Best 25 In the South, West, East and Midwest

You don't have to set your heart on a Northeastern school decorated with brick and ivy or a sunny California campus with open classes and plenty of opportunities to mingle with venture capitalists with Ph.D.s. Colleges across the US are rich with student traditions, research opportunities, strong alumni, and more.

This year's No. 1 and No. 3 schools — Pomona College and Stanford University — represent the West Coast, while No. 2 and No. 4 through No. 12 are East Coast academic bastions. Fifteen of the top 100 colleges on the 2015 list are located in the Midwest, with the University of Notre Dame ranking first in the Midwest and 13th overall. Duke University moved up to No. 1 for Southern schools this year, and of the top 25 Southern schools in the country, six are in Virginia. The Northeast still maintains its strong showing, with Williams College in Massachusetts coming in at No. 2 overall.

Check out the galleries below for this year's best schools in the South, Northeast, West, and Midwest.

Best Southern Colleges 2015

Best Northeastern Colleges 2015

Best West Colleges 2015

Best Midwest Colleges 2015

Click here for the full list of America's Top Colleges 2015