Forbes list: What are the most valuable colleges according to Forbes?

I recently came across Forbes college rankings and I'm a bit puzzled - what criteria do they use to measure a college's value? If someone could help me understand what makes a college valuable according to Forbes, that would be awesome!

Forbes does indeed have its college ranking system, which is unique because it primarily focuses on the return on investment for a typical undergraduate. Here's how it works:

The Forbes ranking system measures college value using several criteria:

1. Alumni Salary: Forbes looks at the average earnings of the school's alumni, which they gather from self-reported data, and Salary Score data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

2. Graduation Debt: They calculate what they call a "Student Loan Success" score, which is based on the student borrowers' repayment rates.

3. Student Experiences: They take into account data from Niche surveys, to determine what current students and alumni think about their educational experience at the school.

4. Graduation Rate: This one is straightforward, they look at how many students graduate within six years. The higher the percentage, the better.

5. Prestige and Acceptance Rate: They assess the school's prestige by looking at how many high school students list the college as their first choice on their SAT forms, as well as the acceptance rate of the school.

6. First-Year Retention Rate: This metric measures how many first-year students return for their second year, which can indicate student satisfaction and the school's ability to keep students engaged.

7. Academic Success: They count the number of students winning major awards, such as Rhodes, Marshall, or Fulbright scholarships. They also track how many graduates end up earning a Ph.D. in any subject.

So, according to Forbes, the value of a university is measured not just by its prestige, but also by its ability to set students up for successful and rewarding careers, its financial impact on students, and its ability to provide a satisfying and enriching educational experience.