Prestige: Factoring in statistics like endowment and founding date, this ranking correlates most strongly with popular perceptions of the strength of the university.

Research and Scholarship: Universities exist to create knowledge, not merely to transmit it. This ranking rewards schools whose faculty's research are well funded and whose research publications are well cited. These considerations are particularly important for those pursuing graduate studies.

Visibility: Colleges have an important presence in popular culture. This ranking rewards public interest in a school, as measured on social media, Wikipedia, and the web.

Social good: Schools that successfully educate sizable numbers of first-generation and disadvantaged students deserve recognition for the good they do. This ranking rewards schools for low tuition, high enrollments, and excellent return on investment.