To determine academic quality, Best Colleges said it focuses on a school’s admission rate and enrollment rate.
Officials said academic quality is 50 percent of the overall ranking score.
According to their website, “we use full-time retention rate (the rate at which students return after their freshman year) to rank a school’s effectiveness in keeping students enrolled.”
In addition, the graduation rate is also a major factor, “weighing how many enrolled students successfully complete their degree program.”
Best Colleges also looks at a school’s affordability rate. The affordability rate accounts for 25 percent of the overall ranking score.
“Our affordability score considers the cost of the program with the amount borrowed and the ability to repay a loan after graduation,” reads the website. “Our goal is to reward schools not only offering competitive tuition but also providing students with the skills needed to graduate and successfully enter the workforce.”
FAMU’s, high selectivity, low tuition, and six-year graduation rate of 51% propelled it to the top spot head of number 2 Howard University, and NC A&T State University (No.3). Schools with much higher tuition like Spelman College and Morehouse came in at No. 8 & No. 9 in the Best College HBCU ranking.