Princeton and Williams top U.S. Universities

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Sky rocketing student debts and decline in job opportunities are leaving many in dilemma whether abroad studies are worthwhile or not and the simple answer is: Yes.

According to a survey conducted by U.S. News over 1,400 Colleges on several issues such as average debt of graduates, graduation rates, class sizes, acceptance rates, and tuition Princeton and Williams Colleges top U.S. Colleges. Eligible schools are ranked based on the weightage.

In 2012, students who worked for fulltime while pursuing a bachelor’s degree have earned an average of $414 per week than those with only a high school diploma according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In this year’s rankings, class standing received significantly less weight.

There is a significant change at the top of rankings. Princeton University stood first among the National Universities that emphasize research and offer Bachelor’s, and Master’s. Harvard ties up with second.

Williams College tightened its grip and tops the charts among National Liberal Arts Colleges. These National Liberal Arts Colleges focus on undergraduate education and award at least 50 percent of their degrees in fields such as Sociology, Economics, and English. The private Massachusetts school claimed No1 possession pot four years ago and held it since then. It is breaking a tie for No. 1 with Amherst College.

The top Regional Colleges, schools that grant fewer than half of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines, also held firm this year. Carroll College in Montana, Taylor University in Indiana, High Point University in North Carolina, and Cooper Union in New York retained their No. 1 ranks in the West, Midwest, South, and North respectively.

Villanova University in Pennsylvania was ranked as No1 among Regional Universities. Regional Universities are schools which offered many bachelors, some master's and few Ph.D. programs. Florida's Rollins College ranks No1 along with North Carolina's Elon University which has moved from No. 2 to No1 in the South. Trinity University in Texas and Creighton University in the Nebraska moved to No1 positions in the West and Midwest regions respectively.

Many of the highest-ranked schools only shifted one or two places. But Pennsylvania State University climbed nine spots in the National Universities rankings, moving from No. 46 to No. 37. It tied with Case Western Reserve University in Ohio. Also Pitzer College in California moved from No. 43 to No. 35.