Forbes magazine ranks Cornell University No. 19, up from No. 51 last year, in its ratings of 650 of “America’s Top Colleges.”

“Do college rankings matter? With the price of a four-year education approaching a quarter million dollars, it’s a no-brainer,” Forbes wrote July 24.

Forbes partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP) to arrive at its conclusions of which schools offer the best return on investment by students and families. Selectivity was not considered.

According to Forbes, rankings were calculated using 12 factors in five categories: student satisfaction (22.5 percent of the overall ranking), post-graduate success (37.5 percent), student debt (17.5 percent), graduation rate (11.25 percent) and nationally competitive awards (11.25 percent).