High School Counselor Rankings National Liberal Arts Colleges

High School Counselor Rankings Methodology

In spring 2012, we asked guidance counselors from a nationwide sampling of public high schools in the 2012 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings that were gold, silver, or bronze medal winners, as well as from the largest private independent schools nationwide, to tell us which National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges they think offer the best undergraduate education to their students. They rated the universities on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the top score) or marked "don't know" if they were unfamiliar with that particular college. The two most recent years of survey results, from spring 2011 and spring 2012, were averaged to compute the high school counselor reputation score used in this ranking.

Rank	School	High school counselor score (out of 5)
#1	United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD	4.8
#2	Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA	4.7
#2	United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO	4.7
#2	United States Military Academy West Point, NY	4.7
#5	Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA	4.6
#5	Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY	4.6
#5	Williams College Williamstown, MA	4.6
#8	Barnard College New York, NY	4.5
#8	Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME	4.5
#8	Colgate University Hamilton, NY	4.5
#8	Pomona College Claremont, CA	4.5
#8	Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA	4.5
#13	Amherst College Amherst, MA	4.4
#13	Bates College Lewiston, ME	4.4
#13	Carleton College Northfield, MN	4.4
#13	Middlebury College Middlebury, VT	4.4
#13	Pitzer College Claremont, CA	4.4
#13	Scripps College Claremont, CA	4.4
#13	Smith College Northampton, MA	4.4
#13	Wellesley College Wellesley, MA	4.4
#13	Wesleyan University Middletown, CT	4.4
#22	Davidson College Davidson, NC	4.3
#22	Grinnell College Grinnell, IA	4.3
#22	Hamilton College Clinton, NY	4.3
#22	Haverford College Haverford, PA	4.3
#22	Occidental College Los Angeles, CA	4.3
#27	Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA	4.2
#27	Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA	4.2
#27	Colby College Waterville, ME	4.2
#27	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA	4.2
#27	Connecticut College New London, CT	4.2
#27	Macalester College St. Paul, MN	4.2
#27	Sarah Lawrence College ¹ Bronxville, NY	4.2
#27	Trinity College Hartford, CT	4.2
#35	Bard College Annandale on Hudson, NY	4.1
#35	Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO	4.1
#35	Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA	4.1
#35	Hendrix College Conway, AR	4.1
#35	Kenyon College Gambier, OH	4.1
#35	Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR	4.1
#35	Oberlin College Oberlin, OH	4.1
#35	Reed College ¹ Portland, OR	4.1
#35	Rhodes College Memphis, TN	4.1
#35	Sewanee–University of the South Sewanee, TN	4.1
#35	Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY	4.1
#35	University of Richmond Univ. of Richmond, VA	4.1
#35	Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA	4.1
#48	Dickinson College Carlisle, PA	4.0
#48	Wheaton College Norton, MA	4.0
#50	Austin College Sherman, TX	3.9

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Rank

School

High school counselor score (out of 5)

United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD

4.8

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA

4.7

United States Air Force Academy

USAF Academy, CO

4.7

United States Military Academy

West Point, NY

4.7

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

4.6

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

4.6

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

4.6

Barnard College

New York, NY

4.5

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

4.5

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

4.5

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

4.5

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

4.5

#13

Amherst College

Amherst, MA

4.4

#13

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

4.4

#13

Carleton College

Northfield, MN

4.4

#13

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT

4.4

#13

Pitzer College

Claremont, CA

4.4

#13

Scripps College

Claremont, CA

4.4

#13

Smith College

Northampton, MA

4.4

#13

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

4.4

#13

Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT

4.4

#22

Davidson College

Davidson, NC

4.3

#22

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA

4.3

#22

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY

4.3

#22

Haverford College

Haverford, PA

4.3

#22

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA

4.3

#27

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA

4.2

#27

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA

4.2

#27

Colby College

Waterville, ME

4.2

#27

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

4.2

#27

Connecticut College

New London, CT

4.2

#27

Macalester College

St. Paul, MN

4.2

#27

Sarah Lawrence College ¹

Bronxville, NY

4.2

#27

Trinity College

Hartford, CT

4.2

#35

Bard College

Annandale on Hudson, NY

4.1

#35

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO

4.1

#35

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA

4.1

#35

Hendrix College

Conway, AR

4.1

#35

Kenyon College

Gambier, OH

4.1

#35

Lewis & Clark College

Portland, OR

4.1

#35

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH

4.1

#35

Reed College ¹

Portland, OR

4.1

#35

Rhodes College

Memphis, TN

4.1

#35

Sewanee–University of the South

Sewanee, TN

4.1

#35

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, NY

4.1

#35

University of Richmond

Univ. of Richmond, VA

4.1

#35

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA

4.1

#48

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA

4.0

#48

Wheaton College

Norton, MA

4.0

#50

Austin College

Sherman, TX

3.9