Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelor's
These institutions focus primarily on undergraduate education just as the liberal arts colleges do but grant fewer than 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. At these schools, at least 10 percent of undergraduate degrees awarded are bachelor's degrees. There are 320 comprehensive colleges-bachelor's, ranked within four regions: North, South, Midwest, and West. Like all U.S. News categories, the regional groupings are derived from classifications established by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Specialty Schools
Looking for a school that specializes in textile arts or instrumental music? Colleges and universities that offer most or all of their degrees in fine arts, performing arts, business, and engineering are listed below. An additional group includes the five service academies. None of these programs are ranked, but pertinent data for each school are provided.

Specialty Rankings
U.S. News does rank certain undergraduate program areas. Undergraduate business and engineering programs were ranked from a peer assessment survey sent in the spring of 2006. To appear on the undergraduate business survey, a school must have an undergraduate business program accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. To appear on an undergraduate engineering survey, a school must have an undergraduate engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Accredited undergraduate engineering programs were then split into two groups: those schools whose highest engineering degree offered is a doctoral and those schools whose highest engineering degree offered is a bachelor's or master's. Those schools that offer a doctoral degree in engineering tend to have more of a focus on and opportunities for research. Schools whose highest engineering degree is a bachelor's or master's tend to be more focused on undergraduate education.

Resource:U.S News & World Report