Research the 500 best colleges in the US and
estimate your chances of getting into them!

College 500 uses a proprietary algorithm to score and rank US four-year colleges and universities. The main driver of a college's rank is the self-reported standardized test scores of its students. The next most important driver is the attractiveness of the college to the students that apply there, as indicated by the percentage of students who choose to enroll after being accepted. Scores are modified based on the number of students enrolled, the gender and ethnic makeup of the student body, and several other factors. College 500 looks more favorably upon schools that are neither too big nor too small, and which have a more diverse student body.

We think it is very accurate - in fact, we think it is the standard against which all other college ranking sites should be compared! We compared our top 20 schools against those at another top site, and the average difference in ranks was less than three. We apply the same scoring algorithm to every college and university in the US, and believe the resulting ranks are an accurate reflection of how schools stack up against each other.

When estimating chances, College 500 uses three different colors to help visually differentiate how likely you are to get into each college and university. We use a pink color to designate "reach" schools, those schools that we estimate that you have a less than 40% chance of being accepted to. We use a green color to designate "target" schools, those schools that we estimate that you have between a 40% and 65% chance of being accepted to. We use a blue color to designate "safety" schools, those schools that we estimate that you have a greater than 65% chance of being accepted to.

If your chance to get into a college is displayed as "<1%", it may be because that college requires a test score that you did not provide (e.g. a school may require an ACT score but you only provided an SAT score).

The estimated chances shown are based on two main criteria: (1) how your actual or projected test scores compare to those of currently enrolled students, and (2) the acceptance rate of the college. If your test scores compare favorably, then you're going to have a greater chance of getting in than the reported acceptance rate. If your test scores do not compare favorably, then you're going to have a lower chance. But colleges take into consideration a much broader set of criteria than test scores, and employ some level of subjectivity that is impossible to capture in a mathematical model, including essays, interviews, recommendation letters, and what is known as "demonstrated interest."

Total cost = tuition + room and board + books and supplies + other expenses. All component costs are provided by each college and together comprise what we show as "total cost."