Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Berea College, Rice University, Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | BereaBerea, KY | RiceHouston, TX | StanfordStanford, CA | MITCambridge, MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 19.3% | 8.0% | 3.6% | 4.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1156–1335 | 1510–1570 | 1510–1580 | 1520–1580 |
| Average net price | $6,10683.7% on Pell grants | $13,37017.0% on Pell grants | $13,80719.2% on Pell grants | $20,11119.3% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $51,658Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $64,144Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $65,910Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $62,396Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 58.2% | 94.6% | 91.9% | 96.4% |
| First-year retention | 79.2% | 97.4% | 98.2% | 99.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 83.7% | 17.0% | 19.2% | 19.3% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $43,150 | $89,718 | $124,080 | $143,372 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $3,591 | $11,000 | $12,000 | $14,768 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 9:1 | 6:1 | 6:1 | 3:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,513 | 4,776 | 7,554 | 4,535 |
| Consensus percentile | 25Lower is better | 4Lower is better | 1Lower is better | 1Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 64 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 7 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 1 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 3 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Berea | Rice | Stanford | MIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #45 of 207Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #17 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #4 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #2 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #321 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #12 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #4 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #1 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #1 of 218Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #34 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #6 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #12 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #29 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #3 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #6 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #345 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #10 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #2 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Listed | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #3 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
High-achieving students from low-income families — especially from Appalachia — who want a debt-free liberal arts degree and are prepared to work on campus every semester.
Admission requires demonstrated financial need; higher-income families are not eligible.
Full profileStudents who want small classes and a strong built-in community but still need research facilities, engineering depth or pre-health access — and who are comfortable trading national name recognition for fit.
Brand recognition outside Texas and the South trails its academic standing.
Full profileAmbitious generalists who want an elite research university without giving up big-campus life, athletics or industry access — and who intend to use the Bay Area, not just live in it.
At roughly 3.9%, the lowest acceptance rate of any national university.
Full profileStudents with demonstrated, self-directed technical intensity — competition math, original research, shipped projects — who want to be surrounded by peers operating at the same level.
A 4.5% acceptance rate means even exceptional applicants should treat admission as unlikely.
Full profileFour columns is the maximum — beyond that the table stops being readable. Remove one to add another.