Maine's Bates and Colby Colleges were in the top 25 colleges in the annual rankings released today.

Maine's Bowdoin College is among the top ten liberal arts colleges in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings.

The Brunswick school is ranked number six on the list, released today. The rankings are based on academic quality, cost, graduation rates and a host of other factors.

Bates College in Lewiston ranked number 21, while Colby College in Waterville came in at 23rd.

The highest-ranked liberal arts college was Williams College, in Williamstown, MA, followed by Amherst College in Amherst, MA, and Swarthmore College, in Swarthmore, PA.

Among universities, Harvard University was ranked at the top, followed by Princeton and Yale. The University of Maine ranked 159th.