Each year, U.S. News & World Report compiles information and ranks the best schools in the nation. Researchers gather information from each school in 15 areas related to academic excellence. Each indicator is assigned a "weight" based on judgments about which measures of quality matter most.

Hitting the mark of excellence this year:

Duke: Rank 5

UNC-Chapel Hill: Rank 27

Clemson University: Rank 78 (tie)

North Carolina State University- Raleigh: Rank 78 (tie)

University of South Carolina- Columbia: Rank 109

Click Here to see the full list of "America's Best Colleges"

Courtesy: U.S. News & World Report