Choose a School
By Allen Grove, About.com Guide
- View the Top Picks and Rankings
- Narrow Your Search
- Browse the Options
- Learn About Types of Colleges
- See Top Picks by Region
- See Top Picks by State
- See Top Picks by Special Interest
- Explore Top Athletic Conferences
- College Photo Tours
- Select a Guidebook
View the Top Picks and Rankings
Some schools have the resources and reputations to constantly find themselves at the top of national rankings. These lists profile some of the country's most elite and prestigious schools.
- 20 Most Selective Colleges
- Top Universities
- Top Liberal Arts Colleges
- Top Public Universities
- Top Public Liberal Arts Colleges
- Top Engineering Schools (PhD Granting)
- Top Engineering Schools (Bachelor's and Master's)
- Top Women's Colleges
- Top Business Schools
- Best 4-Year Graduation Rates
- Best 6-Year Graduation Rates
- Top Catholic Colleges and Universities
- Top New England Colleges
- Low SAT Scores? Try These Schools
- Phi Beta Kappa - Top Honor Society Chapters
- AAU - Top Research Universities
- Hidden Gems - 2010 Spotlights
- Hidden Gems - 2009 Spotlights
- Hidden Gems - 2008 Spotlights
Narrow Your Search
The search for the perfect school begins with a broad survey of the options, but at some point you need to narrow down your choices to those schools to which you will apply. In other words, you need to come up with your "short list." These articles will help guide you in the process.
- 15 Features of the Perfect College
- To How Many Schools Should I Apply?
- 5 Reasons to Consider Community College
- Should I Go to a Small College or Large University?
- Make the Most of College Visits
- 6 Cases in Which a "Match" School is Actually a "Reach"
Browse the Options
You have thousands of colleges and universities from which to choose. Here you'll find profiles of some that are worth a look because of their excellent academics, athletics or value.
- College Profiles A - Z
- College Profiles by State
- The Ivy League
- U.S. Military Academies
- The Claremont Colleges
- Five College Consortium
- The Colleges of the Fenway Consortium
- Work Colleges Consortium
- The University of California System
- The Cal State System
Learn About Types of Colleges
Before you can choose a college that matches your interests, you have to understand the different types of colleges that are available.
- Community Colleges
- Liberal Arts College
- Public Liberal Arts Colleges
- Private Universities
- Public Universities
See Top Picks by Region
Do you know which part of the country you want to live in for four years? These lists present top schools by region.
- New England - Top Colleges
- Middle Atlantic - Top Colleges
- Southeast - Top Colleges
- Midwest - Top Colleges
See Top Picks by State
If you're looking to go to a great college in a specific state, these lists identify the top ranked schools.
- California - Top Colleges
- Florida - Top Colleges
- Georgia - Top Colleges
- Illinois - Top Colleges
- Indiana - Top Colleges
- Maryland - Top Colleges
- Massachusetts - Top Colleges
- Michigan - Top Colleges
- Minnesota - Top Colleges
- Missouri - Top Colleges
- New Jersey - Top Colleges
- New York - Top Colleges
- North Carolina - Top Colleges
- Ohio - Top Colleges
- Pennsylvania - Top Colleges
- Tennessee - Top Colleges
- Texas - Top Colleges
- Washington - Top Colleges
- Virginia - Top Colleges
- More States
See Top Picks by Special Interest
It's possible that your special interests will play a big roll in your college selection. These articles can help guide you.
Explore Top Athletic Conferences
These Division I athletic conferences dominate the college athletic scene.
- Atlantic Coast Conference
- Big East Conference
- Big Ten Conference
- Big 12 Conference
- Conference USA
- Mid-American Conference
- Mountain West Conference
- Pac 10 Conference
- Southeastern Conference (SEC)
- Sun Belt Conference
- Western Athletic Conference (WAC)
College Photo Tours
Explore the sights of college campuses with these photo tours.
- Alfred University Photo Tour
- Barnard College Photo Tour
- Columbia University Photo Tour
- Cornell University Tour
- Dartmouth College Photo Tour
- Flagler College Photo Tour
- George Fox University Photo Tour
- Harvard University Photo Tour
- Ithaca College Photo Tour
- Ohio State Photo Tour
- Rhodes College Photo Tour
- Santa Clara University Photo Tour
- UNC Chapel Hill Photo Tour
- Wellesley College Photo Tour
- More photo tours...
Select a Guidebook
Not all college guidebooks are equal. Read the reviews here.