Barely a week after topping the Princeton rankings for the best American universities, the US military academies again excelled when Forbes magazine and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity ranked the nation’s 600 best colleges.  The US Military Academy at West Point topped the list at #1.  The US Air Force Academy came in at #7, and the US Naval Academy at Annapolis ranked #30.  The complete list can be seen here.  (Both the Army and Air Force also highlighted the news.)

Forbes said they used a somewhat different criteria than some ranking systems:

Will my courses be interesting and rewarding?
Will I get a good job after I graduate?
Is it likely I will graduate in four years?
Will I incur a ton of debt getting my degree?

Given the fact that graduates have secure jobs with reasonable pay and no debt, it make sense that military academies would rise near the top of the list.

Forbes also has an interesting article on “How West Point beats the Ivy League.”