America's Best Colleges of 2026-2027
As jobs have become more technological, job markets have become more competitive, and the costs of tuition have risen, college students are increasingly considering the ROI of their education, or how efficiently it can be used to acquire a high-paying job post-grad. “We need to be more outcome-oriented, more career-oriented when we think about what we're recommending for students in higher ed,”…
As jobs have become more technologically oriented and tuition costs have risen, college students are increasingly evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of their education. John Friedman, an economics professor at Brown University, emphasizes the need for a more outcome-oriented approach when recommending colleges for students.
TIME partnered with Statista to create the inaugural America’s Best Colleges of 2026-2027 ranking, highlighting institutions that provide the best value for students in terms of student outcomes, learning environment, and appeal.
The search for high ROI education has driven many U.S. college students towards STEM careers. According to a 2026 National Science Foundation report, STEM workforce growth outpaced non-STEM growth between 2013 and 2023, with STEM jobs projected to continue growing rapidly. High-ranking institutions like Stanford (no. 1) and MIT (no. 2) excel in STEM programs and have strong connections to Silicon Valley.
Harvey Mudd, a small liberal arts college ranked no. 3, offers only STEM majors but encourages students to engage in humanities, social sciences, and arts to understand the ethical implications of their work.
Claremont McKenna, part of a liberal arts college consortium, ranks no. 9 and offers a broader range of non-STEM majors. Its career center provides resources to help students explore potential post-grad pathways and offers relevant organizations to consider. The school reports that over 96% of its recent graduates had defined plans and a median salary of $80,000.
While STEM jobs tend to offer higher earnings, other fields can also provide ROI. Undersupplied and growing fields may offer unique opportunities, though research into high-earning career paths can be scarce. Some colleges are adapting by linking classroom skills to job requirements through sector-specific workforce training programs, like Fashion Institute of Technology (no. 51), which partners with Lightcast to display data about career outlooks, job availability, salary potential, and required skills for niche majors.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
