Methodology
Are you ready to find your fit?
Updated March 2020
As our name implies, College Choice aims to help our readers make the best decision for their personal education needs. We know that there are a lot of options out there, and that a student’s school choice can set them up for better opportunities and a better career.
With student success as our guiding metric, we developed a methodology that provides students with reliable recommendations and rankings. We use weighted values such as a school’s retention, affordability, and reputation — in concert with concrete statistics — to generate our recommendations and rankings.
Undergraduate Programs
For undergraduate programs, we have grouped statistics into three major groups: retention, program appeal, and finances.
Retention 30%
- Graduation Rate
- Full-Time Retention Rate
- Transfer Out Rate
- Part-Time Retention Rate
Program Appeal 40%
- Enrollment Rate
- Total Programs Offered
- Student to Faculty Ratio
Finances 30%
- Tuition Changes Over Time
- Proportion of Students Receiving Financial Aid
- Total Scholarships and Fellowships
Graduate Programs
Affordability, return on investment (ROI), and commitment to graduate education are the three primary statistical categories considered for graduate programs.
Affordability 30%
- Graduate Tuition and Fees
- Proportion of Students Receiving Financial Aid
- Loan Default Rate
- Tuition Changes Over Time
ROI 40%
Commitment to Graduate Education 30%
- Ratio of Master’s Programs to Total Number of Programs
- Proportion of Graduate Students to Overall Student Population
- Ratio of Master’s Degree Programs Offered via Distance Education to Total Number of Master’s Programs
Resources
Online College Resources

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