MONEY's Best Colleges

Here's a quick look at how MONEY determined which of the country's roughly 1,500 four-year colleges and universities deliver the most value—that is, a great education, at an affordable price, that helps students launch promising careers.

• Initial cut. MONEY screened out schools with graduation rates below the median and those facing financial difficulties.
• Ranking factors. The remaining colleges were ranked on 21 factors in three equally weighted categories: educational quality, affordability, and alumni earnings from PayScale.com.
• Special value measure. Included: a "value added" grade that considered how well students at each school did vs. what would be expected given their economic and academic backgrounds and the institution's mix of majors.
• Focus on affordability. Among the factors considered: merit aid, parent and student borrowing, the length of time to graduate, tuition increases, and other measures.

Find the full methodology here.