Featuring complete data on more than 1,400 colleges and universities, U.S. News Ultimate College Guide 2009 is the best source for the information students and parents need most. Equally important, it also includes the essential step-by-step guide to the often stressful process of choosing a college, getting in, and finding the money, plus exclusive lists and indices to help compare the schools.

These lists and customized indices give students and parents what they need to make the best decisions, including:

- The hardest and easiest schools to get into

- Schools that award the most need-based aid

- The best values: great deals at great schools

Step-by-step advice from the nation's leading education writers includes:

- How to choose the right school for you

- What colleges look for in students

- How to find the money to pay for college