Our Best Value Colleges ranking launched this week in anticipation of the May 1 College Signing Day, the deadline for most college-bound students to accept an offer. Looking for a school that offers the highest postgraduate earnings or a university that offers low alumni debt? This is the definitive guide for anyone in the market for an excellent return on their college investment.

Even for the we’ll-do-it-our-way Baby Boom generation, retirement usually means two predictable changes: less income and more freedom to live where you please. Our ninth annual list of Best Places To Retire highlights 25 domestic locales that offer both affordability and a high quality of life. Rounding out the week, we also revealed Hip-Hop's Cash Princes And Princesses. Be the first to know about Juice Wrld, Lil Baby and more.

Read on for the stories and insights behind the headlines.

Justin Conklin
Resident List-Meister

Now Hear This: In his newest podcast, Forbes Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes speaks with Burton Malkiel, professor emeritus of economics at Princeton University and author of the best-selling book, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, who explains why indexing works over stock picking, his enthusiasm for emerging markets and his impressions of smart beta stocks and bonds. Subscribe for free to "What's Ahead" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

America's Best Value Colleges

Editor's Insights: "We started this list four years ago in reaction to an overpriced higher education market. Our goal is to provide valuable guidance to young consumers who are making an expensive decision that will affect their future," says editor Caroline Howard.

Demystifying The Money: Second only to waiting for an admissions decision is the stress of deciphering a financial aid package. The big question, “Can I really afford this school?” Read: Understanding Your Financial Aid Award Letter

What's The Presidential Plan?: Pretty much everyone agrees that there is an acute student loan crisis in America. However, the solutions to help people with heavy loan burdens or prevent excessive borrowing in the future are very much up in the air. Read: The 2020 Presidential Candidates' Proposals For Student Loan Debt

Fast Fact: "This is the only ranking where public and private schools do equally well in terms of the best value," says editor Caroline Howard.

The Formula: 20% rank on Forbes 2018 Top Colleges ranking + 20% student debt + 20% alumni earnings + 20% net price + 10% graduation rate + 10% Pell Grant recipients.

The Countdown: No. 5 University of California, Berkeley, No. 4 University of California, Los Angeles, No. 3 University of California, Irvine, No.2 Princeton University, and No. 1...

Editor's Insight: Cold weather can't stop this best place to retire." Fargo, North Dakota, which got a lot of attention when it first appeared on the list in 2011, has made the cut every year," says editor William P. Barrett.

Back To School: Seven places on the list are what could be considered college towns, which often provide a richer lifestyle and even cut-rate educational opportunities for retirees. These are: Athens (University of Georgia); Columbia (University of Missouri, Stephens College, Columbia College);  Iowa City (University of Iowa); Lawrence (University of Kansas); Lexington (University of Kentucky, Transylvania University), Pittsburgh (University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Duquesne University, Chatham University) and San Marcos (Texas State University).

What A View: If scenery is your thing, many of the 25 cities on the list have inviting water, mountain or desert vistas. They include Bella Vista, Boise, Brevard, Clearwater, Delray Beach, Green Valley, Jacksonville, Palm Bay, Pittsburgh, San Marcos, Sarasota and Wenatchee.

Methodology: We compiled our list by amassing and comparing data on nearly 700 places throughout all 50 states. We sought affordable places (as measured by median home price, cost of living and state taxes) with a high quality of retirement living and populations of 10,000 or more, either in the specific locality or a metro area. We also looked for places with good economic prospects and more likely home price appreciation.

Editor's Insights: "The evolution of this list is incredible and really shows the direction of hip-hop. Just a few years ago rappers on SoundCloud didn't exist," says editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg.
 
Big Money: Rico Nasty is cashing in. From her days struggling to top $100 per concert, she zoomed to an average of $7,000 per gig before snagging an estimated $35,000 guarantee for her performance at Coachella.

Methodology: We rank the genre’s top 10 recording artists and producers under age 30 in terms of future earning potential. This year, the honorees were selected by a panel of five judges, including Nipsey Hussle, the late 2015 Cash Prince who sent in his picks just days ahead of his untimely passing. 

Moving Fast: "I think it’s amazing how quickly an act can rise to the level of being on a list like this. Within a couple of months of reporting on Cash Money Records, Blueface had a huge single out and all the judges voted for him. Music moves faster now than it has before," editor Zack O'Malley Greenburg says.

Related: Having launched the careers of Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Drake, the famed music label has seen many of its top acts depart. But its founders have a plan to keep minting millions. Read: Can Cash Money, The Label That Launched Drake and Nicki Minaj, Strike Platinum Again?

Looking Ahead

Next week, Forbes will launch our America's Top Women Advisors list which spotlights standout financial strategists across the country with at least seven years of experience. Nominated by their firms, each list member is researched, interviewed and assigned a nationwide ranking.

We'll also release our fourth annual Small Giants list that celebrates 25 standout businesses that favor greatness over growth. Last year, we took a trip to Vital Farms and learned how they made pasture-raised eggs mainstream.