We recently released our annual list of the coolest, most inspiring people in New York City tech right now, the Silicon Alley 100.

The tech industry is notoriously male-dominated, so we wanted to tip our hats to the women of New York tech, the investors, innovators, founders, CEOs, and everyone in between making a mark on the scene.

Scroll down to see some of the incredible women who are building and funding the next great companies. Some of them have established their high-power careers already, and others are rising rockstars you should keep an eye on.

Don't miss the full SA 100 list »

THE FULL LIST: SILICON ALLEY 100: Meet the most inspiring and influential people in New York tech right now

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23. Hilary Gosher

Managing director, Insight Venture Partners

Since it was founded in 1995, venture-capital firm Insight Venture Partners has raised more than $7.6 billion and invested in companies like Udemy, Zenefits, Docker, Nextdoor, and Hootsuite. Gosher personally founded and leads Insight Onsite, the team that helps drive scale and growth for the companies in the firm's portfolio.

Recently, Insight led a $160 million series D round for ride-sharing startup BlaBlaCar, valuing the company at $1.2 billion. In the last year, notable investments included a $100 million series B round in cloud company Mirantis and a $40 million round in education tech startup Instructure. Not a bad year for Insight.

22. Karlie Kloss

Model, student, entrepreneur

Model Karlie Kloss is more than just a pretty face. The Victoria’s Secret Angel is a student, programmer, and entrepreneur. In the spring, Kloss started taking classes at The Flatiron School, where she learned how to code. She was so inspired by her experience that she started Kode With Karlie, a scholarship competition that sends girls age 13-18 to the school. Back in 2012, Kloss also launched Karlie’s Kookies, a collaboration with Momofuku Milk Bar and the Feed Foundation, an organization that provides food and education to children in need. For every “Perfect 10 Kookie” sold, Feed donates 10 meals to children around the world.

And as of this fall Kloss can add college student to her list of ventures — she started classes at New York University.

21. Marcela Sapone

Cofounder and CEO, Alfred

Marcela Sapone and Jessica Beck met at Harvard Business School, fresh out of stints in the finance world. To keep their lives in order and their apartments clean, they had hired someone from Craigslist to buy their groceries and do their laundry. The woman they hired, Jenny, came to their apartments to take care of errands that would otherwise pile up. This was the earliest iteration of what would become their company, Alfred.

Today, Alfred is a startup that hires employees — Alfred Client Managers, or just "Alfreds"— to run weekly errands: things like buying your groceries, sorting your mail, dropping off packages, and taking care of your laundry for you. You pay $99 a month for the service, plus the cost of things like your groceries.

In May, Alfred raised a $10.5 million Series A round of funding from New Enterprise Associates,Spark Capital, CrunchFund, and Sherpa Capital. In total, Alfred has raised $12.5 million since it was founded in 2013.

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Everyone has that one movie that reminds them of home.

We set out to name the most famous movie in every state — a challenging and subjective endeavor. Some states were more obvious than others. While there's no place like Kansas, New York has inspired directors ranging from Martin Scorsese to Woody Allen to Rob Reiner.

To pick the most famous, we evaluated the state's prominence in the movie and leaned toward movies that were filmed in that location as well. The movie's lifetime gross, its critical acclaim, and testimonials by our geographically diverse staff also influenced our decision.

Additional reporting by Kirsten Acuna, Melissa Stanger, Frank Pallotta, and Sara Bower.

SEE ALSO: Then and now: The cast of 'The Hunger Games' 3 years later

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ALABAMA: "Forrest Gump" (1994)

Even though "Forrest Gump" took Tom Hanks from Vietnam to the White House, home was always the fictional town of Greenbow, Alabama. Plus, Forrest was an All-American for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

ALASKA: "Into The Wild" (2007)

"Into The Wild" follows Chris McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, as he heads to Alaska to find his place in the world. The journey would bring McCandless to many places, but his ultimate destination was the Land of the Midnight Sun.

ARIZONA: "Raising Arizona" (1987)

The Coen brothers' cult classic follows H.I. McDunnough and his wife as they attempt to have a baby, either naturally or through kidnapping. The Coens made the pair all the more real by incorporating a vernacular that Joel called"a mixture of local dialect and a vocabulary we imagined from the likely reading materials of the characters."

Many billionaires give some of their money to charity, but some give a lot of their money to charity.

Created by Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett and Bill and Melinda Gates, the Giving Pledge invites the wealthiest people in the world to pledge more than half of their wealth to charitable causes either during their lives or in their wills. As of June, 137 ultra-wealthy individuals and families have joined the effort, with some pledging to allocate more than 99% of their money to philanthropy.

Here are nine billionaire pledgers planning to give away most of their money, and how they plan to give.

SEE ALSO: The 20 most generous people in the world

DON'T MISS: 3 people who donated so much money they kicked themselves out of the billionaires club

Paul Allen, who has given away $2 billion so far, funds invaluable scientific research through the Allen Institute for Brain Science.

Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen joined the Giving Pledge in 2010. He focuses the majority of his philanthropic efforts within the Pacific Northwest, where he lives and works, particularly in the realm of science research.

His Allen Institute for Brain Science studies the genetic causes of brain diseases and disorders, as well as the functions and malfunctions of the brain that impact humans in other ways. To date, Allen has donated $2 billion to charity, according to research firm Wealth-X, including a $100 million donation last year to combat the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa.

Manoj Bhargava, who has promised to donate 90% of his fortune, focuses his charitable work on alleviating human suffering.

The founder and CEO of 5-Hour Energy pledged to give more than 90% of his wealth away to charity. Much of his philanthropy aims to alleviate human suffering. His foundation has adopted over 400 projects so far, including bettering schools and hospitals, and advancing women's career education in rural India.

Another area of interest: the environment. The foundation is trying to reduce fossil fuel emissions by 50% and clean harmful chemicals from coal.

Sara Blakely has made it her life's work to help women.

Spanx founder Sara Blakely joined the Giving Pledge to "make the world a better place ... one woman at a time." Her efforts start with a program called Leg-UP, which gives other female entrepreneurs the opportunity to feature their products for free in the Spanx catalog.

Blakely has also helped women finance their college educations, funded entrepreneurship programs in girls' schools, and donated $1 million to Oprah's Leadership Academy for girls in South Africa.

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Known for its "Keep Portland Weird" slogan, the City of Roses certainly has its fair share of cool, offbeat businesses.

From a boutique where everything's free to a startup that powers drones and a custom piñata shop, we rounded up 16 of the coolest new businesses in Portland, Oregon, focusing on those that opened in the last five years or so. 

Scroll down to check them out. 

SEE ALSO: The 29 coolest new businesses in New York City

SEE ALSO: The 18 coolest new businesses in Houston

Altabira City Tavern

1021 NE Grand Avenue

What it is: A rooftop bar and restaurant that serves all Oregon-brewed beers.

What makes it cool: Atop the newly opened Hotel Eastlund sits Altabira City Tavern, a rooftop bar that has 16 selections of local Oregon craft beer on tap, as well as breathtaking views of downtown Portland. The space also features a 50-seat restaurant helmed by acclaimed chef David Machado, of Lauro Mediterranean Kitchen and Nel Centro fame.

Beam & Anchor

2710 N Interstate Avenue​

What it is: A store focused on building community.

What makes it cool: At Beam & Anchor, shopping is about more than just buying stuff — it's about building a community. Owners Jocelyn and Robert Rahm started the shop as a way to foster connections between people, ideas, and the material things we live with. In addition to selling ceramics, jewelry, and accessories, Beam & Anchor also hosts dinners and workshops to further drive the community feel.

Bit House Saloon

727 SE Grand Avenue

What it is: A whiskey and tequila-centric bar known for its creative cocktails.

What makes it cool: Though it's only been open since July, Bit House Saloon is already making waves in the Portland bar scene. Housed in the same space as the old East Bank Saloon, the bar serves a selection of single-barrel bourbons on tap, as well as a host of creative cocktails such as the K23, a mix of rum, jasmine, mint, lemon, and beet, or the House of Bambooze, made of sherry, vermouth, and salted almonds.

A strong network, affordable tuition, and campus location are important factors to consider when choosing a business school. But these aspects don't matter much if you're not getting a solid education.

Online grad school guide GraduatePrograms.com surveyed over 13,000 current and former business-school students about their programs to find which places offer the best quality education — schools where students have access to relevant, interesting, and challenging courses taught by qualified professors.

Students ranked their schools on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being a perfect score. The scores for each school were averaged together and then ranked accordingly.

These business schools earned top marks for quality education:

SEE ALSO: The 25 best business schools for networking

Join the conversation about this story »

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If you're going to fork over thousands of dollars for business school, it better be worth your time and money.

Online grad school guide GraduatePrograms.com surveyed over 13,000 current and former business school students about their programs to find places where students felt they earned the best education for the price — schools where students were satisfied with their program, and would choose it again.

Students ranked their schools in several categories — including value, financial aid, and quality of education — on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being a perfect score. The scores for each school were averaged together by category, then ranked accordingly.

Students say these business schools offer the best value:

SEE ALSO: The 25 business schools that offer the best education

Join the conversation about this story »

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The US is full of incredible places to live — cities, yes, but also unique small towns and villages that people call home.

After examining data on 2,754 municipalities across the country, we put together a list of America's 50 best suburbs. We considered suburbs with populations between 5,000 and 100,000 within 40 kilometers of the nearest metropolitan area. We also factored in average commute times, median household income, poverty and crime rates, public-school ratings from GreatSchools.org, and a measure of housing affordability.

Click here to see our full methodology.

Our list was dominated by the Midwest, or more specifically by Ohio suburbs. This is likely due to several factors, most notably a reasonable cost of living.

Andy Kiersz compiled the data for this list.

SEE ALSO: The most expensive home for sale in every state

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50. Johnston, Iowa

Population: 18,135

Great Schools score: 7

Johnston sits adjacent to Saylorville Lake, offering lush greenery and over 35 miles of trails. The suburb is home to award-winning schools, low living costs, and a median household income of $93,571. The commute time to Des Moines is only 18 minutes.

49. Vestavia Hills, Alabama

Population: 33,993

Great Schools score: 9

Vestavia Hills is a 20-minute commute to Birmingham-Hoover. The suburb maintains its southern hospitality while being the fastest-growing town in Alabama. Vestavia Hills boasts great schools and has a median household income of $81,067.

48. Mequon, Wisconsin

Population: 23,231

Great Schools score: 10

Sitting on the shores of Lake Michigan, Mequon promises beautiful lake-shore bluffs, as well as numerous outdoor recreation spaces. Mequon is a 22-minute commute to the Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis metropolitan area, and the median household income is $107,432.

Small companies are able to provide a number of benefits and incentives not typically found at large corporations — things like flexible work hours, free child or doggy daycare, gym reimbursement, or even daily catered lunches.

Workplace data website Great Place to Work surveyed hundreds of employees at companies around the US to find the best small companies to work for — defined as one that employs between 25 and 249 people.

But it's not just the tangible benefits that make a company a great place to work. These 25 companies are highly rated by their employees as being encouraging, challenging, and fun places to put in your 40 hours.

Keep scrolling to see the companies that made the list.

SEE ALSO: The 50 most powerful companies in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 best companies to work for in America

25. Ontraport

Santa Barbara, California

Business and marketing platform software company Ontraport encourages employees to expand their careers by allowing them to engage in apprenticeship programs, where they shadow members of other departments.

Between free catered breakfasts and lunches, unlimited paid time off, and a sponsored fitness program, 99% of employees surveyed say Ontraport has a great atmosphere and is a fun place to work.

24. Snagajob

Glen Allen, Virginia

Snagajob connects hourly employees with jobs and vice versa. Employees get bonuses for referring job candidates, are provided with three free days a year of back-up childcare, and are matched up to 6% in their 401(k) plans. Ninety-seven percent of Snagajob employees say they take great pride in working for their company.

23. Greenleaf Trust

Kalamazoo, Michigan

One hundred percent of Greenleaf Trust employees surveyed said they're offered unique benefits — like full health, dental, and vision insurance coverage for themselves and their families — and are surrounded by open and honest upper management.

The bank — an independent, wealth-management firm with a focus on trusts and estates as well as company retirement plans — also provides on-site package and mailing service, dry-cleaning pickup, and shoe-shine services.

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What makes a college great depends on a variety of factors, none more important than its ability to help students succeed. To that end, in August we ranked the 50 best colleges in America. Crucial to that pursuit, however, is attracting smart students who are already primed for success. 

We worked with Jonathan Wai, a Duke University Talent Identification Program research scientist, to generate an exclusive Business Insider ranking of the smartest schools in the US. Here's how we did it:

• We looked at the ACT and SAT scores in the latest US News & World Report ranking for 1,338 colleges and universities. 
• ACT scores were converted to SAT scores (math + verbal) using this concordance table so we had a single metric for comparison.
• Then we averaged the 25th and 75th percentiles.
• There are limitations to this methodology, but research shows that both the SAT and ACT are good measures of general cognitive ability, since they measure one's ability to reason.

Pasadena-based California Institute of Technology took top honors, with the University of Chicago, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton rounding out the top five.

SEE ALSO: The 25 business schools that offer the best value

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Join the conversation about this story »

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Many people are proud of their states and the things that come from it — the food, the coffee, the movies and, of course, the beer.

We found the best beer in every state based on reviews from craft beer authority RateBeer.com as well as the opinions of beer experts.

Keep scrolling to see which brew is repping your home state.

SEE ALSO: The best coffee shop in every state

ALABAMA: Birmingham's Good People Brewing is the maker of El Gordo, a full-bodied stout that delivers notes of vanilla, dark chocolate, and bourbon at a hefty 13.9% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Good People Brewing

ALASKA: Midnight Sun's T.R.E.A.T. Imperial Chocolate Pumpkin Porter warms on a cold, Anchorage night. Brewed with pumpkin and roasted cocoa nibs, T.R.E.A.T., which stands for "The Royal Eccentric Ale Treatment," is a welcome 7.8% ABV.

Midnight Sun Brewing

ARIZONA: A fall seasonal, Picacho Pecan Pie Brown Ale from Arizona Wilderness Brewing is one of the brewery's most anticipated brews, complete with real pecans and fresh maple syrup. The 6.6% ABV brown ale comes out on Halloween this year.

Arizona Wilderness Brewing

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Not too big or too small, mid-sized companies are able to offer the benefits of both large corporations and small startups.

Workplace data website Great Place To Work surveyed hundreds of employees at companies around the US to find the best medium-sized companies to work for — defined as having between 250 and 999 employees.

These companies come highly rated by their employees for everything from top-notch management and challenging work assignments to perks like free breakfast and on-site gyms.

Read on to see which workplaces made the cut.

SEE ALSO: The 25 best small companies to work for

DON'T MISS: The 50 best companies to work for in America

25. Roth Staffing Companies

Orange, California

Work-life balance is a top priority at Roth Staffing Companies, a business that helps other companies fill both temporary and full-time positions. Roth employees have the option of working on a unique "9/80 Flex Schedule," which allows them to work nine longer days a year and get every other Friday off.

The company also offers compressed work weeks, offsite subsidized childcare, and the option to work from home. The perks pay off too: 96% of employees surveyed say it's a great place to work.

24. Xactly Corporation

San Jose, California

It's no surprise that Xactly, a company that helps businesses incentivize their employees, also provides its own staff with great perks. Employees can take advantage of free daily breakfasts, massage therapy, a fitness center, and subsidized gym memberships.

Ninety-five percent of employees surveyed said that they were proud to tell others where they work, and 96% reported having a great boss.

23. Walker & Dunlop

Bethesda, Maryland

At commercial real estate financing company Walker & Dunlop, philanthropy is a top priority. Employees can take up to four hours of paid time off per month to complete volunteer work, and the company will match charitable donations up to $500.

The company takes care of its own as well. Employees get free cholesterol tests, flu shots, and blood pressure screening, and health insurance covers extras like fertility treatments and mental health care.

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How do the world's greatest givers stack up?

We looked to answer that question when we created a list of the 20 most generous people in the world with our partners at Wealth-X, a firm that does research and valuations on ultra-high net worth individuals.  

Everybody on our list created a billion-dollar fortune during their career, including Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, who started the Giving Pledge to encourage billionaires to give away half or more of their wealth. Some have donated so much that they're no longer billionaires.

We ranked them based on their total charitable giving to date. All told, these 20 philanthropists have given away nearly $110 billion. 

SEE ALSO: 9 billionaires who plan to give away the majority of their fortunes

SEE ALSO: The wealthiest people in the world under 35

Join the conversation about this story »

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For most students, a premier college experience is cultivated beyond the classroom — from great campus food to standout career services and beautiful surroundings.

Business Insider looked at 11 campus-related categories from The Princeton Review's 2016 college rankings to determine which colleges offer the best overall campuses. 

Our list combines rankings of more than 100 colleges for categories including college libraries, dorms, campus scenery, quality of life, and more. Read about our methodology here. 

There is no discernible connection between the types of colleges that come out on top. Ivy League universities, small liberal arts colleges, and technical schools are all represented. Still, each school on this list boasts a great campus experience. 

An earlier version of this list was compiled by Emmett Knowlton and Peter Jacobs.

SEE ALSO: The 50 smartest colleges in America

SEE ALSO: The hardest college to get into in every region in America

20. Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

The smallest college in the Ivy League system has an undergrad enrollment of just over 4,000 and strives to offer its students nothing but the best. This year, Dartmouth ranked in the top 10 in Best Quality of Life. 

The school's nine libraries are all part of the collective Dartmouth College Library, which this year earned a top-10 ranking on the Best College Library list.  

17. (TIE) Tulane University

New Orleans, Louisiana

Located in the heart of New Orleans, Tulane holds top rankings in Princeton Review's Quality of Life and City Gets High Marks ranking.

The 110-acre campus sits along the oldest streetcar line in the country, and the historic St. Charles streetcar makes the four-mile trip into the downtown and French quarters of New Orleans easily accessible.

17. (TIE) Rollins College

Winter Park, Florida

The private university in Central Florida was named the most beautiful campus by the Princeton Review this year. The 70-acre school located on the banks of Lake Virginia features distinctive Spanish-Mediterranean architecture. 

Rollins also received a top-10 ranking in the Easiest Campus To Get Around category.

A business school is only as good as the quality of the students who graduate from the institution.

For Business Insider's sixth annual list of the world's best business schools, we're conducting a survey to determine which business schools produce the graduates with the best reputation — the most savvy, hirable MBAs around.

Last year Harvard University took the No. 1 spot as the best business school in the world, but this year it could be anyone's game.

Take our survey below to cast your vote, and check back in a few weeks for the final results.

LAST YEAR'S LIST: The world's 50 best business schools

Join the conversation about this story »

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For students going off to college, their dorms become their home away from home — sometimes for four or more years. So it's important to many students to make sure that their college dorms are pleasant places to live.

School-rankings website Niche created a list of the best college dorms through a combination of student surveys about the quality of the dorms, the cost of housing at each school, housing capacity, and student-housing crime rates. We included quotes from some of the students surveyed by Niche who noted what they love about on-campus housing.

Scroll to see the colleges with the best dorms.

SEE ALSO: The 20 best college campuses in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges in America

30. Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania)

"Dorms are absolutely superb at Bryn Mawr,"noted one student at the all-girls' school. "Even the smallest dorms are more roomy than average dorms at most colleges. In the average dorm, a student will have a walk-in closet either to themselves or with a roommate, a fireplace, and a window seat. Heating is excellent, and each dorm is clean and well-kept. All dorms are right on campus except for one. This year, my furthest class has been a five-minute walk from my dorm."

Room and board: $13,860

29. University of Mobile (Mobile, Alabama)

"The housing at the University of Mobile is very nice and fairly new,"said a U of Mobile student. "It is rather expensive, mainly because it is a private school, but it is very spacious and clean. They provide us with laundry rooms and toilet tissue."

Room and board: $8,830

28. University of Scranton (Scranton, Pennsylvania)

"The dorms are cleaned every week and taken care of,"said one student. "Although expensive, it is completely worth it to live on campus."

"Though on-campus living is expensive, it really is nice," said another student. "Once you are a junior or senior, you have the chance to live in gorgeous new apartments that are also taken care of by housekeeping. Basically, we are spoiled."

Room and board: $13,186

Business Insider recently named the Massachusetts Institute of Technology the No. 1 college in America.

To get a feel for the kind of talent the top-rated school attracts, we tracked down 15 of its best and brightest students. From winning hackathons to developing new forms of artificial intelligence to mastering the piano, these undergraduates have gone above and beyond the call of their studies.

Scroll down to meet some of MIT's incredibly impressive students.

SEE ALSO: 18 incredibly impressive students at Duke

SEE ALSO: The 50 best colleges in America

Beckett Colson is exploring underwater robotics using 3D printing.

Class of 2016

Beckett Colson is a two-time recipient of the Alfred A. H. Keil Ocean Engineering Development Award for excellence in broad-based research in ocean engineering. The mechanical and ocean engineering major used the prize money to explore 3D printing and has printed everything from a coffee dispenser that pours the perfect cup to a prototype yo-yo for class.

Now, he's using his personal 3D printer to build the internal structure and prototype propellers of an observation class ROV (remotely operated underwater vehicle). The ROV is both a passion and a service tool — he'll be using it to pick up trash in Vineyard Haven Harbor, where he sails competitively every year.

Last summer, he sailed with SEA Semester, where he conducted the first-ever study on plastic waste material in the deep Atlantic Ocean. Colson hopes to continue working with underwater robotics and renewable marine energy to solve problems related to pollution.

Connor Duffy won two major hackathons.

Class of 2017

Third-year computer science and molecular biology major Connor Duffy has made his mark all over the world. He’s negotiated million-dollar contracts with Bitcoin mining hardware startups in San Francisco, discussed the future of artificial intelligence on TV in Japan, and worked in labs in Singapore, Bangalore, and the US.

Back at school, he won two hackathons: HackMIT, where he took home the grand prize for developing a web application that manages urgent emails, and the Stanford-MIT Blockchain Hackathon, where he proposed a protocol to record property deed transactions on the Bitcoin blockchain — the currency's transaction database.

Duffy also founded MIT’s Science Olympiad, which runs team-based science competitions for high school students across the country. MIT’s Olympiad attracts over 1,500 students and is one of the most competitive ones in the country.

Eventually, Duffy wants to work in venture capital, where he can help support entrepreneurs who have ideas on how to change the world.

Daniel Parker is an award-winning pianist.

Class of 2016

Daniel Parker is a music major at MIT and a two-time winner of the prestigious Emerson Fellowship, which has enabled him to study under world-renowned Bach specialist Sergey Schepkin. In December 2014, he performed the entire Book I of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier at MIT's Killian Hall, a feat even for professional concert pianists. 

This past summer, Parker honed his skills at the elite Solo Piano program at the Aspen Music Festival and School where he trained with world-class faculty in studio sessions and masterclasses. Before returning to MIT to begin this semester, Parker won third place in the Thousand Islands International Piano Competition. 

When he's not practicing piano, Parker has spent time as a Zen student at a monastery in San Francisco, where he plans to return for an extended stay. He's also the founder of a peer education and violence prevention group at MIT. Post-graduation, Parker will complete a master's degree in piano performance at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music.

Columbia University is known for its top-ranking schools of law, business, and education — not to mention the undergraduate college itself.

With so many prestigious programs, it's no surprise Columbia has produced a wide array of successful grads over the years, from sibling actors Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal to Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett.

Keep scrolling to see the most successful Columbia Lions of all time.

SEE ALSO: The 29 most successful Princeton alumni of all time

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President Barack Obama began his undergraduate career at Occidental College in Los Angeles but transferred to Columbia, where he graduated in '83 with a degree in political science. While in school he was "somewhat involved" with the Black Students Organization and participated in anti-Apartheid activities.

Source: Columbia University

Sibling actors Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal both studied at Columbia: Jake attended for two years in the late '90s before dropping out to pursue his acting career, and Maggie graduated with a BA in literature in '99. Jake gained critical acclaim for roles in films like "October Sky,""Donnie Darko," and "Brokeback Mountain"; Maggie is an indie-film darling known for "Secretary" and "Sherrybaby" and also costarred in 2008 blockbuster "The Dark Knight," which grossed $1 billion worldwide at the box office.

Source: The Guardian, Biography.com, IMDb, IMDb

Pulitzer Prize-winning lyricist Ira Gershwin took pre-med classes at Columbia around 1918 but never graduated. Instead he went on to compose, with his brother George, the music to some of the world's most popular musicals like "Funny Face,""An American in Paris," and "Porgy and Bess."

Source: The World of Musicals: An Encyclopedia of Stage, Screen, and Song

We often hear about the best colleges in the US, but there are dozens more outstanding schools that don't always get the recognition they deserve.

To discover the most underrated colleges in America, we compared US News and World Report's rankings of the best universities and the best liberal-arts colleges in the country with PayScale's 2015-16 College Salary Report, which ranked more than 1,000 colleges and universities based on their graduates' mid-career salaries.

We considered two factors: reputation and future earnings, specifically looking for schools that had relatively low rankings on the US News list but high mid-career salaries. You can read the full methodology here.

Pace University topped the list, with the Missouri University of Science and Technology and the New Jersey Institute of Technology rounding out the top three.

Scroll to learn more about the 50 most underrated colleges in America.

Additional reporting by Melissa Stanger.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best colleges in America

DON'T MISS: The 24 best liberal-arts colleges in America

50. University of Dayton

Location: Dayton, Ohio

Median mid-career salary: $88,700

The Catholic institution in Dayton, Ohio, encourages its nearly 9,000 students to actively practice their faith through liturgies, spiritual retreats, and special programs such as PORCH (People of Respect, Compassion, and Hope). UD's website says it is also committed to making the school "greener, more global, and more diverse."

49. Oklahoma State University

Location: Stillwater, Oklahoma

Median mid-career salary: $86,700

The Stillwater campus is the flagship of the Oklahoma State University System, and the school is in the top 25% of universities by return on investment. While athletes and sports enthusiasts flock to OSU for its championship-winning teams, the school is also a prominent research university and offers 200 undergraduate majors through its six colleges.

48. University of St. Thomas

Location: St. Paul, Minnesota

Median mid-career salary: $91,300

There are plenty of opportunities available on St. Thomas' main campus in St. Paul, Minnesota, where students take advantage of the school's 90 undergraduate degrees or work toward a self-designed specialty degree. St. Thomas encourages students to get off campus, too — the school offers 150 study-abroad programs in 50 countries.

When starting college, dining-hall food is rarely something students look forward to.

But at some schools, it has become a gourmet experience.

To determine which schools are stepping up their food game, we looked at noteworthy rankings from outlets with expertise in colleges and food: The Daily Meal, The Princeton Review, and Niche.

Each school earned a numerical rating based on how many of the lists it appeared on and how high it appeared on those lists. Colleges that appeared on multiple rankings scored higher on ours, while those that ranked on only one of these lists ended up closer to the bottom.

From lobster bakes to waffle bars to steak dinners, these schools serve up dishes so good they make students forget they're in a dining hall.

SEE ALSO: The 30 colleges with the best dorms

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges in America

20. Saint Anselm College

With fewer than 2,000 students, Saint Anselm may be a small college, but it provides big flavor. The Manchester, New Hampshire-based school's main dining hall features an "action station" where chefs prepare paninis, Asian noodle bowls, burritos, and sautéed pasta on the spot. There's also a deli, grill, and salad bar, so students can always find something to suit their cravings.

Students can also satisfy their sweet tooth with a trip to the bulk candy bar, a self-serve milkshake made from real Hershey's ice cream, or a slice of apple pie from the in-house bake shop.

19. High Point University

The multitude of options at High Point University in North Carolina make food the last thing busy students have to worry about. A single meal plan swipe gets students access to all-you-can-eat buffets at three locations, which feature amenities such as a trail-mix bar, omelet station, and baked-potato bar.

Students can also class things up at 1924 Prime, an on-campus steakhouse that takes meal swipes. Menu options include cast-iron seared duck breast and filet mignon.

18. University of Scranton

In addition to a wide selection of enticing dishes— think grilled barbecue pork chops, cod bruschetta, and creamy parmesan penne — the University of Scranton's food services focus on health as well. In the all-you-can-eat dining hall, students can choose options that are low in fat or sodium, under 500 calories, vegetarian, baked instead of fried, or high in calcium.

The Scranton, Pennsylvania-based school also has a food court full of favorite spots like Chick-fil-a and Starbucks.

San Francisco has long been the hub for huge Silicon Valley tech companies — but it's also home to some seriously cool local businesses.

From a 2.5-ton mobile pizza oven and a beef-jerky bar to the city's first indoor golf course, we're highlighting some of the newest and coolest businesses in San Francisco.

Scroll through to check them out.

SEE ALSO: The 5 most unusual tasting menus in San Francisco

NOW CHECK OUT: The 16 coolest new businesses in Portland

Ampersand

80 Albion St., ​The Mission

What it is: A mood-boosting flower shop and studio.

Why it's cool: Step through the shop's unmistakable bright-turquoise doors and into a design studio and flower shop that feels like a fresh and fun gathering space. Ampersand sells California-grown flowers by the stem and designs for weddings, and it puts together custom arrangements and wreaths too.

Ampersand's customers praise the shop's owners, Benjamin and Emerson, for their expertise, originality, and charm.

Del Popolo

Around SF and (coming soon to) 855 Bush St., Dogpatch

What it is: A 2.5-ton pizza oven on wheels.

Why it's cool: Chef Jon Darsky has been serving Neapolitan-style pizza from a 5,000-pound wood-fired oven housed in a 20-foot shipping container since 2012, earning a mass of Bay Area loyalists. Del Popolo — Italian for "of the people"— is so popular the team behind the pies is planning to open its first brick-and-mortar location by the end of the year.

While the forthcoming restaurant will feature the food truck's signature thin-crust, natural- yeast pizza, it's adding to the menu Italian appetizers and salads and more beer and wine.

Eatsa

121 Spear St., SoMa

What it is: A restaurant where robots serve quinoa bowls.

Why it's cool: This vegetarian restaurant specializes in $7 quinoa bowls that use fresh ingredients. Quinoa is a superfood that requires far less energy to produce than any animal-based proteins, according to Eatsa's website, making it good for both people and the planet.

Eatsa uses technology to automate its two-step process: Customers place their order on an iPad, then they wait for their name to appear on an LCD-screened cubby when the order's up. Of course there's kitchen staff creating each meal behind the scenes, but the illusion of being served by a robot is what makes this fast-casual restaurant one of a kind.