One of the biggest decisions someone can make is where they go to college. That's why Business Insider recently released its annual list of 50 best colleges in America.
But there's also another factor that's important when it comes to choosing a school: location. So we narrowed the list down to shine a light on the best colleges the Northeast has to offer.
For the ranking, we decided to shy away from a school's reputation and selectivity and focused on the overall college experience for students and how well-prepared they are for the future. We looked at data made available by the government for post-graduate earnings as well as graduation rate. We then looked to Niche, a company that compiles research on schools, to find information about the student-life experience at each school. You can read more about the methodology here.
Scroll down to find out the 23 best schools in the Northeast.
SEE ALSO: The 50 best colleges in America
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23. Villanova University
Location: Villanova, Pennsylvania
Median salary 10 years after enrolling: $73,700
Average SAT score: 1316
Student life score: B+
Villanova University is a Catholic Augustinian university located west of Philadelphia. Inspired by the tagline, “Ignite change. Go Nova,” students are encouraged to take part in helping the community outside the classroom — students provide nearly 250,000 hours of community service annually. The school also offers 45 majors among its four colleges and the student-faculty ratio is 12:1, which allows undergraduates to really get to know their professors.
22. Babson College
Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
Median salary 10 years after enrolling: $85,500
Average SAT score: 1258
Student life score: B+
A leader in entrepreneurial education, Babson College equips students with the skills to innovate, experiment, and lead in the business world and beyond. The private college has produced numerous successful entrepreneurs in its nearly 100-year history, including Arthur Blank, the cofounder and former president of Home Depot who is the eponym of the college's on-campus entrepreneurship hub.
21. Hamilton College
Location: Clinton, New York
Median salary 10 years after enrolling: $57,300
Average SAT score: 1384
Student life score: A
Hamilton College takes its name from founding father Alexander Hamilton, who served as one of the school's original trustees in 1793 when he was the US secretary of the Treasury. More than 200 years later, Hamilton is still going strong: One year after graduation, at least 91% of the class of 2014 had secured a full-time job or internship or were enrolled in graduate school. For those who entered the workforce, employers included companies such as General Electric, Amazon, and The New York Times.
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