Best Colleges 2015

The 2015 edition of the U.S. News Best Colleges guidebook offers comprehensive advice for high school students and their families on researching their college choices, narrowing down a smart shortlist, putting together a slam-dunk application and finding the money once you’re in. Find out how colleges are overhauling their programs to make sure students succeed, what you need to know now to increase your chances of getting a job later and how to negotiate the best possible financial aid package. You’ll also get our new exclusive college rankings. Discover the country's best universities, liberal arts colleges, regional colleges and universities, historically black colleges and universities, and undergraduate engineering programs and business programs. Plus:

• How colleges are making sure incoming freshmen will have a great first year
• Gee-whiz gyms: Your student rec center could be the fanciest health club you ever join
• How 8 high school seniors made it in
• A college applicant’s to-do list
• Take a road trip with U.S. News to 12 colleges and universities in Missouri, Pennsylvania and South Carolina
• Should you take a gap year?
• "Taking the Virtual Path": How to know if online education is right for you, with rankings of the 141 best online undergraduate degree programs.
• "Great Schools, Great Prices": An exclusive ranking of the schools that offer the best value. (Hint: Don't let the sticker price fool you.) Plus: Which schools' students graduate with the least amount of debt?
• State-by-state directory profiling 1,600 schools