A new report by LinkedIn ranked the top 50 colleges in the U.S. based on how they prepare students for long-term success in their careers, using a range of factors that leverage the career networking platform's data.
The report uses LinkedIn data to rank colleges based on five categories: job placement, internships and recruiter demand, career success, network strength and knowledge breadth.
The job placement data tracks cohorts of recent graduates from 2020 to 2025 who start a full-time position or graduate school program within a year of their graduation, while network strength tracks how connected recent alumni cohorts are to each other as well as to all past alumni and current students.
"We're seeing students think about career success differently than previous generations. They want to build skills, grow their networks and position themselves for a labor market that's rapidly changing," said Andrew Seaman, editor-at-large for jobs and careers development at LinkedIn.
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"In today's slower hiring market, professional relationships can make a meaningful difference. Skills and experience remain critical, but a strong alumni network can help open doors throughout a career, whether that's through internships, mentorship, professional guidance, or new job opportunities," Seaman added.
Compared with last year's report, 43 of the top 50 schools, or 86%, returned to the rankings this year, which LinkedIn explained shows the continued strength of institutions that consistently prepare graduates for long-term career success.
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Seven new schools debuted in the rankings, including Middlebury College (No. 37), Claremont McKenna College (No. 40), Washington University in St. Louis (No. 42), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (No. 45), Davidson College (No. 47), Williams College (No. 48) and Bowdoin College (No. 49).
There was modest movement in the top 10 compared with last year's edition of the report, with Princeton and Duke holding firm in the top two spots. Harvard rose to third and Dartmouth to fifth, while Yale returned to the top 10 with a ninth-place ranking.
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