Good Colleges are vital for any one that is wanting to advance their earning power and career now a days with a secondary education. Supplementing a high school diploma is an absolute requirement if a person wants to live a lifestyle that is anywhere above poverty level. In fact statistics have proven that those who do not attend a good college or specialty school for added training, skills, expertise, and experience in any career field will be prone to the ill effects of not advancing in their employment, earning minimum wage, and struggling in this terrible economy to even become hired. Does this sound scary? It is just the cold hard facts of life.
What Good Colleges Mean for Your College Education?
As tuition costs for good colleges steadily increase, it makes prospective college goers and their parents wonder if the high expense is worth the accredited school attendance and supreme caliber of learning. Believe it or not a college education has always been valuable, however studies are indicating that in this current economy that a college education is less valuable then it was a decade or so ago. BUT… This is no excuse to skip out on your higher and more improved education as the competition in the job market is stiff. You must possess skills and experience that are an important asset to employers, and this can only be derived by attending a credible college not one of those fly by night community colleges and online colleges (not that community colleges or online colleges are bad.) Here are some REAL statistics that should prove how valid of a necessity good colleges and college degrees are:
- In the new census bureau release, it has stated that employees who had bachelor’s degrees in 2010 earned on average $26,000 more from their income then employees who only possessed a GED or high school diploma.
- U.S. News & World Report‘s have established that those students who have graduated from good colleges are more able to find good full-time jobs that offer retirement, health, and other benefits.
- FastWeb which specializes in college information, grants, scholarships, and other resources states that “good colleges are not a commodity — like a house — but that it is an asset that enables the production of income.”
How Do You Know Which Colleges Are Good Colleges?
The decision to attend college in order to acquire a righteous education is not the most difficult one of the entire process. In fact, the major decision is that of sorting through the vast selection of good colleges that suit your needs, wants, and financial capabilities. You may not know which credentials make a college a “good one.” Some may say that you have to attend a well-known college such as Harvard in order for it to be considered good, however a good college can be the simplest of schools as long as it suits your educational needs so that you can successfully further your career. There are some criteria which rate and rank some colleges as better than others. When looking for good colleges consider these few things:
- College Rankings: Rankings are conducted by magazines, newspapers, governments and academics. Typically most good colleges are ranked and rated through meeting various criteria such as: Various rankings consider measures of research excellence and/or influence, student choices, eventual success and/or demographics, on surveys, and others. Some rankings evaluate institutions within a single country, while others assess institutions worldwide. The subject has produced much debate about rankings’ usefulness and accuracy. The expanding diversity in rating methodologies and accompanying criticisms of each indicate the lack of consensus in the field.
- Tuition Costs: Tuition costs are vital, and even though some colleges are known for high costs, others that are good samaritan often offer students affordable prices in tuition as well as special scholarship programs, grant programs, student loan options, and other financing opportunities that help with college costs and sometimes even dorm fees, and textbooks expenses.
- Academic Acknowledgments: What are they known for the good colleges you are looking at? Are they especially known for a field or niche in academics for Science, Medicine, or Business? Do they have what you need out of an academic curriculum for college, are the a University that you can utilize for the advancement of your career? These are things that colleges are known for and most usually have their strengths in certain programs and areas in education.
- Accredited or Not: One of the major components that a college should have in order for it to be credible and worthy of any of your time, efforts, and money. Accredited schools are a major requirement for most serious employment opportunities. These schools bare acceptance from various sources which make them ranked and rated for their numerous benefits in providing an education for college students.
How You Determine Which Good Colleges to Attend?
When it comes to determining which college you should attend, then besides
finding the good colleges you should narrow them down according to other elements that apply. You may want to attend a college that is nearby your hometown, or you may be short on funds to finance tuition for the better colleges. There are many things that you should account for when choosing a college or University to acquire your education. Determine and narrow your selection by considering these factors listed below:
- Tuition: You can only really choose a college upon your own financial boundaries. Those good colleges which charge and arm and a leg for tuition may simply be unrealistic and totally out of the question. If you are not fruitful with scholarships, grants, and do not want to spend the rest of your life paying off huge student loans then you may want to choose the economical route in your education by picking a college that is inexpensive enough that you can afford. Check out the various colleges and compare their financial aid programs and clearly establish a boundary of prices that you can afford for tuition and prices that you cannot. You must also consider the other financial responsibilities you will have while attending college such as room and board, eating, textbooks, school supplies, and transportation.
- Location: Location is also a key factor that should influence your choice of good colleges to attend. Whether you want to try a new area, travel abroad, or want to stick close to your current comfort zone, location of a college can be a great determining component. You should take into consideration the climate in the area which you are aiming to love and attend school and also decide whether you want to reside in a major University town or whether you want to attend a college that is located in a humble setting. Choose according to convenience, climate, personal preference, as well as the curriculum that the school has to offer, but also consider when you attend college that college becomes your permanent address for several year so you better like the location or you will be miserable.
- Major and Minor: Some good colleges are known for their business programs, their medical curriculum, some house children’s hospitals, and some change the world with their research departments. You must figure out where you are wanting to go in life as far as your career path and choices of courses that you will be majoring and minoring in. Take this into consideration and decide on colleges that are well-versed in the type of academic programs you want to pursue for your college education. Using this to your advantage and also selecting a college that is good at teaching what you want to learn can be of your very best interest. However, do not forget to consider the other details that make a college practical and appealing.
- Finances: A college education can cost someone more than they may imagine making in a lifetime, although eventually a college education pays off very well. Finances are one factor in deciding to attend good colleges that should not be taken lightly! You must not only account for what monetary investments are going to tuition, but you must also realize that it costs money to live the college life. Things such as clothing, school supplies and books, food, shelter, staples, and transportation may be very hard to handle (they are already difficult enough, especially if you attend school full-time without a job or even with a part-time job.) If you choose a college that is more like the Ritz you should definitely take a realistic standpoint at how your financial circumstances may impact your lifestyle.
- Personal Preference & Choice: Sometimes putting aside the best colleges standpoint, can give you a better perspective on which college you should choose to attend. You will be spending a vast amount of time on your future by acquiring a viable education through an accredited college, and with this comes your personal preference and choice. It is entirely up to you which college you go to, and you should not be heavily influenced by stereotyping and by what others think (although you should have an open-mind, and be open to suggestions and advice.) Choose the college that fits you best. One that you feel you will enjoy, and that will also provide you exactly what you need and want from it.
- Acceptance: It is common sense that you cannot very well attend a college or University that has standards and acceptance policies that you clearly have not met through your prior education history. This is why it is important to focus on your education before college is approached, however there are many people that have over-achieved through their years in High School and that still choose a less than humble University to attend. To each their own. Another tip is to definitely apply to many schools that way when it comes time to choose you have an ample selection of schools and good colleges that you have been accepted to. If you are also aiming for a specific college you can also brush up on their requirements and criteria and ensure your best interest of approval to that college by adhering to them and striving in every way to be accepted to your absolute college of choice!
Are Community and Online Colleges, Good Colleges?
Some stereotyping may enable you to believe that community colleges and online colleges are not good colleges. However, you can find some hefty credibility in both of these types of college educations. If you are forced to attend a community college in order to further your education and pursue a better career more power to you! These types of colleges can offer you extra skills, nursing programs, and education degree programs that can be convenient for your hectic lifestyle. In addition, you may want to consider starting your education at one of these institutions (online colleges or off) to get grounded to where you want to go. Then you can always transfer to a University setting and further your degree to a Bachelor’s or Master’s. Be sure when choosing these good colleges that you check their rankings and make sure that if you opt for an online school you are absolutely positive that the school is accredited.
Good Colleges Ranked and Recommended
Top 20
.
- 1. Williams College
- 2. Princeton University
- 3. Amherst College
- 4. United States Military Academy
- 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- 6. Stanford University
- 7. Swarthmore College
- 8. Harvard University
- 9. Claremont McKenna College
- 10. Yale University
- 11. United States Air Force Academy
- 12. Wellesley College
- 13. Columbia University
- 14. Haverford College
- 15. Wesleyan University
- 16. Whitman College
- 17. Pomona College
- 18. Northwestern University
- 19. California Institute of Technology
- 20. University of Chicago
