Scholarships360, a platform that helps over 4 million students pay for college each year, announced their list of Top Colleges in America for 2025. This annual guide recognizes the most distinguished colleges and universities in the areas of overall excellence and affordability:
Unlike other college rankings that emphasize prestige and selectivity, Scholarships360’s focus is on value, affordability, and student outcomes. Graduation rates, graduate income, and net price were all used metrics whereas other rankings consider vanity metrics like peer reviews and graduate donations.
Over 1,800 colleges and universities were considered and only the top 8% in each category were selected. All of the data used in selection is sourced from the United States Department of Education’s College Scorecard dataset.
“College is an investment, and as with any investment, it’s important to assess both costs and potential ROI,” says Will Geiger, Cofounder & CEO of Scholarships360. “Our goal with this guide is to help students make smarter decisions about higher education.”
A key part of the Scholarships360 mission is to bridge the information gap when it comes to shopping around for college. Unfortunately, this lack of information impacts underrepresented students the most, especially first-generation and low-income students who face the biggest financial hurdles when it comes to paying for college.
“As a first-generation college student myself, I understand this problem personally. That’s why we’re committed to building tools and resources, like our Top Colleges guide, to level the playing field for all students.”
About Scholarships360
Founded in 2010, Scholarships360 is a platform that provides students with expert advice, tools, and recommendations. Each year, over 4 million students trust Scholarships360 to make big decisions about higher education. For more information, students can visit Scholarships360.org and follow Scholarships360 on X, Instagram, and Linkedin.