Olin Earns Top Rankings From Forbes and Niche
Olin College of Engineering has earned several notable rankings from Forbes and Niche for their 2026 college lists.
Notably, Olin was ranked No. 18 on the 2026 edition of the Forbes Top 50 Small Colleges list. Forbes identified 50 schools that also offer a competitive return on investment, top-notch academics, high student satisfaction and stellar post-graduate salaries.
To determine the best 50, Forbes ranked public and private nonprofit colleges with fewer than 4,000 undergraduates using the same methodology used for the top 500. This methodology analyzes data from two federal education databases, as well as the following metrics: alumni salary, debt, graduation rate, ROI, retention rate, academic success, and other factors.
An Olin student presents their Astro Stats research on Machine Learning to the community during a campus event.
Out of 500 institutions, Forbes dubbed Olin as,
- #18 – Top 50 Small Colleges
- #57 – In The Northeast
- #82 – In Private Colleges
- #140 – Top Colleges 2026
Earlier this year, Forbes acknowledged Olin as one of the top 10 U.S. colleges delivering seven-figure ROI based on data from the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University.
An Olin student works with tools while wearing an Olin College t-shirt and welding helmet.
Also this month, Olin was ranked No. 23 in Best Colleges for Engineering in America in Niche's 2026 Best Colleges rankings. Niche also gives Olin an A+ overall grade.
The Best Colleges for Engineering ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The ranking compares the top engineering schools in the U.S.