The annual Forbes list showcases 500 colleges “that produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt.” The colleges were ranked based on return on investment, average student debt levels, and outcomes for graduates. They were also evaluated based on the number of students who return after their first year the number who graduate on time and high salaries after graduation. “American colleges are still delivering gold-standard undergraduate education,” Forbes said in an article announcing the rankings. “Cost and how well a school fits a student (academically and otherwise), should remain the prime factors as families consider college choices.”Colleges on the list also enrolled a greater percentage of low-income students who graduated within six years and provided a relatively high return on investment for Pell Grant recipients. Howard students graduate with a lower average debt than any other Washington, D.C.-based college on the list, including Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University, and The Catholic University of America.
