TIME’s ‘Best Colleges For Future Leaders’ 8 Massachusetts Schools Rank

Searching for the perfect college can be challenging. This is especially true when you have to consider factors like cost, programs, location, and housing. But a degree from the "perfect" college doesn’t guarantee success. However, according to TIME, in "U.S. society, success is a good indicator you went to an elite university."

The magazine partnered with Statista in launching its first list of the Best Colleges for Future Leaders and the Best Companies for Future Leaders. To develop the list, TIME and Statista analyzed the resumes of 2,000 top leaders in the U.S., including politicians, CEOs, Nobel winners, and others, to determine where they received their degrees.

While Ivy League schools were prominent, many other private and public universities earned TIME's accolades too. The publication's listing ranked eight Massachusetts institutions in the top 100, with two in the top 5.

Cambridge’s Harvard University snagged the top spot on the Best Colleges for Future Leaders list. Taking the number four spot is another Cambridge school, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Other Massachusetts schools earning a spot on the ranking include Boston College (28), Boston University (31), Tufts University (66), Amherst College (85), Mount Holyoke College (95), and Smith College (97).

Let's talk top 5. Harvard University takes the top spot, followed by Stanford University in California. The University of Pennsylvania claimed the 3 spot in the ranking. At number 4 is Columbia University New York, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology at number 5.

TIME pointed out that experts say that what distinguishes these schools is not necessarily that they teach students to be better leaders, but that alums receive more opportunities. "Whatever a student may have learned at school, an elite diploma signals at least two things to prospective employers: survival of a difficult admissions process, and a high likelihood of intelligence," they stated.

Interestingly, the list makes it very clear that the Ivy League isn’t the only route to success.  A professor from the University of California told the magazine, "While those schools dominate fields like law, the media, and academia, production fields like engineering, agriculture, and aerospace recruit from schools that are more likely to offer technical skills like engineering."

Get more in-depth about their ranking with the complete list here.

There are roughly 220 miles and four and half hours between Boston and New York. On the drive south (or return trip North), it's likely you'll need to make a pit stop. Whether it's to accommodate a bathroom request, grab a bite to eat or get a breath of air, we've compiled a list of the best stops along I-95 on the Boston to New York drive.

We'll assume here that we are driving south. Therefore, your journey begins in Massachusetts. You'll pull past Providence and a few exit signs for T.F. Green Airport before enduring the meat of the trip. That would be a good two-plus hours through Connecticut, where you will surely slow down at some point. Finally, after trekking through the Constitution State, you start to see the exit sign numbers get down to single digits. The empire state awaits.

This journey can seem like a grueling effort up and down I-95. In a bigger picture, a four-hour route between two major markets is not really that much. Just ask the Midwest. If you want to drive from Chicago to Minneapolis, you are looking at close to a seven-hour drive, with only one state in the way. Nonetheless, the 1-95 Boston to New York route can be grueling. Therefore, we put together a collection of different stops to help make it more enjoyable.

Of course, this exercise does not include kids screaming in the backseat that need an immediate stop. Perhaps that's another list. Here, we will pinpoint some pleasing attractions you would have the time to stop for. However, we won't stray too far off the exits. And while taking 12 hours to play blackjack at Foxwoods would be a blast, we will narrow in on relatively short stops only.

So, let's hop in the car and find the best stops from Boston to New York along I-95.

*Note - we are not going in order of stops from north to south. We are listing in an overall ranking format.

We'll start with the best thing to stop for. Pizza. Frank Pepe's is a legendary establishment in the New Haven pizza scene. The good news here is that you have choices. If the original New Haven spot is too far off the path (or has a long wait), there's also a location in Fairfield, CT at Exit 24.

If you need a moment of fresh air or to loosen up the legs, this scenic lookout point offers a nice view of the Mystic River. There's comfortable parking space, and its an easy pull off or on to the interstate. It's not uncommon to find people taking photographs here as well.

Sure there are dozens of Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts right along the path, but pulling into Cafe Tempo Coffee House in Warwick, Rhode Island is well worth the wait. A homemade banana hazelnut iced coffee makes any slow-moving traffic situation more manageable.

After all that pizza and coffee somebody is going to need a bathroom. At mile-marker 41, via southbound access, you will find a rest stop in Milford CT that is a direct pull-off I-95. You can fill up on gas, or more food if you still feel like snacking. There are plenty of fast food and candy options at this stop.

This is applicable on your way out or into Massachusetts. Bay State Vintage Guitars is a family owned shop has some of the nicest custom and vintage guitars available. Each instrument on the wall tells a story and his a history that goes back well beyond what's considered classic rock. They are located on Washington St. in Norwood.

Hot oil pizza is a thing in Connecticut and it's delicious. Colony Grill in Stamford is bound to have whatever game that is live playing on their TV's. Their menu consists of pizza and drinks, so you know they take their pie seriously. Like Pepe's, you have a few choices in addition to Stamford. Their Fairfield location is also a stone's throw off I-95.