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After analyzing all accredited colleges and universities in the Golden State, the researchers at Intelligent.com have devised a list of , ranking 91���� in the Top 20.

“Combining the Program Strength, Student Readiness, Return on Investment, Cost, and Student Engagement scores gives us our Intelligent Score for each university, on a scale from 0 to 100,” the online education resource . Intelligent.com analyzed 190 schools, on a scale of 0 to 100, with only 47 making it to the final list.

According to the firm’s analysis, 91���� scored 89.77 out of a maximum of 100 points. It is the highest-ranked Catholic school on the Top 47 list and the only one to crack the Top 20.

Notably, the Best Colleges list assesses each school on the basis of five criteria: cost, faculty, course strength, reputation, and flexibility. That the College should succeed by the first four measures is not surprising: Its financial aid program is consistently ranked one of the top in the country, and its reputation for academic excellence — in both secular and Catholic guides — suggests a strong reputation. Flexibility, however, has never been one of TAC’s hallmarks. The College offers a single, integrated, Great Books curriculum without majors or minors, and all classes are held in-person, not online, so as to maximize the quality of classroom discussions.

“That our overall ranking is so good, despite what must have been a subpar score on ‘flexibility,’ is a testament to how high the College must have scored in the other categories,” says Admissions Director Jon Daly. “That said, while this program is not ‘flexible,’ it’s certainly versatile — we have alumni thriving in every possible vocation and career field, from the priesthood and religious life to medicine, law, business, and education. So while there are not many choices as to how one undertakes this program, the options this program affords post-graduation are without limit.”

Perhaps that is why Intelligent.com has also ranked TAC “Best for Alumni Satisfaction.”