BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts schools were well represented on U.S. News & World Report’s annual list of best colleges.
The ranking uses 17 metrics to determine the best colleges and universities. Given the most weight is the ability of the school to retain and graduate students. Also factored are class size, undergraduate academic reputation and how much colleges invest in instruction.
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Princeton University was ranked as the best national university. Tied for Second were Harvard, MIT and Columbia. Yale rounded out the top five.
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This year’s ranking was an improvement for MIT, which was tied at No. 4 last year.
A pair of Massachusetts institutions were at the top of U.S. News & World Report’s National Liberal Arts Colleges list. Williams College was No. 1, followed by Amherst College. Wellesley College dropped one spot to No. 5 on this year’s list.