The magazine U.S. News and World Report recently issued its annual rankings of the best colleges and universities in the United States. In addition to its rankings of the best national universities and liberal arts colleges, the magazine ranks regional colleges and universities and also the nation’s women’s colleges.
Among the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges, Wellesley College in Massachusetts was ranked in a tie for fourth overall, behind only Williams College, Amherst College, and the U.S. Naval Academy, and was tied with Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, and Pomona College in California.
Barnard College in New York City jumped from 22nd place in 2020, to 17th place in 2021, and 18th place in 2022. This year, Barnard is in a five-way tie for 11th place. In recent years, Barnard has become increasingly selective.
Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, was ranked in a five-way tie for 16th place. Smith was tied with Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York, which was once a women’s college.
Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania was ranked in the 30th position, followed closely in the 34th spot by Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, and Scripps College in Claremont, California, in the 35th position.
Spelman College in Atlanta was ranked as the 39th-best liberal arts college in the country, up from 51st a year ago. Spelman was also ranked as the top historically Black college in the United States.