40 factors to consider when applying to college can be found below. These are not in any specific order and some will not apply to you-- use this as a launch pad for your own priority list and considerations!
General
- Private or public
- Size of school
- Geographic location
- Distance from home
- Distance from family
Academic + Career
- Class sizes
- School ranking
- Program/major ranking
- Student to faculty ratio
- Academic programs (ex: study abroad)
- Graduation rate
- Strictness of core curriculum
- Student support
- Research/internship opportunities
- Alumni network
- STEM vs Humanities focus
- Major and minor options
- Advising
- Work-study/campus job opportunities
- Workload + rigor
Financial
- Cost of attendance
- Financial aid options / percentages
- Scholarship policies
Student Life
- Dining options + cost
- On-campus vs off-campus housing
- Quality of dorms
- Single rooms vs doubles vs triples
- Program housing
- Club options
- Religious life
- Greek life
- Diversity
- Party/social scene
- Campus quality
- Campus safety
- Campus walkability/parking options
- Surrounding area (suburban vs city vs rural)
- Ease of travel to and from
- On-site services (ex: gym, medical care, etc)
- Athletics
