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List: Ranking names best colleges of 2022 with decreased emphasis on SAT, ACT scores

Taylor Delandro

FILE - In this March 11, 2020, file photo, people wear masks while walking past Wheeler Hall on the University of California campus in Berkeley, Calif. Two of the nation's largest university systems say they intend to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff on University of California and California State University campuses this fall once the Food and Drug Administration gives formal approval, Thursday, April 22, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — Finding the right higher learning institute can be overwhelming. Oftentimes, it’s about more than the institution’s name on the diploma.

Niche ranked the best colleges in America. The ranking compares more than 1,000 top colleges and universities based on “rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni.”


“This year’s rankings have reduced the weight of ACT/SAT scores to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process,” Niche said.

Here’s a list of the top 15 best college rankings, according to Niche.

  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  2. Harvard University
  3. Stanford University
  4. Yale University
  5. Princeton University
  6. Duke University
  7. Rice University
  8. Brown University
  9. University of Pennsylvania
  10. Dartmouth College
  11. Columbia University
  12. Washington Univerity in St. Louis
  13. Vanderbilt University
  14. Northwestern University
  15. University of Chicago

Click here to read more on how these rankings were calculated.