There are all kinds of lists of all kinds of things. The lists that are of greatest interest to educators are of course the lists of the best colleges.
Let us start by considering what some of the components of the ratings are. Thus, of the 250 best colleges 164th is Trinity University in Texas which takes the first place in typical graduate debt at graduation of $35,230. There are many institutions where you graduate with over $30,000 in debt, but they start in position 48 in quality. In terms of the most expensive institutions it is no. 83 Connecticut College in Connecticut that costs $49,385 a year in tuition. Second most expensive is no. 54 Bates College in Maine with also $49,350 tuition. The best at that price is no. 26 Middlebury College at $49,210.
In terms of the best or number 1 college in this ranking elaborated by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity is Williams College that only charges $37,640 and you graduate with a debt of $9,296.
That in the United States not everything depends on your purchasing power is the fact that among the 30 best colleges are the three military academies that do not cost you a penny, and you come out without one dollar of debt. Specifically, Westpoint is the 4th institution, followed by MIT which costs $37,960 and you get out with a debt of $17,923. Another college that costs you nothing in tuition is Cooper Union in New York and it is amongst the 100 best. Other bargains in the 100 best are- in order of from lowest to higher in state tuition, but below $ 10 000 a year : University of Florida $3778 and ranking #93,University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill $5379 # 62, University of California, Los Angeles $7551 # 71, University of California, Berkeley $7656 ND # 65, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA costs $9470 and is # 44! In the category above the 100 best there are many bargains too. If you are not willing to put up with the discipline of the free Merchant Marine or the Cost Guard, you can become a resident of Ky and go to Berea College for $ 866 a year in tuition!
The full 250 best list is available in print inForbes, edition August 30, 2010. It shows that money does not necessarily buy you the best and certainly not in this very emotional market that is education. There are 6,600 accredited higher education institutions in the country, and over $453 billion a year are spent in this area, of which $84 billion are the debts that the students have to repay. Only if you like to buy a house in a big city it may cost you more than your education.
Many economists establish that over a working lifetime a college grad earns about $500,000 more than a high school graduate. The question is: Does that depend on personal perseverance or on better education. Bill Gates, the second richest man on earth is a Harvard University drop-out. People that are motivated and have good vocational training, be it a baker, a mechanic, a nurse practitioner or a MRI operator can be financially more successful and happier in their lives than a graduate from Princeton, the second university on the list. Life does not consist on starting flipping hamburgers and having always a party on the weekends. Everyone should do what s/he really likes to do since that will motivate anyone to improve in their own selected area of endeavor for life and good performance in any skill are will bring success. It can be through an academic program, a company apprentice program or an army vocational training program. The believers in 'free will' know perfectly well that they are their own masters. Just do it. Do not wait for others to do it for you. Nor do blame the others for your problems. Just do it with love and perseverance!
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