This is why https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2015/10/29/our-first-ever-college-rankings https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2015/10/29/our-firs...

This is why https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2015/10/29/our-first-ever-college-rankings https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2015/10/29/our-firs... concluded that the best university in the USA is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_and_Lee_University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_and_Lee_University. For this they measured the gap between what graduates made, and what they would be expected to make based on high school record, test scores, and choice of major. In other words, "How much do you earn because of the university you went to, rather than your own virtues?" That university won because it has a network rich people who could help people's careers get a good launch.