Top Colleges In California

California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
U.S. News rank: 4 (tie) Tier: 1
Institutional type: private
Setting: suburban
Total enrollment: 2,126
Tuition and fees: $34,584

Stanford University, Stanford
U.S. News rank: 4 (tie) Tier: 1
Institutional type: private
Setting: suburban
Total enrollment: 17,833
Tuition and fees: $37,881

University of California—Berkeley,Berkeley
U.S. News rank: 21 Tier: 1
Institutional type: public
Setting: urban
Total enrollment: 35,409
Tuition and fees: In-state: $8,352; Out-of-state: $30,022

University of California—Los Angeles, Los Angeles
U.S. News rank: 24 Tier: 1
Institutional type: public
Setting: urban
Total enrollment: 39,650
Tuition and fees: In-state: $8,228; Out-of-state: $29,897

University of Southern California, Los Angeles
U.S. News rank: 26 Tier: 1
Institutional type: private
Setting: urban
Total enrollment: 33,747
Tuition and fees: $39,124

University of California—San Diego, La Jolla
U.S. News rank: 35 Tier: 1
Institutional type: public
Setting: urban
Total enrollment: 27,520
Tuition and fees: In-state: $8,798; Out-of-state: $30,819

University of California—Davis, Davis
U.S. News rank: 42 (tie) Tier: 1
Institutional type: public
Setting: urban
Total enrollment: 30,568
Tuition and fees: $9,364; Out-of-state: $31,385

University of California—Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara
U.S. News rank: 42 (tie) Tier: 1
Institutional type: public
Setting: suburban
Total enrollment: 21,868
Tuition and fees: In-state: $9,055; Out-of-state: $30,724

University of California—Irvine, Irvine
U.S. News rank: 46 Tier: 1
Institutional type: public
Setting: suburban
Total enrollment: 26,984
Tuition and fees: In-state: $8,775; Out-of-state: $28,796

Pepperdine University, Malibu
U.S. News rank: 58 Tier: 1
Institutional type: private
Setting: suburban
Total enrollment: 7,614
Tuition and fees: $37,850

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Top Colleges In Florida

• University of Florida, Gainesville - Ranked 80th overall in Forbes National List and 4th among state universities. It was also ranked the 3rd best value nationally in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed UF as the 54th best university in the nation and 17th best public university. The University of Florida features a wide range of colleges and majors, has the state's second-largest student body, and holds a 94% freshman retention rate (an indicator of how well liked the school is by the students).
• University of Miami, Coral Gables - Ranked 132nd overall in Forbes and the 37th best value in private universities by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed UM as the 44th best university in the nation and the best in the state of Florida. The University of Miami is a private research university with a wide range of colleges and majors, specializing in their schools of medicine and marine biology.
• New College of Sarasota - Ranked 189th overall in Forbes and the 7th best value nationally in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed New College as the 87th best national liberal arts college in the nation. Founded in 2001 and foregoing typical college processes, New College students receive written evaluations for each class rather than letter grades, are encouraged to participate in Independent Study Programs yearly, and are required to complete and defend a thesis to graduate, helping their students routinely win national recognition and awards.
• Florida State University, Tallahassee - Ranked 193rd overall in Forbes and the 26th best value nationally in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed FSU as the 97th best university in the nation and 42nd best public university. Florida State University features a wide range of colleges and majors, holds a 92% freshman retention rate, and was ranked the best school in 2012 for financial resources per student.
• Rollins College, Winter Park - Ranked 207th overall in Forbes and the 78th best value in private universities by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed Rollins as the best regional university in their South region. Rollins College is a comprehensive liberal arts school with an impressive 10:1 student-faculty ratio.
• University of Central Florida, Orlando - Ranked 462nd overall in Forbes and the 42nd best value in public colleges for in-state residents by Kiplinger. The U.S. News & World Report placed UCF as the 174th best university in the nation and 98th best public university. The University of Central Florida is also ranked as the #5 best up-and-coming school by U.S. News, is the second-largest university in the country, and has a wide range of colleges and majors.

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Top 10 Great College Towns

10. Amherst, Mass.

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This small town in Western Massachusetts is home to three schools, including the main campus of the University of Massachusetts, and is just around the corner from two more. That makes for an interesting mix of people and great dining options.

9. Ann Arbor, Mich.

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Fall is a big season for the University of Michigan Wolverines, whose football program has historically been one of the best in the nation and a big local draw. It only helps that Ann Arbor is walkable and easy on the eyes.

8. Athens, Ga.

COURTESY PATTI TORNO

The city is built around the University of Georgia, where the Bulldogs reign supreme. But football and tailgating aren’t all that Athens offers. There’s also great art and music: Both R.E.M. and the B-52s started in Athens and performed at venues like the 40 Watt Club.

7. Austin

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Sure, it’s the fourth-largest city in Texas and the state’s capital, but Austin, the hometown of the University of Texas, has a small-town feel to it. Austin is as green as it gets, and Travel and Leisuremagazine said it has some of the best people in the country.

6. Berkeley, Calif.

BERKELEY CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

University of California’s main campus is in this Bay Area town, a place that has almost become synonymous with the phrase “college town.” Berkeley features tons of art, film, music, and political activity, and it’s just a short drive across the bay to San Francisco.

5. Boston

GREATER BOSTON CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

It’s a big city, like Austin, but there are scores of colleges in the metro area (one estimate says there are more than 250,000 college students) and there’s plenty to do: sports, historical attractions, arts, music, bars, and more.

4. Boulder, Colo.

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Blessed with a Rocky Mountain backdrop, the home of the University of Colorado is famous for its great outdoors and fun community atmosphere. Boulder hosts multiple film festivals and was rated one of the 10 best cities for the next decade byKiplinger’s Personal Financemagazine.

3. Chapel Hill, N.C.

CHARLIE ARCHAMBAULT FOR USN&WR

A charming town in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, Chapel Hill eats, sleeps, and breathes University of North Carolina hoops. And downtown’s Franklin Street is one of the most famous thoroughfares around, with bars, coffee shops, museums, and a vibrant night life.

2. Charlottesville, Va.

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University of Virginia lives here, as did three former presidents and musician Dave Matthews. The aesthetically pleasing community about 115 miles from Washington offers lots of attractions, like hiking and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello mansion.

1. Madison, Wis.

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The capital of Wisconsin regularly rates among the best cities to live in America. University of Wisconsin plays a major role in the community, and, if you missed out on the college experience, the Daily Beastlisted Madison as one of the top places for college graduates, too.

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Top 25 Best Mascots In College Sports

25. Minnesota: Goldy Gopher

24. Florida: Albert and Alberta Gator

23. South Carolina: Cocky

22. Alabama: Big Al

21. TCU: Super Frog

20. Nebraska: Li’l Red

19. Louisiana-Lafayette: Cayenne

18. Delta State: Fighting Okra

17. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacon

16. Georgia Tech: The Ramblin’ Wreck

15. Oklahoma: The Sooner Schooner

14. Tennessee: Smokey

13. Michigan State: Sparty

12. Miami: Sebastian the Ibis

11. Stanford: The Tree

10. West Virginia: The Mountaineer

9. Western Kentucky: Big Red

8. Syracuse: Otto the Orange

7. Auburn: War Eagle

6. Colorado: Ralphie

5. Oregon: Puddles

4. Texas: Bevo

3. LSU: Mike the Tiger

2. Georgia: Uga

1. Florida State: Chief Osceola

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Top 10 Sports Colleges

1. Stanford University

With an impressive record in virtually every varsity sport, this Ivy League school holds the top ranking among sports colleges. Stanford has brought home the NACDA Director's Cup award for Division I sports for the past 15 years, qualifying it as best overall for collegiate sports in the United States.

With a staff of over 100 coaches and assistants, 34 varsity sports, and about 300 athletic scholarships, it's no wonder this school presented 49 athletes in the 2008 Beijing Winter Olympics and has over 9,000 students enrolled in intramural sports in any given semester.

2. University of Florida

Florida is renowned in a number of varsity sports, notably excelling in women's swimming and men's track and field in the 2009-2010 season. The Gators are also known for their strong contenders in football, men's basketball, and women's golf, soccer, football, tennis, and volleyball.

3. University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)

One of the country's most widely recognized sports schools, UCLA was the first university to win over 100 NCAA championships, making the Bruins a fixture among the top basketball schools. UCLA is also renowned for its women's sports performances, with the softball, track, gymnastics, and rowing teams excelling in 2009-2010.

4. University of Virginia

The Cavaliers raced to top positions in women's rowing and men's soccer in the past year, among the school's other sporting achievements.

5. University of North Carolina

North Carolina has won 51 titles and 34 national championships in 6 different sports, making its mark as one of the top sports colleges in the United States. The university is known for its basketball team, as well as women's soccer, women's field hockey, and men's lacrosse.

6. Ohio State University

Ohio State has brought home championship wins in all three of the biggest men's sports: basketball, football, and baseball. The school is also known for victories in men's diving, swimming, golf, track, gymnastics, men's and women's fencing, and more.

7. Florida State University

Florida State is a top contender in a number of college athletics programs, including football, basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, and diving. They finished 5th in the 2009-2010 NACDA reckoning of sports colleges, placing them in the top 5 for the first time.

8. University of Texas

This Texas school has won more titles than any other school in the Big 12 League since it was founded in 1996. They're especially known for their excellence in football, as well as putting forward strong contenders in track and baseball.

9. University of Southern California

Southern California is best known for its varsity football team, which has won 11 championships, but also excels in basketball and a host of other college athletics.

10. University of Georgia

With rigorous academic requirements for all athletes, Georgia is setting the pace for a new paradigm of scholarships among its top level football, baseball, gymnastics, tennis, and swim teams.

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Top 10 Fine Arts Schools

Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, Maryland

• Accreditation: Middle State Association of College & Schools Commission on Higher Education, National Association of Schools of Art & Design
• Notable alumni: Jeff Koons*
• $29,700 for one full year
• Recent visiting artists: David Byrne, Odd Nerdrum, Ben Katchor, Barry Levinson, Ishmael Reed.
• This writer is biased toward this school as both grandfathers attended when it was a drafting school, and this writer graduated from MICA in 1988. This art school is considered somewhat traditional in that it stresses learning to draw academically from nude models and life. This top notch art education will give you the problem-solving skills and discipline you need to conquer the world and find a job. MICA also cares about artists learning to write and has an incredible English Department faculty who will teach you how to write like a pro. Visit MICA to see if this funky, urban campus is for you.
• www.mica.edu

* per Jim Cain, MICA alum and former roommate of JK.

Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island

• While this is the priciest school on the list, RISD also has the best reputation, especially as a school for industrial designers.
• $32,858 for one full year
• Recent visiting artists: Alexander Isley, Joyce Scott, James Rosenquist
• Accreditation: American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC)
• www.risd.edu

Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio

• This art school was originally named the Western Reserve School of Design for Women.
• Recent visiting artists: Joyce Scott, Dale Chihuly, Mark Olitsky, Moe Brooker, Sam Gilliam, Elizabeth Murray
• $28,100 for one full year
• Accreditation: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and is also a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design and the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education.
• www.cia.edu

Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, Missouri

• Some of this art school's famous attendees include the animator Walt Disney and painter Robert Rauschenberg.
• Recent visiting artists: Chip Kidd, Marilyn Stokstad
• $27,220 for one full year
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission, a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
• www.kcai.edu

School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois

• Notable alumni of this art school include Thomas Hart Benton, Leon Golub, Edward Gorey, Halston, Hugh Hefner, Jeff Koons, Bill Mauldin, Elizabeth Murray, Joan Mitchell, Georgia O'Keefe, Klaes Oldenburg, and Grant Wood.
• Recent visiting artists: Jim Elkins, Vito Acconci, Enzo Mari
• $32,550 for one full year
• Accreditation: North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, National Association of Schools of Art and Design. The School's Art Education program is certified by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and shares reciprocity with most states in the United States. Its Art Therapy program is approved by the Education and Approval Board of the American Art Therapy Association.
• www.saic.edu

Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, California

• Distinguished alumni include: Edith Head, Philip Guston and Robert Irwin.
• Recent visiting artists: Dave Hickey, Marsha TuckerAccreditation: The Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, The National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
• $28,346 for one full year
• www.otis.edu

California College of the Arts, San Francisco, California

• Notable alumni include Manuel Neri and Robert Arneson.
• Recent visiting artists: Hans Haacke, Catherine Wagner, Chip Lord, Amy Balkin, Yvonne Rainer
• Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges, National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Architectural Accrediting Board, and the Council for Interior Design Accreditation.
• $29,280 for one full year
• www.cca.edu

Tyler School of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Recent visiting artists: Robert Colescott, Alexander Isley, James Elkins, Lisa Yuskavage and Vito Aconcci.
• Accreditation: National Association of Schools of Art and Design and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Architecture Program is accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board.
• $22,270 out of state
• $12,398 in state
• Tyler School of Art is the bargain on this list, and also is a part of Temple University.
• www.temple.edu/tyler

Corcoran College of Art and Design, Washington DC

• www.corcoran.edu
• Recent visiting artists: Sam Gilliam, Larry Fink
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education
• $25,890 for one full year
• The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a fine museum amongst a sea of fine museums in Washington DC.
• www.corcoran.org/index.asp

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York

• Notable alumni include Dave Berg (Cartoonist for Mad Magazine), Jules Feiffer, Eva Hesse, Robert Mapplethorpe, George Lois, Harvey Fierstein, Ellsworth Kelly, Peter Max, Beverly Pepper, Paul Rand, Robert Redford Robert Sabuda, Max Weber and Rob Zombie.
• Accreditation: Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the Foundation for Interior Design Education Research, and the National Architectural Accreditation Board.
• $29,900 for one full year
• www.pratt.edu

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Top 10 Most Expensive Colleges

10. University of Chicago
The University of Chicago costs $57,712.

9. Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore costs $57,820.

8. New School Parsons School of Design
The New School Parsons School of Design in New York City costs $57,910.

7. Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., costs $57,996.

6. Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College, a liberal arts college in Claremont, Calif., costs $58,065.

5. Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University, a liberal arts college in Middletown, Conn., costs $58,502.

4. Columbia University
Columbia University in New York City, one of the Ivy League schools, costs $58,742.

3. Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College, a hybrid liberal arts and engineering school in Claremont, Calif., costs $58,913.

2. New York University
New York University in New York City, which typically makes the list of the most expensive universities, costs $59,337.

1. Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, N.Y., again ranks as the most expensive college in America, costing $61,236.

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