  • Oregon State U
  • U Minn Twin cities
  • and a lot of the CalStates

On my personal list of overrated schools, I include

  • NYU
  • NYU
  • NYU
    And of course
  • NYU
    and maybe
  • UW Madison

In articles like this I always wonder who picks the photos & what they are trying to express about the college. Like, “Come to the University of New Mexico: we have lots of room to park”?

I definitely agree on Rhodes as an outstanding urban LAC with a beautiful campus.

VCU in Richmond also. Excellent art, communications, and pre-med (school has a med school). Richmond (RAV) is a great place to be a college student. Really, more impactful that ratings suggest.

Oberlin too. Say what?

Others: CMU, American, VTech, and CWRU are hardly underrated, and who is BYU underrated by, non LDS?

I would guess that, once again, BI has demonstrated that they have absolutely no knowledge of what is happening outside their little Business World bubble. If their 25 CEO buddies hadn’t heard of these universities, but they’re good Universities, well, they must be underrated, right?

San Jose State #1 of underrated schools…the mind can’t wrap around that one. And my alma mater SCU tied for #15?

@Hamurtle Your alma mater will be ranked in the US News National Universities category come September. It’ll be interesting to see where it lands.