Top colleges, sudoku, and smarter ways to work

From the launch of LinkedIn’s first-ever Top Colleges ranking to the revival of a puzzle classic and fresh ideas on how to make work more meaningful, this week’s In the Loop is focussed on growth — in your career, your skills, and your sense of play.

LinkedIn Top Colleges 2025: The 50 best colleges for long-term career success in the U.S

Choosing whether — and where — to attend college is one of the most significant financial and life decisions a student will make. A bachelor’s degree can be a powerful investment, boosting lifetime earnings, career mobility and professional networks, especially for graduates of top programs. LinkedIn’s first-ever Top Colleges ranking spotlights 50 U.S. schools whose alumni excel in job placement, advancement, entrepreneurship and more, based on exclusive career outcome data.

If you’re not sure a traditional degree is the right choice for you, LinkedIn Editor Taylor Borden breaks down alternative paths to success (in fact, nearly one-fifth of jobs on LinkedIn today don’t require a college degree). But if you’re considering heading to campus, this list can help you identify the best school for your career goals.

Discover which schools made the list here and join the conversation using #LinkedInTopColleges.

Gianna Prudente, LinkedIn’s early career development editor, explains the inspiration behind Top Colleges, how the ranking differs from traditional lists, and why real career outcomes — from job placement to skills development — matter most when evaluating a school’s long-term value.

What inspired LinkedIn to create Top Colleges, and how does it differ from traditional college rankings? We publish several data-driven lists each year — like Top Companies and Top MBAs — to help members make smarter career decisions. Top Colleges felt like the natural next step. Deciding whether to go to college and where is a big choice, especially as tuition keeps rising. Students and families want to know which schools are truly worth the investment. That’s where our Top Colleges ranking comes in. It’s built entirely on LinkedIn data — not self-reported surveys or input from academic institutions — and looks at real career outcomes, from how quickly grads land jobs to how many go on to start companies or move into senior leadership.

Can you walk us through how the rankings were determined, what data points were most telling about a school’s career outcomes? We ranked schools based on five pillars: job placement, internships and recruiter demand, alumni with entrepreneurship or C-suite experience, network strength and knowledge breadth. We break down our full methodology at the bottom of the Top Colleges article, so be sure to check it out. 

How did skills play into the ranking, and what trends are you seeing in the link between skills development and career mobility? Skills are a key part of our knowledge breadth pillar, which looks at the unique skills students gain during their degree. We've seen that having an in-demand skill set can open doors, whether it's landing that first job, switching industries or moving up the ladder. And the bar is constantly shifting: LinkedIn data shows that 70% of the skills needed in most jobs will change by 2030. Schools that help students build a well-rounded mix of technical and human skills prepare them to adapt and stay competitive no matter how the job market evolves.

How can prospective students evaluate a school’s ability to connect them with internships, alumni networks, and job opportunities? Students can explore our breakout posts to identify which schools align most with their values, whether that's graduating with internship experience, a strong alumni network or finding a job quickly. In the posts linked, you'll see the top 10 schools that score best in each category. 

Based on your findings, what are three actions high school seniors (and their parents) can take now to maximize their college choice for career success? First, look beyond the brochure and dig into the career outcomes. Our ranking and breakout posts can help you see which schools excel at job placement, internships, alumni networks and more. Second is to talk to current students and alumni. Ask how their school helped them land internships, connect with mentors or open doors after graduation. And third, think about the skills you want to leave with. The job market is changing fast, so look for schools that help you build both technical and human skills through courses, campus orgs and real-world experiences like co-ops.

Several LinkedIn Learning courses have been unlocked to complement this report — how do these resources fit into the bigger picture of lifelong learning and career growth? College can help lay the groundwork for foundational career skills like building your network or packaging your experiences into a resume. But a lot of these lessons aren't taught inside the classroom. That's why we partnered with LinkedIn Learning to unlock a series of courses (free for all members until Sept. 12) on topics like resume writing, networking and more. They're designed to complement what you learn in school or on the job and support the bigger picture of lifelong learning and career growth.

Launching Mini Sudoku on LinkedIn: The legends behind “Sudoku” are back after 41 years

41 years ago, NIKOLI Co., Ltd. turned a little-known puzzle into the Sudoku we know today. Now, the originators have teamed up with 3x World Champion Thomas Snyder, editor of Queens, Tango, and Zip, to bring you: Mini Sudoku.

Discover the backstory to developing the new game here and solve Mini Sudoku (your chance to get a perfect streak started!) at lnkd.in/minisudoku. 

Fun at work isn't just a bonus. It's the point.

This week on Hello Monday, Bree Groff, author of Today Was Fun, shares why small acts of mischief and embracing our humanity can transform how we work. Groff, who has advised companies including Google, Microsoft and Pfizer, argues that work should feel good — because it’s how we spend our lives. She challenges the notion that our value lies in productivity alone, noting that many of us were raised to see work either as joyless labor or as a calling that must define us. Instead, she invites us to rethink what gives our days meaning and to break free from the burnout that plagues so many. As she puts it: “We sometimes forget that we are more than our economic output. That our days are more than the input to some company’s bottom line.”

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