re: Forbes America's Best Colleges

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Yes, you are correct that there are major regional differences in cost of living. But to list just the SEC, only the Southern region is listed

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That's just for starters.

Is the salary scale adjusted for the gender make-up of the universities?

For instance UTe is 51% women, aTm is 53% male.

Males tend to choose majors that are higher paying than women (engineering, law, medical). Once in the workforce, males don't take time off for pregnancy and other issues that resort in higher earning potential.

Also, admission standards play in. Vanderbilt has a higher admissions standard than say South Carolina, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if their graduates went on to achieve at higher levels post graduation.

That's why lists and rankings like these are largely worthless.

A female that graduates with a major in 18th century Lesbian Literature Studies from Vandy won't earn the same as a male that graduates as a neurosurgeon from Mississippi State.