Best Colleges 2017: Find the Best Colleges for You!

The 2017 edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges guidebook offers comprehensive advice for high school students and their families on researching their college choices, drawing up a smart shortlist, putting together a slam-dunk application and finding the money to pay the bills. Find out what programs to look for that will raise your chances of thriving at college, the many ways to wow the admissions office and how to negotiate the best possible financial aid package. You’ll also get our latest exclusive college rankings. Discover the country's best universities, liberal arts colleges, regional colleges and universities, historically black colleges and universities, and undergraduate engineering and business programs. Plus: • A look at accelerated degree programs as a way to cut costs and save time • What if you get an acceptance for spring semester? • Profiles: How 8 recent high school grads navigated the college-application process • A calendar of important tasks for the college-bound student • Take a road trip with U.S. News to 12 colleges and universities in Colorado, Connecticut, Mississippi and Louisiana • 8 things admission deans want you to know, including how to write a winning essay • State-by-state directory profiling nearly 1,600 schools For more than 30 years, U.S. News’ “Best” publications have been the definitive consumer guides to higher education in the United States. Teen Vogue said that U.S. News Best Colleges "is widely regarded as the authority on how a school stacks up against its competitors." And as The Washington Post noted, “You can’t pass up the granddaddy of college rankings.” Note: Advertisements from universities and other reputable organizations enable us to offer this valuable guidebook at an affordable price. Advertisements do not influence current or future rankings.

U.S. News and World Report is a multi-platform publisher of news and analysis, which includes a multi-faceted web site (with 28 million visitors per month) and annual guidebooks on Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools, and Best Hospitals. Focusing on Health, Money, Education, Travel, Cars, and Public Service/Opinion, U.S. News has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. U.S. News and World Report's signature franchises includes its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its Best series of consumer guides that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds, diets, health plans, and more.

Anne McGrath is the managing editor of U.S. News & World Report's publications. She has created and implemented the editorial vision for numerous editions of U.S. News' annual "Best" guidebooks -- such as Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools, and Best Hospitals -- as well as editing such U.S. News publications as A Parent's Guide to STEM and U.S. News Ultimate Guide to Law Schools. A former high school English teacher, Anne's experience as a magazine journalist includes extensive coverage of education, health, personal finance, and investing.

Robert J. Morse is chief data strategist for U.S. News & World Report and has worked at the company since 1976. He develops the methodologies and surveys U.S. News' annual education rankings, such as Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools, and Best Global Universities. Bob keeps a close eye on higher-education trends to make sure the rankings offer prospective students the best analysis available. He is a frequently quoted authority on quality measurements in education.

Dr. Lynn F. Jacobs is an award-winning professor of Art History at the University of Arkansas and co-creator of the Professors' Guide books and articles. She and her husband, Jeremy S. Hyman have co-authored such books as "The Secrets of College Success," "The Secrets of Picking a College (and Getting In!)," and "Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College." Jacobs and Hyman write a weekly Professors' Guide column for usnews.com and are frequent speakers at college orientations and first-year experience classes.

Jeremy S. Hyman founder and chief architect of the Professsors' Guide series of books and articles. An expert in Early Modern Philosophy, Jeremy has taught at the University of Arkansas, UCLA, MIT, and Princeton University. He received the University of California Regents award for distinguished teaching. He and his wife, Dr. Lynn F. Jacobs, have co-authored such books as "The Secrets of College Success," "The Secrets of Picking a College (and Getting In!)," and "Professors' Guide to Getting Good Grades in College." Jacobs and Hyman write a weekly Professors' Guide column for usnews.com and are frequent speakers at college orientations and first-year experience classes.