Forbes' Best Colleges 2008
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Spencer Platt, Getty Images
30 College Ranking Surprises
Forbes has developed its first annual rankings of America's Best Colleges as an alternative to the U.S. News & World Report rankings everyone is used to.
What the rankings showed was unexpected: Several relatively unknown schools did very well and there were some interesting regional surprises too. Click through our gallery as we highlight five schools Forbes found surprising, then check out the full list of 30 surprises at Forbes.com.
Read the Article
First Up: West Point -
Chris Hondros, Getty Images
U.S. Military Academy
at West PointOverall Rank: 6
Cost: $0/year *
Class Size: 1,272
Student to Faculty Ratio: 1 to 6
SAT Range: 1160-1360**
ACT Range: 26-29
% of applicants admitted: 12.75%
*Cost includes tuition, room and board, books, fees, and other expenses.
**Range for Critical Reading and Mathematics sections. Does not include writing score.
More on West Point
Next: Wabash College -
Wabash College
Wabash College
Overall Rank: 12
Cost: $35,550/year *
Class Size: 250
Student to Faculty Ratio: 10 to 1
SAT Range: 1060-1300**
ACT Range: 21-27
% of applicants admitted: 47%
*Cost includes tuition, room and board, books, fees, and other expenses.
**Range for Critical Reading and Mathematics sections. Does not include writing score.
More on Wabash College
Next: Centre College -
Courtesy of Centre College
Centre College
Overall Rank: 13
Cost: $37,000/year *
Class Size: 316
Student to Faculty Ratio: 11 to 1
SAT Range: 1140-1340**
ACT Range: 26-30
% of applicants admitted: 60%
*Cost includes tuition, room and board, books, fees, and other expenses.
**Range for Critical Reading and Mathematics sections. Does not include writing score.
More on Centre College
Next: Sarah Lawrence -
Courtesy of Sarah Lawrence University
Sarah Lawrence
Overall Rank: 25
Cost: $52,210/year *
Class Size: 363
Student to Faculty Ratio: 6 to 1
SAT Range: NA
ACT Range: NA
% of applicants admitted: 45%
*Cost includes tuition, room and board, books, fees, and other expenses.
**Range for Critical Reading and Mathematics sections. Does not include writing score.
More on Sarah Lawrence
Next: Whitman College -
Courtesy of Whitman College
Whitman College
Overall Rank: 28
Cost: $43,490/year *
Class Size: 400
Student to Faculty Ratio: 10 to 1
SAT Range: 1240-1430**
ACT Range: 27-32
% of applicants admitted: 44.9%
*Cost includes tuition, room and board, books, fees, and other expenses.
**Range for Critical Reading and Mathematics sections. Does not include writing score.
More on Whitman College
Next: More College Surprises -
More Surprise Rankings
These five schools aren't the only rankings on the list that may surprise you. Forbes identifies 30 unexpected rankings in all.
See Surprises No. 6 - 30
Next: More College Rankings -
More Forbes' Rankings
Now that you've seen the surprises in Forbes' first annual ranking, check out its full lists:
Top 50 U.S. Colleges
Top Private Colleges
Top Public Colleges
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Recent Comments
Draco1thedragon 04:42:46 AM Sep 03 2008
Side note, exactly what is Obama going to do to shore up the economy? He wants new spending. Where is the $ going to come from? This Country is Bankrupt. The 1.5 parties bankrupted it!Companies create jobs! Not gov't! PEOPLE.....WAKE THE *UC* UP!pe your own comment hereype your own comment here
Draco1thedragon 04:41:57 AM Sep 03 2008
Side note, exactly what is Obama going to do to shore up the economy? He wants new spending. Where is the $ going to come from? This Country is Bankrupt. The 1.5 parties bankrupted it!Companies create jobs! Not gov't! PEOPLE.....WAKE THE *UC* UP!pe your own comment here
Draco1thedragon 04:39:42 AM Sep 03 2008
I am so tired of all you sheeple. We have a 1.5 party system. The Demicans and the Republicrats. The sheeple from both sides keep blaming each other. It is because both sides again and again, little by little, keep destroying this Country. Government has been out of control for decades. Th Demicans and Republicrats have been the ones residing, taking turns of course. The Government is TOOOOOOOO FN big. It has been over 200 years. Time for a Revolution. The Gov't must be downsized!. Federal Income Taxes eliminated. The Fed should only run from excise taxes on Alcohol, tobacco, Arms sales and the like. Also, Tariffs must be implemented again. "F" free trade! Spending must be narrowed drastically. Programs gutted. Repsonsibility must be returned to the individual. The Federal Gov't must return the power back to the States (once considered their own sovereign nations). Eliminate the 16th and 17th Amendments immediately. Tar and Feather most of Congress. Side note, exact
fLaShLeA THS 200 11:37:45 PM Sep 02 2008
ZEYVIONEVICTORIA - what do you mean we're almost in a depression again?? We ARE in a depression again!Honestly- I don't think these problems CAN be fixed. I think we're beyond repair, and we're going to hell in a hand basket Fast!
ZEYVIONEVICTORIA 10:45:28 PM Sep 02 2008
I'm Obama also because the Bush Admin. has got to go. Look where we are now...it's almost a depression again. Bush is not bright and Mccain is so imagine what that fool has in store for America. We are getting laughed at by countries who used to envy us. It's sad how the economy is shrinking and people are losing jobs left and right. I swear I can' take another four years of this crap...Hitler can't get in office I feel what Madonna said. I got a question for Mccain supporters...Why would you support a man who has already turned on his own fund supporters..he don't care? So he's not gonna care about us.
ZEYVIONEVICTORIA 10:39:42 PM Sep 02 2008
I'm Obama also because the Bush Admin. has got to go. Look where we are now...it's almost a depression again. Bush is not bright and Mccain is so imagine what that fool has in store for America. We are getting laughed at by countries who used to envy us. It's sad how the economy is shrinking and people are losing jobs left and right. I swear I can' take another four years of this crap...Hitler can't get in office I feel what Madonna said. I got a question for Mccain supporters...Why would you support a man who has already turned on his own fund supporters..he don't care? So he's not gonna care about us.
Ghahtak 01:36:24 PM Aug 30 2008
my old school Iist now about PK a year when I was there it was 16 K When I graduated it was about26 five years later its 50 this is wrong just wrong to do students. I feel sorry for you.
kontopoulos417 01:32:30 PM Aug 30 2008
I'm gonna vote for Obama because he can actually fix what needs to be fixed the most, which is the economy, because if we are in a depression, then the entire world will come crashing down with the economy, what happened the last time that the economy of the US crashed? Oh, the Great Depression, well, at least everyone remembers what helped us get out of it, right? Well, it was WWII, so, if you wanna vote for someone that can't help the economy, go for it, I hope WWIII won't kill all of us because it will invovle nuclear weapons. I guess the Republicans have it right, cause the Bush Administration had the best economic policy right? And McCain supports it, so.. I guess they will have the same policy and send us into a deeper recession and into a full-blown depression soon enough when we are funding a ridiculous war we shouldn't be fighting, but still, vote for the party that put us into such a terrible situation. Your being really responsible with your vote.
Geodiva 12:36:24 PM Aug 30 2008
Yeah right, - everybody should get their info from the left-wing crazy kool-aid drinkers at CNN!!! McCain-Palin 2008
DLB1010 11:39:54 AM Aug 30 2008
Would have been nice if we were informed as to where these overpriced poh-dunk colleges are located.
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