9 local colleges among Forbes’ top 650

PROVIDENCE – Forbes has ranked seven Rhode Island schools and two Bristol County, Mass., schools among the best 650 four-year, degree-granting institutions in the United States in its “America’s Top Colleges 2019” rankings released this week.

Schools were ranked on alumni salary, student satisfaction, student debt, academic success, on-time graduation rate and on a measurement of “American leaders,” which identifies and quantifies how many famous people are alumni of a school, including billionaires, 30 under 30 awardees, and private-sector and governmental leaders.

The list included 650 schools. Harvard University ranked No. 1 overall this year.

  • Brown University was No. 7 among all colleges, No. 7 among research universities, No. 6 in the Northeast and No. 33 for “best value” colleges this year.
  • The second highest ranked school in Rhode Island was the Rhode Island School of Design at No. 112 in the U.S. The design school ranked No. 85 among private colleges, No. 48 among liberal art universities and No. 54 in the Northeast.
  • Providence College was ranked No. 172 overall, No. 124 among private colleges, and No. 80 in the Northeast.
  • Bryant University ranked No. 203 overall, No. 142 among private colleges, and No. 90 in the Northeast.
  • Roger Williams University ranked No. 376 overall this year, No. 246 among private colleges and No. 147 in the Northeast.
  • University of Rhode Island ranked No. 444 overall, No. 154 among public colleges, No. 186 among research universities and No. 168 in the Northeast. The school was also determined to be No. 288 in Forbes’ “best value” colleges list and was determined to be one of the best employers in the state along with Hasbro Inc., General Dynamics Corp., and the U.S. Department of Defense.
  • Rhode Island College ranked No. 603 among all colleges this year, No. 223 among public colleges and No. 198 among all Northeast schools.
  • Johnson & Wales University did not make the list.
  • New England Institute of Technology was not on the list
  • Salve Regina University was not on the list.

Bristol County, Mass. rankings:

  • Stonehill College ranked No. 227 overall, No. 155 among private colleges, No. 78 among liberal arts schools and No. 97 in the Northeast.
  • Wheaton College ranked No. 264 overall, No. 177 among private colleges, No. 91 among liberal arts schools, No. 107 in the Northeast and ranked No. 285 on Forbes’ “best value” college rankings.
  • University of Massachusetts Dartmouth was not on the list