Princeton, Harvard, Williams Top U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings

Princeton University tied Harvard University as the top-ranked National University in U.S.News & World Report's 2012 rankings of Best Colleges. Last year, Harvard stood alone as the best ranked National University, a category that encompasses large, research-oriented schools.

No changes took place at the very top of the rankings of National Liberal Arts Colleges—schools that emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in liberal arts fields—as Williams College once again edged Amherst College for the highest rank.

[View the 2012 rankings of National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges.]

Though college sticker prices continue to skyrocket, and it will now cost some students more than $200,000 to attain a degree at the aforementioned schools and others ranked by U.S. News, data indicate that the value of a college degree hasn't waned. A recent report by the Georgetown University Center for Education and Workforce indicates that those with bachelor's degrees earn 75 percent more over their lifetimes than those who only have high school diplomas.

While the national unemployment rate topped out at 9.8 percent in 2010, it was 5.4 percent among those with bachelor's degrees in the same year. Plus, a college or university doesn't need to cost six figures to provide a solid education; U.S. News highlights some of these schools in lists such as the best up-and-coming schools, the best schools for B students, and schools that provide the best value, to name a few.

There was little change among the top-20 ranked National Universities, though the University of Chicago jumped four spots, from a tie for ninth last year to a tie for fifth this year. Among the biggest movers in the top 50 are the University of Miami, which jumped nine spots from a tie for 47th to a tie for 38th, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which dropped from a tie for 41st to a tie for 50th this year.

[See photos of the top 10 National Universities.]

Some California schools are weathering the state's ongoing financial storm with their academic reputations intact, as the University of California—Berkeley and the University of California—Los Angeles were once again ranked as the top two public National Universities. Only three public schools—Berkeley, UCLA, and the University of Virginia—are ranked among the top 25 National Universities.

Like National Universities, there was little flux in the rankings of the top National Liberal Arts Colleges. Bryn Mawr College made one of the biggest leaps among the top 50 schools, catapulting five spots to from a tie for 30th to a tie for 25th. Conversely, Smith College fell five spots from a tie for 14th to a tie for 19th.