Princeton Tops Forbes Best College List

In a recent ranking of best colleges in the United States, Princeton overtook Williams College in Massachusetts and California's Stanford University.

The New Jersey University headed the Forbes list, which rated U.S. colleges based on their graduation rates, student outcomes and low levels of debt and post-graduate success.

"Princeton does well across the board," Michael Noer, Forbes executive editor told Reuters.

Princeton University was founded in 1746. The total number of undergraduate enrollment adds up to 5,220, the campus is spread across 600 acres and the annual total cost of courses is about $53,934. Princeton is also notable for its starry alumni list that includes U.S. President Woodrow Wilson; John Forbes Nash, subject of the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind, actress Brooke Shields and First Lady Michelle Obama.

"Despite being a pretty expensive place, they have the seventh-lowest debt rate on the list and the fifth-highest graduation rate," Noer stated in an interview. "They just kicked it across the board."

The University of Chicago and Yale University could not make it to the top five colleges in the list featured in the latest issue of Forbes. Four Ivy League University won the 10h spot while Harvard captured the No. 6 spot and New York's Columbia University earned the eighth position. The cost of colleges in the United States is increasing every day. A four-year degree approximately costs about $100,000 for fees, books and tuition.

"We are looking at a crisis in higher education, in terms of cost," Noer said. "I think the most important thing a school should do is provide value for its customers, which are its students. The question is, 'Is it really worth it? That is the question we are trying to answer with this ranking. These schools, based on the data, seem to be worth it."

The recent ranking among 650 schools was put together for Forbes by a non-profit organization called the Center for College Affordability & Productivity based out of Washington, D.C.