Oct. 17. With the first “early decision” college-application deadline looming on Nov. 1, and tuition and room and board at a four-year college costing around $23,000 – $52,000 per year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its Best College & University Rankings report, in addition to separate rankings for colleges and for universities.

In North Carolina, Duke placed first, UNC Chapel Hill second and Davidson College third.

WalletHub compared over 900 higher-education institutions in the U.S. based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, such as student selectivity, cost and financing and career outcomes. The data set ranges from student-faculty ratio to graduation rate to post-attendance median salary.

Here’s a look at some of the top schools and how each performed in certain metrics:

School Snapshot: Duke University (1 = Best; 20 = Average; 40 = Worst)

1st – Admission Rate

40th – Net Cost

1st – Student-Faculty Ratio

20th – On-Campus Crime

1st – Gender & Racial Diversity

1st – Graduation Rate

1st – Post-Attendance Median Salary

School Snapshot: University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (1 = Best; 20 = Average; 40 = Worst)

3rd – Admission Rate

27th – Net Cost

24th – Student-Faculty Ratio

10th – On-Campus Crime

11th – Gender & Racial Diversity

2nd – Graduation Rate

4th – Post-Attendance Median Salary

School Snapshot: Davidson College (1 = Best; 20 = Average; 40 = Worst)

2nd – Admission Rate

38th – Net Cost

4th – Student-Faculty Ratio

30th – On-Campus Crime

22nd – Gender & Racial Diversity

2nd – Graduation Rate

2nd – Post-Attendance Median Salary

Nationwide, Duke placed 10th in the 2023 College Ranking: Best Colleges & Universities. The top spot went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, followed by Yale University, California Institute of Technology, Princeton and Harvard.

Student loan debt

Here’s some tips from Gregory C. Wolniak, Ph.D. – Associate Professor, Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education – University of Georgia for a student looking to graduate with minimal debt and great job prospects.

—Information is key – gather as much as you can – and know that institutions are generally very bad at providing full transparency on what it will cost to attend their institution for four years. First, find a school that is affordable to you and your family; do not make an emotional decision based on “name brand”, high profile athletics, or other status signals.

—Second, try to gather as much information as you can regarding your likely net tuition (not sticker price) based on your academics and family income, and the job prospects of graduates within your intended field of study.

—Third, attend a school where you feel comfortable getting involved: students who feel they belong and are supported by their campus and community make greater developmental gains, and are more likely to persist and graduate.

Colleges (especially student affairs personnel) know this and do great work cultivating supportive communities for a wide range of students. Contexts matter and students who feel they “fit in” do better, which has clearly economic implications for students.