College ratings/reviews websites

[A440]

What are some reliable websites that rate/review colleges? I would like my son to do some research on colleges he has visited and to which he has been accepted. So far I asked him to read reviews on Niche.com, as there seems to be authentic reviews by current students.

[ScubaHogg]

Subreddits for the school in question depending on the school?

[MrNarwhal]

https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

Having visited himself, I don't think there's a lot to gain from reading "reviews but there's always https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/book ... 593517505/

[windaar]

Many college rating outfits put a lot of weight on criteria mostly irrelevant to the undergrad experience such as faculty citations and publications, faculty salaries, Pell scholarship performance, and "peer assessment." Many are colored by the research done in the graduate programs. What about the campus culture, quality of instruction, courses acutally taught by professors and not overworked adjuncts, etc? What is it really like to go to school there? I think that the best college guide that looks to the full experience is the Princeton Review Best 390 Colleges 2025 edition, which bases much of its info on surveying a significant number of students at each college. It is less a ranking system than looking under the hood of each school.

Finding the best fit for a student is rarely served by picking schools based on their ranking. Important questions to ask: Do I want urban/suburban/rural school? Research University or Liberal Arts College, Public or Private? Dominant Greek system or not? Class sizes? Quality of the departments in possible majors, Foreign study opportunities, and of course campus culture. Though it is a few years old I highly recommend Frank Bruni's book Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania.

[London]

Many college rating outfits put a lot of weight on criteria mostly irrelevant to the undergrad experience such as faculty citations and publications, faculty salaries, Pell scholarship performance, and "peer assessment." Many are colored by the research done in the graduate programs. What about the campus culture, quality of instruction, courses acutally taught by professors and not overworked adjuncts, etc? What is it really like to go to school there? I think that the best college guide that looks to the full experience is the Princeton Review Best 390 Colleges 2025 edition, which bases much of its info on surveying a significant number of students at each college. It is less a ranking system than looking under the hood of each school.

Finding the best fit for a student is rarely served by picking schools based on their ranking. Important questions to ask: Do I want urban/suburban/rural school? Research University or Liberal Arts College, Public or Private? Dominant Greek system or not? Class sizes? Quality of the departments in possible majors, Foreign study opportunities, and of course campus culture. Though it is a few years old I highly recommend Frank Bruni's book Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania.

I think this is a really great post and summarizes my thoughts on college rankings in a more articulate way than I would have.

[RetireWhen]

Many college rating outfits put a lot of weight on criteria mostly irrelevant to the undergrad experience such as faculty citations and publications, faculty salaries, Pell scholarship performance, and "peer assessment." Many are colored by the research done in the graduate programs. What about the campus culture, quality of instruction, courses acutally taught by professors and not overworked adjuncts, etc? What is it really like to go to school there? I think that the best college guide that looks to the full experience is the Princeton Review Best 390 Colleges 2025 edition, which bases much of its info on surveying a significant number of students at each college. It is less a ranking system than looking under the hood of each school.

Finding the best fit for a student is rarely served by picking schools based on their ranking. Important questions to ask: Do I want urban/suburban/rural school? Research University or Liberal Arts College, Public or Private? Dominant Greek system or not? Class sizes? Quality of the departments in possible majors, Foreign study opportunities, and of course campus culture. Though it is a few years old I highly recommend Frank Bruni's book Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania.

After putting three kid through school, and witnessing numerous close friends and their children choose various colleges, I really agree with the second paragraph windaar wrote. My thinking is that most schools fall into the category of being fine schools, and what makes the difference is how comfortable the child is at the school. If the child is not comfortable at the school it doesn't matter how good or bad the school is, they simply will not do well if they don't like it.

One thing I told every one of my children when we visited schools was to look around at the current students, do they look like the type of people you want to hang out with? And look at the events boards, are there activities that interest you?

We have some friends that really directed a couple of their kids to "good" schools that the kids weren't interested in. It didn't turn out well because the kids never felt comfortable at the schools.

Also, there is a lot of cheating by the schools to get onto the various ratings. Google the podcast by Malcom Gladwell concerning college admissions, very eye opening and disgusting.

Good luck to the OP, you are at a very exciting and trying time with your teenager.

[Mattman25]

In my opinion, you should pick the degree/major first, then figure out what school is best for that degree. Picking the school first is a bit silly and usually happens when the student is trying to follow their friends or significant other to college, or go to their parents' alma matter. Pick a school with at least a top-10 nationally ranked program in the degree they want to pursue.

U.S. News and World Reports tend to be decent for the basic information like job placement, faculty-to-student ratios, and starting salary.

[livesoft]

I didn't see anybody mention "outcomes" as a way to rate a particular university program. If one can find out what happened to all the graduates of a particular program that graduated in the past 3 years, then one might find that enlightening. If the graduates are all clerks in coffee shops and retail stores still trying to find themselves that would be different than if the graduates are mostly in professional graduate schools in say healthcare or maybe running their own businesses. Sure, one cannot always start at the top, but with a college degree one should be motivated enough not to start at the bottom either.

My kids have been out for few years now and it is quite interesting for me to meet and talk with their friends that dropped by when my kids visited us this Christmas and see the outcomes so far of their lives.

[TomatoTomahto]

One thing I told every one of my children when we visited schools was to look around at the current students, do they look like the type of people you want to hang out with? And look at the events boards, are there activities that interest you?

I am an eavesdropper. It’s what I do when I travel to a different culture. I found it very helpful in seeing which schools my kids would fit into.

[TomatoTomahto]

In my opinion, you should pick the degree/major first, then figure out what school is best for that degree. Picking the school first is a bit silly and usually happens when the student is trying to follow their friends or significant other to college, or go to their parents' alma matter. Pick a school with at least a top-10 nationally ranked program in the degree they want to pursue.

U.S. News and World Reports tend to be decent for the basic information like job placement, faculty-to-student ratios, and starting salary.

Some good schools won’t let you pick a major until the second year. 18 year olds often have no idea. 1 of my 4 kids had the same area of concentration as when they entered college. All graduated, 3 with advanced degrees, but only one with a PhD in the field she thought when she entered college.

[Mattman25]

Some good schools won’t let you pick a major until the second year. 18 year olds often have no idea. 1 of my 4 kids had the same area of concentration as when they entered college. All graduated, 3 with advanced degrees, but only one with a PhD in the field she thought when she entered college.

1. I would refuse to go to a school that couldn't guarantee a spot in my major of choice from day 1.
2. If a kid doesn't know what he/she wants to do, maybe starting college should be postponed until they do? Or perhaps community college to get some basic classes out of the way.
3. With all of the AP classes nowadays, kids should be entering college with 30+ credit hours already. They don't have time to wait and decide their major later. They start major-specific 300-400 level classes in their first year with enough credits from high school.

[TomatoTomahto]

1. I would refuse to go to a school that couldn't guarantee a spot in my major of choice from day 1.
2. If a kid doesn't know what he/she wants to do, maybe starting college should be postponed until they do? Or perhaps community college to get some basic classes out of the way.
3. With all of the AP classes nowadays, kids should be entering college with 30+ credit hours already. They don't have time to wait and decide their major later. They start major-specific 300-400 level classes in their first year with enough credits from high school.

1. Yale didn’t “allow” my son to major in Physics on day 1, which he thought would be his field. He was much happier in Computer Science. That said, Yale does not restrict students in their choice of major.
2. Kids often think they know what they want to do, often they change their minds.
3. Yes. My thought-he-wanted-Physics kid had a slew of credits before college; he used them to get a combined Masters and Bachelors in his 4 years. That said, he switched from Physics to Math to Computer Science and the end result was good for him.

You seem to have a very definite view of what kids should do by 18. Do you have children? Did this work out the way you expected? If I’ve learned anything as a parent, it’s that man plans and God laughs. I have seen a few kids that had a plan from early life that they followed to the end, but I think they’re the exception.

[warner25]

1. I would refuse to go to a school that couldn't guarantee a spot in my major of choice from day 1.
2. If a kid doesn't know what he/she wants to do, maybe starting college should be postponed until they do? Or perhaps community college to get some basic classes out of the way...

...I have seen a few kids that had a plan from early life that they followed to the end, but I think they’re the exception.

I feel torn over this exchange. I tend to agree with what Mattman25 is saying; it is largely how 16 year-old warner25 approached the college search, by narrowing down the national list of schools to a list that offered two particular programs of interest to me (Navy ROTC and aerospace engineering, which is a pretty short list, by the way). However, I then switched to Army ROTC and computer science (which would have yielded a much longer list of possible schools) after getting deep into the application process. I've stayed-the-course ever since, so on paper I look like "the exception," but I know that even I ended up at my undergrad institution by that quirk of changing my mind during the winter of my senior year of high school.

My oldest kid starts playing this game in 5-6 years, and I keep saying that I don't know what to tell her.

[TomatoTomahto]

I feel torn over this exchange. I tend to agree with what Mattman25 is saying

No fair. You’re just saying that because you have the same suffix (25) to your names.

[Pdxnative]

For student perspectives these days you’re probably better off with TikTok and YouTube. Nothing beats campus visits though.

[warner25]

No fair. You’re just saying that because you have the same suffix (25) to your names.

I thought about that when I started typing it. Oddly, I can't remember why I even chose that suffix (I recently saw that LadyGeek has offered to change usernames, by the way, and I've been debating whether I should refresh mine to something more meaningful) but it might indicate that our subconscious thinking is somehow in tune.

[Geologist]

Some good schools won’t let you pick a major until the second year. 18 year olds often have no idea. 1 of my 4 kids had the same area of concentration as when they entered college. All graduated, 3 with advanced degrees, but only one with a PhD in the field she thought when she entered college.

1. I would refuse to go to a school that couldn't guarantee a spot in my major of choice from day 1.
2. If a kid doesn't know what he/she wants to do, maybe starting college should be postponed until they do? Or perhaps community college to get some basic classes out of the way.
3. With all of the AP classes nowadays, kids should be entering college with 30+ credit hours already. They don't have time to wait and decide their major later. They start major-specific 300-400 level classes in their first year with enough credits from high school.

There are some fields (such as geology) with no AP (or too few) classes so the idea of starting major-specific 300-400 level classes in their first year of college won't work.

And, as TomatoTomahto suggests, if an 18 year old has trouble deciding on a major, then expecting a freshman or sophomore high school student to decide is an even bigger challenge.

[TomatoTomahto]

No fair. You’re just saying that because you have the same suffix (25) to your names.

I thought about that when I started typing it. Oddly, I can't remember why I even chose that suffix (I recently saw that LadyGeek has offered to change usernames, by the way, and I've been debating whether I should refresh mine to something more meaningful) but it might indicate that our subconscious thinking is somehow in tune.

I don’t think I’d change it. I can’t say that I remember everyone, or even most names, but I think over time one gets a sense of “who’s who.”

I have a few times considered getting a special right to post my financials under a different name, but have not done so yet.

[A440]

We've had all the recommended conversations already. I was really just hoping to glean how campus life is from current and recent grads.

[MMiroir]

In my opinion, you should pick the degree/major first, then figure out what school is best for that degree. Picking the school first is a bit silly and usually happens when the student is trying to follow their friends or significant other to college, or go to their parents' alma matter. Pick a school with at least a top-10 nationally ranked program in the degree they want to pursue.

U.S. News and World Reports tend to be decent for the basic information like job placement, faculty-to-student ratios, and starting salary.

Lots of students have schools picked for them due to cost. Typically an in-state flagship will offer the best combination of academics and cost. For states with strong flagships like California, Texas or Florida, it would be hard to argue that many out of state colleges are worth the added cost over the in-state flagships.

I didn't see anybody mention "outcomes" as a way to rate a particular university program. If one can find out what happened to all the graduates of a particular program that graduated in the past 3 years, then one might find that enlightening. If the graduates are all clerks in coffee shops and retail stores still trying to find themselves that would be different than if the graduates are mostly in professional graduate schools in say healthcare or maybe running their own businesses. Sure, one cannot always start at the top, but with a college degree one should be motivated enough not to start at the bottom either.

My kids have been out for few years now and it is quite interesting for me to meet and talk with their friends that dropped by when my kids visited us this Christmas and see the outcomes so far of their lives.

When choosing a major, one should look at outcomes, including average starting salaries. We gave our kids the following chart when they starting thinking about what to major in. It worked out well for them.

[beyou]

We've had all the recommended conversations already. I was really just hoping to glean how campus life is from current and recent grads.

For online research, to gather such opinions on campus life, use

https://talk.collegeconfidential.com
and
reddit

One general factor to consider, big schools will have a diverse set of grads and cultures and majors, but a student may feel a lack of individual attention. Small schools will be more limiting academically and socially, but possibly a more warm personal experience. Neither is better, it's a matter of what is correct for your kid. How sure are they about what they want ? They may be able to find a small school that offers it. Unsure then look at large universities with many majors and activities so they can explore.

[Mattman25]

There are some fields (such as geology) with no AP (or too few) classes so the idea of starting major-specific 300-400 level classes in their first year of college won't work.

And, as TomatoTomahto suggests, if an 18 year old has trouble deciding on a major, then expecting a freshman or sophomore high school student to decide is an even bigger challenge.

Yes, there are no geology-specific AP classes (although AP Environmental Science might possibly count), I was not suggesting the AP classes are major-specific. Rather, they cover all of your core/basic classes and free you up to start the major-specific ones at an earlier semester. For example, BC Calculus will get rid of all the math classes you would need for a natural science major like geology. World History and Government would eliminate the need to take those in college, etc. Each state has different required coursework and each college handles the credit for AP classes differently so it’s hard to make general statements here.

So the freshman or sophomore in high school doesn’t need their major nailed down at that time. They should just take as many AP classes as possible so long as they have a good chance of getting credit for it based on their state and the possible majors they are considering (though not finalized yet). For example, you can’t go wrong with BC Calculus, but you can go wrong with Statistics. Every major in the country will give you credit for BC Calc but only some majors will give you credit for Statistics. I’m in Texas so I know we require both national and state/local government classes. There are AP classes for both of those that would be useful and not wasted. No matter your major. Stuff like that. That was my point, I hope that is more clear now?