The list is out. Our partners at Seattle Metropolitan Magazine today released their list of "Top Colleges" in Washington and Oregon. It's a ranking of 39 public and private colleges and universities. The magazine judged schools on eight different factors, from drop-out rates to class size.
Number one, Whitman College in Walla Walla -- a small, private liberal arts school. Rounding out the top ten are: (2)University of Portland, (3)Reed College, (4)Gonzaga University, (5)Willamette University, (6)Multnomah University, (7)Pacific Lutheran University, (8)University of Washington, (9)Whitworth University, (10)Seattle University.
All but one of the top-ten are small, private schools. It's not a coincidence, according Bob Mahmoudi, Executive Director of College Planning Solutions, a Bellevue-based college prep company.
"The largest class size at these colleges does not exceed 35 to 40 students, he said. "The typical class sizes are 25, 28, sometimes 20 or even 15."
Mahmoudi says another advantage to small private schools is the undergraduate teaching staff is more often made up of professors, instead of graduate students.
"The academics of a college or university is not proportional to the size of the football team, and or how often they win," he added.
The top-colleges list also ranks schools on the average time (in years) it takes students to graduate. The closer to four years, the better. Whitman College has an average graduation time of 4.1 years. Bob Mahmoudi says most people don't realize how much money just one extra year of school can cost. "When you consider that public schools cost around $20,000 a year, $40,000 at a private school, then add $50,000 for the salary that you're missing out on, you're looking at $70,000 to $90,000 each year," he said.
But Mahmoudi says the best advice for choosing a college is to follow your passion. "That's one of the biggest things we help our students do is identify their passion. Do not give up on that. Find colleges and universities that are best at that," he said.
For a complete list of all 39 schools, check out this month's issue of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine.
Number one, Whitman College in Walla Walla -- a small, private liberal arts school. Rounding out the top ten are: (2)University of Portland, (3)Reed College, (4)Gonzaga University, (5)Willamette University, (6)Multnomah University, (7)Pacific Lutheran University, (8)University of Washington, (9)Whitworth University, (10)Seattle University.
All but one of the top-ten are small, private schools. It's not a coincidence, according Bob Mahmoudi, Executive Director of College Planning Solutions, a Bellevue-based college prep company.
"The largest class size at these colleges does not exceed 35 to 40 students, he said. "The typical class sizes are 25, 28, sometimes 20 or even 15."
Mahmoudi says another advantage to small private schools is the undergraduate teaching staff is more often made up of professors, instead of graduate students.
"The academics of a college or university is not proportional to the size of the football team, and or how often they win," he added.
The top-colleges list also ranks schools on the average time (in years) it takes students to graduate. The closer to four years, the better. Whitman College has an average graduation time of 4.1 years. Bob Mahmoudi says most people don't realize how much money just one extra year of school can cost. "When you consider that public schools cost around $20,000 a year, $40,000 at a private school, then add $50,000 for the salary that you're missing out on, you're looking at $70,000 to $90,000 each year," he said.
But Mahmoudi says the best advice for choosing a college is to follow your passion. "That's one of the biggest things we help our students do is identify their passion. Do not give up on that. Find colleges and universities that are best at that," he said.
For a complete list of all 39 schools, check out this month's issue of Seattle Metropolitan Magazine.
