RML Ranking: The Most Prestigious Liberal Arts Colleges in America

College Confidential Community
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<p>LACs couldn't compete with universities in terms of academic prestige due largely to their lack of research involvements. So I made a separate ranking for the Most Prestigious LACs based only on 4 criteria collected: </p>

<p>40% - USNews PA
20% - Selectivity Rank
20% - HS Counselors Rank
20% - Payscale</p>

<p>Here's the results:</p>

<p>97.20 Williams
96.00 Amherst</p>

<p>93.80 Swarthmore
93.60 HMC</p>

<p>89.20 Wellesley
89.20 Bowdoin
87.80 Middleburry
87.60 Pomona
87.20 US Naval Academy
86.60 US Military Academy*
85.80 CMC
85.00 Colgate
84.40 Carleton
84.20 Wesleyan
84.00 Vassar
83.20 Haverford
82.80 Davidson</p>

<p>79.80 Bates
79.60 Grinnell
79.60 Barnard
79.00 Bucknell
78.80 Oberlin
78.00 Colby
77.80 Smith*
77.40 Macalester
76.60 Kenyon
76.20 Mt Holyoke<br>
75.00 Washington & Lee*
75.00 Bryn Mawr
73.80 Scripps
73.20 Hamilton
72.20 Colorado College
72.20 Occidental*
70.00 U of Richmond
68.80 Lafayette*</p>

<p>Only 35 LACs are in the list, all of them are the top 35 LACs based on the USNews Ranking. The score is adjusted based on 100% as the higest and 65% as the lowest. </p>

<p>Williams and Amherst proved it that they are superior to the rest of the LACs based on these criteria, that despite not having the most well-paid graduates amongst the list.
US Naval is ahead of US Military Academy. HMC above Pomona and CMC.</p>

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<p>College / USNews PA / Selectivity Rank / Payscale / HS Counselors Rank</p>

<p>Williams 40 19.2 18 20 97.20
Amherst 38.8 19 19.2 19 96.00
Swarthmore 37.6 19.6 17.6 19 93.80
Middleburry 35.2 18.4 15.2 19 87.80
Wellesley 37.6 17.6 14.4 19.6 89.20
Bowdoin 35.2 18.2 16.8 19 89.20
Pomona 34 19.4 15.2 19 87.60
Carleton 34 18 16.4 16 84.40
Davidson 34 17.4 16 15.4 82.80
Haverford 32 18.6 17.2 15.4 83.20
CMC 32 18.8 16 19 85.80
Vassar 34 17 14 19 84.00
Wesleyan 34 17.8 15.2 17.2 84.20
Grinnell 35.2 16 13 15.4 79.60
HMC 34 20 20 19.6 93.60
US Military Academy* 33.2 13.8 20 19.6 86.60
Washington & Lee* 29.6 13.6 16.4 15.4 75.00
Smith* 34 13.4 13.2 17.2 77.80
Colgate 32 15.8 20 17.2 85.00
US Naval Academy 33.2 14 20 20 87.20
Hamilton 27.6 17.2 13 15.4 73.20
Colby 32 15.4 13.4 17.2 78.00
Oberlin 33.2 16.6 13 16 78.80
Colorado College 29.6 14.8 14.8 13 72.20
Bates 32 15 15.6 17.2 79.80
Bryn Mawr 32 14.6 13 15.4 75.00
Mt Holyoke 32 14.4 14.4 15.4 76.20
Scripps 28.4 16.4 13 16 73.80
Macalester 30.8 15.6 13.8 17.2 77.40
Barnard 30.8 16.8 13 19 79.60
Bucknell 29.6 15.2 18.8 15.4 79.00
U of Richmond 28.4 14.2 14.4 13 70.00
Kenyon 29.6 16.2 14.8 16 76.60
Occidental* 28.4 13.2 15.2 15.4 72.20
Lafayette* 26 13 16.8 13 68.80</p>

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<p>to the moderator, please delete this now. Thank you.</p>