Texas returned to the top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday, the Atlantic Coast Conference has five teams ranked for the first time this season and two Group of Five conferences are now represented in the Top 25 a month before the playoff bracket is set. The top five was unchanged.
People are also reading…
- Watch: New Iowa running backs coach explains why he rejoined Hawkeyes
- Grinnell's Will Slagle recommits to Iowa State, recruiting win for Jimmy Rogers
- Evangelicals amplify Trump's religious framing of Iran war
- Report: Iowa State fan-favorite Cade Kelderman enters transfer portal
- What Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic said about future after Tennessee game
- Trump's voting restrictions bill may fail, but parts live on in 23 states
- 2026 Iowa Mr. Basketball Jaidyn Coon officially signs with Hawkeyes
- NCAA says tampering violations occurred in Iowa football program, to vacate wins
- Singer D4vd arrested in connection with death of teen found in Tesla trunk
- Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard addresses women's basketball transfers, Bill Fennelly's future
- Florida center Gift Ezekiel commits to Iowa State
- A year after Trump's DOGE cuts, workers whose lives were upended question what was saved
- Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz, but Trump says blockade on Iranian ships and ports will stay in force
- Who is Alli St. John, Iowa State women's wrestling coach?
- What did Jeremy Hecklinski, Hank Brown learn from outgoing Iowa quarterback Mark Gronowski and each other?
Texas quarterback Arch Manning looks to throw against Vanderbilt during the second half of a Nov. 1 game in Austin, Texas.
Eric Gay, Associated Press
Ohio State running back CJ Donaldson Jr., right, celebrates with tight end Jelani Thurman after scoring during the second half of Saturday's game against Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.
Doug McSchooler, Associated Press
The 2024-2025 school year saw a growing number of students at campuses nationwide. Undergraduate enrollment was up by 3.2% in the spring of 2025, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That increase is all the more noteworthy when you consider the current price tag for a college education—per the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of one year at a higher education institution clocks in at more than $38,000 in 2022-23. Still, college offers a valuable return on investment for many prospective students. An analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that in recent years, college grads earned a median of $80,000 per year, while workers with only a high school diploma earned a median of $47,000 per year.
With this in mind, the return on investment may be more apparent at some schools than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best colleges in America using Niche's 2026 rankings. All four-year schools in Niche's database were considered. Niche ranks colleges using various factors, including academics, admissions, finances, and student life. You can check out the full methodology here.
- Winston Tan // Shutterstock
Best colleges in America
![]()
Best colleges in America
The 2024-2025 school year saw a growing number of students at campuses nationwide. Undergraduate enrollment was up by 3.2% in the spring of 2025, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That increase is all the more noteworthy when you consider the current price tag for a college education—per the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of one year at a higher education institution clocks in at more than $38,000 in 2022-23. Still, college offers a valuable return on investment for many prospective students. An analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that in recent years, college grads earned a median of $80,000 per year, while workers with only a high school diploma earned a median of $47,000 per year.
With this in mind, the return on investment may be more apparent at some schools than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best colleges in America using Niche's 2026 rankings. All four-year schools in Niche's database were considered. Niche ranks colleges using various factors, including academics, admissions, finances, and student life. You can check out the full methodology here.
- Winston Tan // Shutterstock
