The College rankings for 2011 are in. Whether it’s a top nationally ranked Ivy League school, one of the top party schools, or one of the best colleges in the USA; did your school or college town make the list?

One of the most widely used college ranking lists is written by a magazine called U.S. News & World Report. This publication uses 16 indicators of academic quality, such as retention rates, graduation rates, and the strength of the faculty, to evaluate American colleges. Colleges are separated into categories and ranked by their total weighted scores.

U.S. News & World Report’s main 2011 ranking categories include National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Colleges, and Regional Universities. The magazine uses the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s 2006 Basic version of its classifications. It also includes many separate, less commonly used rankings, based on factors such as specialty education or economic value.

According to U.S. News & World Report’s system, National Universities are those that “offer a full range of undergraduate majors, master’s, and doctoral degrees.” These universities “also are committed to producing ground breaking research.” Many of the universities in this category are household names.

The top 5 National Universities are:

1. Harvard University in Cambridge, Massacusetts.
2. Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.
3. Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.
4. Columbia University in New York, New York.
5. Fifth place is a tie between Stanford University in Stanford, California and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Liberal Arts Colleges focus on undergraduate education. At least half of the degrees they give are in liberal arts categories.

The 5 best Liberal Arts Colleges are:

1. Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts.
2. Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts.
3. Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
4. Fourth place is a tie between Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont and Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
5. There is no fifth place, since fourth place was a tie.

Regional colleges emphasize undergraduate education, but grant fewer than half of their degrees in liberal arts fields. Military schools are included. These colleges are divided into 4 regions: North, South, Midwest, and West.

The following are the top 5 Northern colleges:

1. The United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
2. Cooper Union in New York, New York.
3. The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.
4. Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania.
5. Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.

The best 5 Southern colleges are:

1. Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
2. John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
3. High Point University in High Point, North Carolina.
4. Erskine College in Due West, South Carolina.
5. Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama.

In the Midwest, the 5 best regional colleges are:

1. Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.
2. Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio.
3. Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa.
4. Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio.
5. Fifth place for top regional university is a tie between Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio.

The 5 highest-ranked Western colleges are:

1. The United States Air Force Academy just north of Colorado Springs, Colorado.
2. Second place for best Western college is a tie between Master’s College and Seminary in Santa Clarita, California and Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
3. There is no third place, since second place was a tie.
4. California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, California.
5. Corban University in Salem, Oregon.

Check out U.S. News & World Report magazine’s official website for more 2011 college and university rankings, including the Best Regional Universities, Great Schools at Great Prices, A+ Schools for B Students, Least Expensive Private Colleges, Up-and-Coming Schools, Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Top Public Schools.

Of course, not all college students place the highest priority on college rankings. For some, the active social life that comes with the college experience is even more important. For this crowd, Playboy magazine’s editors have ranked the Top Party Schools for 2011. Unlike U.S. News & World Report’s staff, Playboy’s editors include some international colleges. Their rankings are based on feedback from readers, students, alumni, campus representatives, and others, as well as male-female ratios, athletic records, proximity to recreational sites, and yes, academics.

The Top 5 Party Schools are:

1. The University of Colorado Boulder, in Boulder, Colorado.
2. Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pennsylvania.
3. Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona.
4. The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario (Canada).
5. The University of Texas at Austin, in Austin, Texas.

While partying is obviously fun, it can also be a great way to network on campus, if done appropriately. Our blog offers tips on how to drink responsibly and avoid hazing practices.

So, no matter what you’re looking for, you’re sure to find an excellent college or university for you. Of course, it’s up to you to go beyond the rankings and discover which school is the best fit for your lifestyle and career goals. Although the idea that colleges can be objectively ranked has always been somewhat controversial, reading over the lists of college rankings for 2011 will give you a good place to start your own search.