U.S. News & World Report has announced its 2025 Best Colleges Guide. The guide reflects nearly 1,500 colleges and universities across the United States, using up to 17 measures of academic quality. This year's edition, according to U.S. News & World Report, continues to prioritize social mobility and post-graduate success.

This year, Princeton University took top honors in the National Universities category, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. 

More than 50 percent of an institution's ranking includes varying outcome measures related to its success in enrolling and graduating students from all backgrounds with manageable debt, as well as earnings of post-graduates.

"Now in its 40th year, the Best Colleges rankings continue to be a trusted source of information for students and their families," says LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for education at U.S. News & World Report. "By considering factors such as social mobility and post-graduate success, we aim to help students choose schools that not only provide a quality education but also prepare them for a successful and fulfilling future."  

Williams College was named the number one National Liberal Arts College, followed by Amherst College and Swarthmore College. 

The University of California, Los Angeles, was deemed the top public school among national universities. University of California, Berkeley took second place, followed by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. 

Spelman College was ranked number one in the category of Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities followed by Howard University. Florida A&M University and Tuskegee tied for third place. 

In the area of social mobility among National Universities, Florida University and the University of California, Riverside, both took top place followed by California State University, Long Beach, and University of California, Merced which were awarded third place. No second place was named in this category. 

Taking top honours in the social mobility category among National Liberal Arts Colleges were Lake Forest College and Spelman College, which tied for first, and Salem College which placed third. No second-place college was named in this category. 

"Given the rising cost of higher education, it is more important than ever that students and their families have access to the information that U.S. News Best Colleges provides," said Eric Gertler, executive chairman and CEO of U.S. News. "The rankings data and accompanying editorial content offer crucial information to those seeking to make the best decision about their college education."