While Harvard and MIT are no stranger to the tops of college ranking lists, another Massachusetts college ranked first in the state on The Wall Street Journal’s new list of best colleges in America.
Babson College, located in Wellesley, ranked second overall on the list, a spot it also held last year. To determine the rankings, The Wall Street Journal looked at the salaries of alumni and financial success preparation.
“This recognition underscores what we in Greater Boston already know — our region is a global hub for innovation, and Babson is proud to stand at its heart,” Babson College President Stephen Spinelli wrote in a statement.
“This milestone is not the end of a journey, but a new beginning,” Spinelli wrote. “Entrepreneurial leaders are perpetually aspirational, and Babson is committed to using this recognition as a springboard to even greater growth, influence, and global impact — starting right here in Boston.”
Babson is known for its business and entrepreneurship focus. Freshmen are given a loan of up to $3,000 to start their own business, and seniors are required to pitch an entrepreneurial idea as part of their capstone class, the Wall Street Journal noted.
Spinelli told the newspaper, “That has a real impact on how they view all the other courses they take. They’re going to be thinking about: How is this going to help me find opportunities and create business models so that value can come from this?”
Stanford University reclaimed the top spot on the list for the first time since 2017. Coming in third and fourth place were Yale and Princeton, respectively.
Rounding out the top 10 for New England, Harvard University ranked fifth.
Beyond the top 10, MIT came in 11th and Bentley University at 12th. The next Bay State college on the list is Amherst College at 60th.
Wall Street Journal’s top 10 best colleges in America:
1. Stanford University
2. Babson College
3. Yale University
4. Princeton University
5. Harvard University
6. Claremont McKenna College
7. University of California, Berkeley
8. Columbia University
9. University of Pennsylvania
10. Davidson College
Wall Street Journal’s top 10 Massachusetts schools:
2. Babson College
5. Harvard University
11. MIT
12. Bentley University
60. Amherst College
99. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
111. Wellesley College
160. Boston University
180. Wentworth Institute of Technology