VOLUME 44 NUMBER 9/10 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2012 Cover The 2012 College guide Introduction: A Different Kind of College Ranking by the Editors 27 31 America’s Best-Bang-for-the-Buck Colleges by Rachel Fishman and Robert Kelchen In this year’s rankings, we show which schools get their students over the finish line at a reasonable price. 19 The Siege of Academe For years, Silicon Valley has failed to breach the walls of higher education with disruptive technology. But the tide of battle is changing. A report from the front lines. by Kevin Carey 35 Getting Rid of the College Loan Repo Man Our current system for collecting student loans makes no distinction between deadbeats who cheat and the much greater numbers of people who just don’t have the money to repay. As predatory debt-collection agencies ruin the lives of more and more Americans, we are ignoring an easy and fair solution. by Stephen Burd 45 Got Student Debt? 49 52 54 68 80 84 88 35 by Minjae Park and Danny Vinik Answering the Critics of “Pay As You Earn” Plans by Stephen Burd National University Rankings Liberal Arts College Rankings Top 100 Master’s Universities Top 100 Baccalaureate Colleges A Note on Methodology: 4-Year Colleges and Universities 45 COVER: Tina Schrider/Froghouse Photography, James Porter TOC IMAGES: Getty Images; Chris Wormell; Tina Schrider/Froghouse Photography, James Porter