In the aftermath of the May 1 commitment deadline for admissions, the volume of new college lists and rankings tends to die down. As attention turns to edging up in the all-important U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings — or not looking too bad on best party schools lists — and all the rankings in between, many lists fall by the wayside.
Here are eight rankings that you may have missed:
1. Top 10 Colleges for Tech CEOs
Bloomberg Rankings assembled this list based on its analysis of colleges attended by 250 chief executives of U.S. technology companies with market values of more than $1 billion. It should come as no surprise that the top three spots are populated by familiar names like Princeton, Stanford, and Harvard.
2. The top 10 colleges that fuel the Silicon Valley
The Silicon Valley Business Journal based this list on figures compiled by Upstart on what schools had the most graduates working in Silicon Valley, as a percentage of their total student populations. Each school was assigned a value representing the probability that graduate will end up working in Silicon Valley.
3. The 10 College Subjects with the Lowest Average IQs
TheRichest.com used StatisticBrain.com’s examination of 57 fields of study to compile this list of IQ estimates by college major, based on the SAT scores of students in those fields. Keep in mind that the average American IQ is 98, and that the perceptions created by this list are inherently unfair because of the skills beyond IQ that are required for success in these fields.
4. The 10 Colleges with the Most U.S. Olympians in Sochi
Business Insider compiled this list on the occasion of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, with attention given to both current students and alumni. It's worth noting that even when the focus of a list isn't on academics, several familiar names — Harvard, Dartmouth, the University of Michigan — remain present.
5. Top 10 Colleges and Universities, Green Power Partnership
American School & University magazine used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership list of the higher education institutions using the most power generated from renewable energy sources, like wind or solar. While several on the list use a significant amount of green power, it's perhaps even more interesting to see what percentage of their total power consumption green energy actually comprises.
6. The 50 Fittest Colleges in America 2013
This list, compiled by The Active Times, based on how much schools emphasize “keeping students active, promoting athletics and providing healthy dining options.” Specifically, the qualifiers included athletic facilities, team sports participation, campus dining, and overall quality of life. Some of the qualifiers given as examples do seem a bit dubious — we're sure Penn State having America's second-largest stadium doesn't necessarily make its students any healthier by default — but others, like Dartmouth's 27,000-acre recreation preserve and student-operated organic farm, most likely do make for a healthier campus.
7. The 10 Best Colleges for an Awesome Winter Experience
What constitutes the best schools for winter experiences? According to Business Insider’s completely subjective list, it's things like “easy access to top slopes” and “great winter traditions” like polar bear swims, tree lightings, and snowball fights. We'll let you guess what parts of the nation don't have schools on this list.
8. The 10 Colleges Most Likely to Make You a Billionaire
Using figures from the Wealth-X market research firm, The Atlantic ranked colleges based on the number of graduate and undergraduate alumni who are billionaires. Harvard boasts an impressive 52 — 24 more than No. 2, University of Pennsylvania — and all but two Ivy League institutions made the top 10.
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