August 28, 2023 – PITTSBURGH – Niche, the leading platform connecting students and families with colleges and schools, today released its 2024 Best Colleges Rankings. With updated data for 4,048 colleges nationwide, Niche’s latest rankings feature updated methodology to better evaluate economic mobility and to reflect the declining importance of standardized test scores.
Niche combines data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education with user input — reviews and ratings from current students, alumni, and parents — in a thorough analysis of factors including academics, athletics, food and campus life, to name a few. With rich data, tools, and comprehensive profiles and reviews on every college in America, Niche aims to empower students and their families as they embark on the college search process.
One of the most significant changes to the methodology this year was to refine the Best Value Colleges ranking by adding an Economic Mobility Index factor to highlight the colleges whose students are able to improve their economic status after graduation. This index reflects data on the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, the net price of tuition for students from low-income households, and the median earnings of those students six years after entry.
“With tuition fees rising and strong workforce opportunities for high school grads, students and their families want to know they’ll see a return on their investment before committing to a college education,” said Luke Skurman, Founder and CEO of Niche. “Our new Economic Mobility Index, along with transparent net tuition price data on all college profiles, helps students consider the real cost of attending, as well as their potential future earnings after graduation.”
In addition to introducing the Economic Mobility Index, Niche has updated its methodology to reflect the shift away from standardized testing. Test-optional admissions emerged in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but more than three years later, colleges are continuing the trend. To reflect this lessened emphasis on test scores in the admissions process, all SAT/ACT-related factors have been removed from Niche’s 2024 college rankings.
The 2024 list of Best Colleges in America includes:
“Choosing where to go to college is easily one of the most significant – and expensive – decisions of a person’s life. Niche’s mission is to ensure that every college-bound student has access to easy, transparent and free resources – including rankings, reviews, and real-time college acceptance through Niche Direct Admissions – to help them find their best fit,” Skurman added.
Niche’s 2024 college rankings include categories for top public universities, best liberal arts colleges, best value colleges and many more. Searchers can also view the best colleges by state, metro area, or county and by major.
For the full list of 2024 Best Colleges rankings, visit: https://www.niche.com/colleges/rankings/.
ABOUT NICHE
Niche is the leading platform connecting students and families with colleges and schools. We believe finding the right school shouldn’t be hard, so we’re committed to making it easy for our users to discover and connect with the best ones for them. On Niche, users have access to comprehensive profiles on every school in America — from the ones they know to the ones they have yet to discover. With unique ratings, honest reviews, personalized recommendations, and tools to guide users through every step, Niche is changing the way millions of people find and connect with their school.
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