Well ranked universities?

[ss20ts]

Define well ranked. Well ranked by who? What are the qualifications? Which list are we talking about? Which year is the list from? Aside from schools like Harvard and Yale, it's pretty irrelevant. Every year different organizations do different rankings of various things about different schools. These lists change every year and are pretty inconsistent.

[Alpha]

Hmm, I think this question has been asked several times over... If you're thinking of History or Psychology or practically any other degree, unless you get into the Top 50 in the USA it'll be almost the same.  Rankings vary so wildly and each degree subject has a different ranking, ROI, Value.   Essentially, you should focus on your undergraduate at a public or state university, when you get to the graduate level you can then decide on a "better" known institution.  Having said that, if you're just looking for an associates and a bachelors being your final goal, then yeah, a public/state community college for the Associates and then select a better known university to finish that Bachelors.

I am also a big fan of state universities, especially flagship campuses.  That doesn't address the whole "90 transfer credits" issue.  I think there may be a reason that you haven't seen a lot written on this topic of "well-ranked schools that accept 90 transfer credits.  Depending on what you mean by "well-ranked." maybe they don't exist.

[ss20ts]

Hmm, I think this question has been asked several times over... If you're thinking of History or Psychology or practically any other degree, unless you get into the Top 50 in the USA it'll be almost the same.  Rankings vary so wildly and each degree subject has a different ranking, ROI, Value.   Essentially, you should focus on your undergraduate at a public or state university, when you get to the graduate level you can then decide on a "better" known institution.  Having said that, if you're just looking for an associates and a bachelors being your final goal, then yeah, a public/state community college for the Associates and then select a better known university to finish that Bachelors.

I am also a big fan of state universities, especially flagship campuses.  That doesn't address the whole "90 transfer credits" issue.  I think there may be a reason that you haven't seen a lot written on this topic of "well-ranked schools that accept 90 transfer credits.  Depending on what you mean by "well-ranked." maybe they don't exist.

Many state university systems will allow you to transfer in 90 credits from other RA schools.

[Alpha]

Hmm, I think this question has been asked several times over... If you're thinking of History or Psychology or practically any other degree, unless you get into the Top 50 in the USA it'll be almost the same.  Rankings vary so wildly and each degree subject has a different ranking, ROI, Value.   Essentially, you should focus on your undergraduate at a public or state university, when you get to the graduate level you can then decide on a "better" known institution.  Having said that, if you're just looking for an associates and a bachelors being your final goal, then yeah, a public/state community college for the Associates and then select a better known university to finish that Bachelors.

I am also a big fan of state universities, especially flagship campuses.  That doesn't address the whole "90 transfer credits" issue.  I think there may be a reason that you haven't seen a lot written on this topic of "well-ranked schools that accept 90 transfer credits.  Depending on what you mean by "well-ranked." maybe they don't exist.

Many state university systems will allow you to transfer in 90 credits from other RA schools.

Assuming that the op finds that to be the case then I'd suggest that particular route.  It won't be as cheap as some alternatives but you'd wind up with a more recognizable name on your diploma.  The bigger problem then becomes the whole Psych vs. History question.  I can easily understand someone liking both/either but they are not at all the same and have entirely different career tracks.

[PrettyFlyforaChiGuy]

I can't offer too much insight into your specific circumstances, sorry. But if you're curious about rankings, I work with hypercompetitive international students who care way too much about them. These metrics can give meaningful information, but like other posts have suggested, graduate rankings will generally be more meaningful for more students than undergraduate ones.

Also, I would caution you to consider rankings as something more like "tiers" or "bands." We consider college and program rankings as broader ranges like Top 20, Top 50, Top 100, etc., and I'd argue that the most meaningful comparisons could be had among programs that are within the same spectrum.

Surprisingly, rankings can be fairly consistent over the years, even as methodology changes. For example, U.S. News has kind of positioned itself as the current gold standard for undergraduate admissions, and you can see a graph here that charts the paths of the U.S. News Top 50 from 1983 until 2020: https://i.imgur.com/rXZOH8e.mp4

You can see some of the raw data here: https://publicuniversityhonors.com/2017/...1983-2007/

There are definitely some outliers: universities like Northeastern all but made it their mission to game their U.S. News rankings, rising from 162 to their current spot, while some early stars that benefited from the emphasis on institutional reputation decreased over time once other factors began to be considered more heavily.

You'll find that this consistency disappears as you head down the list, where most CBE- and ACE-credit options will be found. Eight-year averages are visible in this link, which show more variability in the Top 100 and beyond: https://publicuniversityhonors.com/2016/...2010-1017/

If I had to sum all this up, I'd say that unless if you're targeting these schools for your undergraduate degree (with the understanding that you limit your options for ACE credit), just get the undergraduate degree done, then look for a graduate degree after you've narrowed down your academic and career interests. Most people won't know or care, and if you're not doing everything else that would be expected of you to apply to these more selective programs (TOEFL/IELTS, ECAs, writing application personal statements and supplemental essays, paying higher tuition to boot, and so on), it's not worth the hassle. I noticed you posted a degree plan half a year ago in another thread; choose the best program that fits your situation and just commit to it as your first step.

[ArielB74]

Hi,
 I've looked around the forum, but didn't really find much about well ranked universities that accept the most transfer credits, since university ranking is important to me and I am aware that it will be a lot more expensive. I'm thinking of majoring in psychology or history.

From what I found so far, SNHU and Liberty University are ranked somewhat well on most lists (150-170th) and accept 90 transfer credits, but I'm not sure if it's all ACE credits. Fort Hays State University also doesn't seem too badly ranked (507th).

Are there any other universities that would be worth looking at and offer online programs?

I am not sure about ACE credits, or what you mean by "well ranked," but I was able to transfer in 74 RA credits (out of a max of 90) from 3 different universities to Arizona State.  ASU is ranked #6 in the nation for online education by US News, for whatever that's worth. (Arizona State University - Online Bachelor's Program - US News Best Online Colleges). I'm a History major and can tell you that the History department is top notch.