Two Local Colleges Rated ‘Best Buys’

Your neighbor's daughter graduated from college with $100,000 worth of debt and a degree in the psychology of basket-weaving. She's currently babysitting a friend's goldfish until she can find a full-time job. College is a big investment: in time, in money and in your student's future. How do you know you're making the right choice? Here's some good news: two local colleges are among the best as rated by Money and Time Magazine.

Time Magazine used a complex methodology that considered a number of factors including cost, the average amount of debt a student leaves school with and their average salary within five years of graduation. Two local schools made the list.

Hamilton College in Clinton, NY was ranked 44th, and Colgate University in Hamilton, NY earned the 85th spot.

Hamilton College, Clinton, NY

Acceptance rate: 25%
Median SAT/ACT Score: 1390/32
Graduation rate: 92%
Est. Full Price 2017-2018: $69,400
Average student debt: $14,500
Average salary within 5 years: $54,100

Hamilton College is a liberal arts school that enrolls 2,046 students. Students can earn a degree in one of 44 majors offered at the school.

Colgate University, Hamilton, NY

Acceptance rate: 27%
Median SAT/ACT Score: 1380/31
Graduation rate: 90%Est. Full Price 2017-2018: $70,200
Average student debt: $15,147
Average salary within 5 years: $58,800

Colgate University is a liberal arts school that enrolls 2,980 students. There are 55 diverse majors and minors available for students to study.

While students have the option to attend any school across the nation, it's good to know that two of the top ranked choices are practically in our backyard. Now, if we can just get students to pick a major other than the philosophy of basket weaving...

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