These are the best colleges based on major | College Connection

Students dreaming about their future college often consider many criteria, including location, athletic reputation and the abundance of campus amenities. But the most important factor, for those focused on their academic experience and career preparation, is their choice of major.

Once students identify the majors they will pursue for their college studies, they can easily make a list of potential schools based on those with a strong reputation in their future academic field. Reputable sources for this data include usnews.com, niche.com and collegetransitions.com.

Students interested in Accounting or Marketing will find Indiana University–Bloomington ranked among the top five schools. This is a program to which local students, with good grades and SAT scores, can likely gain admission. Other schools among the top five for these fields, which are a “stretch” for almost everyone, include University of Pennsylvania and University of Texas–Austin.

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Those pursuing the popular field of Supply Chain Management/Logistics will note that the highly competitive MIT is among the top five universities. But so too are Michigan State, Arizona State, Ohio State and the University of Tennessee–Knoxville, with overall acceptance rates of 84%, 90%, 29% and 68%, respectively.

Future engineers will find the highly competitive MIT and Georgia Tech among the top five schools in most specialties. But other colleges that top the rankings for specific areas of engineering include Purdue, University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign (UIUC), University of Delaware and Virginia Tech, with overall acceptance rates of 38%, 44%, 64% and 57%, respectively.

Students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing will find Emory and Duke universities at the top of the list. But so too are Ohio State, University of Iowa and University of Pittsburgh, with overall acceptance rates of 29%, 85% and 50%.

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Future pre-med students, interested in a direct entry BS/MD program, will find a gamut of programs with acceptance rates at 3% or lower. But many local students have been pleased to gain acceptance to this program at Seton Hall University and at Drexel University.

In short, college-bound students should generate a list of the top undergraduate programs for their intended field of study. Then, while it’s fine to include a few “stretch” schools with extremely low acceptance rates, students should be sure to apply to several target schools where their credentials fall within the range of prior accepted students.

Susan Alaimo is the founder & director of Collegebound Review, offering PSAT/SAT^® preparation & private college advising by Ivy League educated instructors. Visit CollegeboundReview.com or call 908-369-5362.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: The best colleges based on major | College Connection