U.S. News & World Report on Wednesday released its 2013 “America’s Best Colleges” report, and many Minnesota colleges and universities made the rankings under different categories.
 
The magazine evaluated nearly 1,500 private and public four-year schools from across the country to compile the annual lists. In ranking colleges, it took into consideration 16 factors, including tuition; total enrollment; acceptance rate; average freshman retention rate; location; the range of academic offerings, activities, and sports; and cost and availability of financial aid.
 
Here are some of the categories that Minnesota colleges appeared in, along with the city where each college’s main campus is located and how it ranked. To see the complete report, click here.
 
Best National Universities (those that offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and Ph.D. programs)
68. University of Minnesota—Twin Cities, Minneapolis
113. University of St. Thomas, St. Paul
174. St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, Winona
 
Best National Liberal Arts Colleges (colleges that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study)
8. Carleton College, Northfield
25. Macalester College, St. Paul
55. St. Olaf College, Northfield
75. St. John’s University, Collegeville
85. Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter
96. College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph
133. Concordia College—Moorhead, Moorhead
161. University of Minnesota—Morris, Morris
 
Best Regional Universities –Midwest (universities that offer a full range of undergraduate programs and some master’s programs but few doctoral programs)
9. Hamline University, St. Paul
14. St. Catherine University, St. Paul
24. Bethel University, Arden Hills
27. Augsburg College, Minneapolis
27. College of St. Scholastica, Duluth
35. University of Minnesota—Duluth, Duluth
58. Winona State University, Winona
70. Minnesota State University—Mankato, Mankato
93. Bemidji State University, Bemidji
93. Concordia University—St. Paul, St. Paul
93. St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud
102. Minnesota State University—Moorhead, Moorhead
107. Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall
 
Best Regional Colleges – Midwest (colleges that focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines)
16. Northwestern College, St. Paul
49. University of Minnesota—Crookston, Crookston
53. Martin Luther College, New Ulm
58. Crown College, St. Bonifacius
63. Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis
68. North Central University, Minneapolis
 
Great Schools, Great Prices (rankings of the “best value schools” among colleges in their corresponding categories)