College rankings can be invaluable tools to students and parents looking at colleges across the United States. One of the lists that you can choose to review is “America’s Best Colleges,” which is compiled by Forbes. Remember, when looking at any college list, consider that the characteristics most important to you aren’t always reflected completely by the rankings. Your personal needs should overrule any ranking given in a college list.

Who is Forbes?

Forbes is a business news magazine based out of New York and published bi-weekly. Their college list was actually compiled for Forbes.com, the online counterpart to the print magazine, which has become one of the main focuses of the company. The magazine has been in print since the early 20^th century, and Forbes.com has been reaching Internet users since 1996. Together with related sites run by Forbes, the website reaches about 27 million people every year.

Why should you trust Forbes?

While Forbes is well known for their lists, especially the Forbes 400, a list of the richest people in the United States, they are relatively new to ranking colleges. They published their first “America’s Best Colleges” list in 2008, and updated it in 2009, though it is not yet an official annual list. This list places a strong emphasis on liberal arts colleges and has been praised for including many colleges that are overlooked by other college rankings, rather than focusing on Ivy League schools and other high-profile universities.

What is their Methodology?

Forbes considers a number of sources to compile the rankings, rather than sending out surveys as is common with most college lists. Although they have been criticized because many of these sources are subjective, some have noted that this is a fresh way to approach how colleges are ranked. Some of the characteristics they use to rank colleges include the following:

• Inclusion of Alumni in Who’s Who in America
• Salaries of Alumni, as reported on PayScale.com
• Professor Evaluations on RateMyProfessor.com
• Accumulated Debt by Students over the Course of Four Years
• National Awards Given to Students and Faculty Members
• Student Graduation Rate

In addition to the “America’s Best Colleges” list, Forbes has also previously published a list called “Top Colleges For Getting Rich.” This rankings looks at average salaries of graduates, and many where surprised to see some lesser-known schools ranked higher than more prominent schools in their fields. This list used reader surveys and self-reported salaries from PayScale.com to analyze each school.

The Forbes college ranking system is certainly less technical than many of the other lists available, but this is just one of the resources you should use when determining which school to attend. Along with ranks, you need to consider your personal criteria for the college you want, which could include things like location and student activities, which are often not considered in any kind of college rankings list.

With the current situation of our job market, employers' demands for individuals with college degrees is higher than ever. Earning a degree from an online college offers the affordability and flexibility that most brick-and-mortar campus-based colleges cannot offer. Below, we present the top onine colleges for 2010.

Top 10 Online Universities

	University of Phoenix — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1976 as a upstart college, today the University of Phoenix is the largest private university in North America with students at over 200 campus locations and online learners studying dozens of programs all over the world.
	Ashford University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. The mission of Asford University is to foster a sense of accessible, flexible, and innovative learning in its student body. Ashford offers accelerated external degree program for adult learners in numerous subjects, including social sciences, criminal justice, technology, business, healthcare, and more.
	Boston University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Founded in 1839, Boston University is one of the oldest universities in the nation to offer online degree programs. With two main campuses in the city of Boston, dozens of study abroad programs around the world, and an online program available globally, Boston University's presence is second to none.
	Liberty University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1971 by Rev. Jerry Falwell, Liberty University is the largest evangelical Christian university in the nation with an enrollment of over 20,000 undergraduate and post-graduate students.
	Walden University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. Walden University has designed all of its online coursework for busy adult professionals who demand affordability and flexibility from their schooling. With degrees offered in several subjects, including healthcare, criminal justice, and business, Walden is sure to be a good fit for most students.
	DeVry University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. With approximately 100 campus locations across North America, DeVry University is one of the more well-known names in the online education industry. Originally founded in 1931, today DeVry offers most of its degree programs online. Subjects of study include business, science, IT, liberal arts, and more.
	Capella University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate. "Knowledge means solving problems no one else can" is the official motto of Capella University. Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Capella offers over 1,000 online courses in subject such as legal studies, criminal justice, business, IT, healthcare, education, and more.
	Kaplan University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. The online degree programs offered at Kaplan University are tailored to each student, customized for flexibilty so that students are able to study on their schedule. Kaplan offers more than 100 degrees in subjects ranging from business to criminal justice to nursing and more.
	Strayer University — Degree Levels: Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's. Founded in 1892 as Strayer's Business College, today Strayer University boast an enrollment of over 50,000 students across the United States. Degrees are offered in business, computer technology, education, health administration, criminal justice, and more.
	Grand Canyon University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's and Master's. Frequently cited as one of the top online colleges in the United States, Grand Canyon University was originally founded as Grand Canyon College in 1949. Today, GCU offers dozens of degrees online in subjects such as nursing, healthcare, business, and more.
	Argosy University — Degree Levels: Bachelor's, Master's, and PhDs. Headquartered in Chicago, IL and with over a dozen campus locations nationwide, Argosy University provides accredited online degree programs for busy professionals in subjects including psychology, healthcare, business, and more.
	Westwood College — Degree Levels: Associate's and Bachelor's. Originally established in 1953, Westwood College is composed of 17 campus locations in six states and an online program offered through their Denver North campus. Programs of study offered online include business, criminal justice, fashion merchandising, healthcare, and more.
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