Jewell named to America’s Top Colleges by Forbes

01/20/2026

Forbes named William Jewell College to its 2026 list of America’s Top College. Forbes reviews thousands of colleges and universities throughout the country, then selects the top 500 that produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt.

Schools were ranked based on return on investment, average student debt levels and outcomes for their graduates, also incorporating outcomes for low-income students, especially six-year graduation rates and return on investment measures for Pell grant recipients. Forbes used these weighted metrics to determine rankings:

• Alumni salary (20%)
• Debt (15)
• Graduation rate (15%)
• Forbes American Leaders List (15%) – gauges leadership and entrepreneurial success of graduates
• ROI (15%)
• Retention rate (10)
• Academic Success (10%)

> For more on the Forbes ranking, visit www.forbes.com/top-colleges.
> View ranking methodology.