When students are considering colleges, they often look at offerings outside academics, like clubs and organizations, student government, and volunteer opportunities. For many, being involved is what college is all about — they want to make a difference in their community and the world.

The Princeton Review recently published "Colleges That Pay You Back: 2016 Edition," which includes a list of the top schools in America for making an impact. Princeton Review based the ranking on student ratings and responses to survey questions covering community-service opportunities at their schools, student government, sustainability efforts, and on-campus student engagement. They also took into account PayScale.com's percentage of alumni from each school that reported having high job meaning.

From getting involved in green initiatives to taking on leadership roles in student organizations to volunteering in their local communities, the students at these 25 colleges are driven to make a difference.

SEE ALSO: The 20 best college campuses in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 colleges where students work the hardest

25. Lewis & Clark College

Location: Portland, Oregon

Sustainability is a huge part of campus life at Lewis & Clark. "Many are very concerned about living a healthy and sustainable life style" and are "very active gardeners and composters," said one student.

On campus, students can join groups like Students Engaged in Eco-Defense, the Sustainability Council, and Student Advocates for Business and Environmental Responsibility.

24. Tufts University

Location: Medford, Massachusetts

Students are politically involved and eco-conscious at Tufts. The school's student-run environmental group, the Tufts Sustainability Collective, puts on campus-wide events like Earthfest and is organized into several branches that includes Tom Thumb's Student Garden, Students for a Just and Stable Future, the Sustainable Action Squad, Food for Thought, and the Green Team.

23. Lawrence University

Location: Appleton, Wisconsin

Lawrence University believes that community involvement is an integral part of a stellar liberal-arts education. Lawrence students are a staple in the surrounding community — more than a thousand volunteered at local elementary schools last year.

The school also offers instruction and opportunities for the green-minded undergraduate —including research-based courses and internships — through its environmental-studies major.

You could call them the most eligible bachelorettes in the world.

Five of the wealthiest women on earth are still unmarried, according to Wealth-X, a company that conducts research on the super-wealthy. With Valentine's Day in mind, it provided us with a list of the richest bachelorettes in five age groups: 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. Combined, they're worth $46 billion.

Meet five of the wealthiest in the world below, including owners of a biotech startup and a luxury-clothing business.

SEE ALSO: Out of the 50 richest people in the world, only 4 are women — here's why

DON'T MISS: 7 extremely wealthy people who choose to live frugally

20s: India Rose James

Age: 24

Net worth: $280 million

Country: UK

India Rose James inherited an estimated 40% of her maternal grandfather Paul Raymond's $1 billion empire upon his death in 2008. His wealth — known as the Soho Estates—came from varied property investments in London's Soho district, establishing Britain's first adult-entertainment bar, and introducing pornography magazines to the country through Paul Raymond Publications.

James is currently focused on Soho Revue Gallery, the young artist-focused contemporary-art gallery she opened last spring with her then boyfriend Will Pelham. The socialite has breakfast at the family-owned Soho House every morning, enjoys traveling, and aspires to follow in her grandfather's footsteps to become "an entertainer."

30s: Elizabeth Holmes

Age: 32

Net worth: $4.5 billion

Country: US

Elizabeth Holmes is the youngest female billionaire in the world thanks to the success of her pain- and needle-free blood-testing company Theranos. When she was 19, Holmes dropped out of Stanford to found the company and has dedicated her life to it. According to a 2014 New Yorker profile, the CEO lives in a "two-bedroom condo in Palo Alto...no longer devotes time to novels or friends, doesn't date, doesn't own a television, and hasn't taken a vacation in ten years."

Though Holmes' image is that of a well-intentioned hard worker, she's facing harsh criticism for reports claiming dodgy business practices. "This is what happens when you work to change things," Holmes fired back. "First they think you're crazy, then they fight you, then you change the world."

40s: Filiz Sahenk

Age: 49

Net worth: $2.4 billion

Country: Turkey

Turkish billionaire Filiz Sahenk helms the luxury-brand clothing and tourism businesses of her late father's private conglomerate, Dogus Grubu. Sahenk oversees the company's retail partnerships with several global brands, including Emporio Armani, Gucci, and Loro Piana.

Despite being one of the most affluent women in Turkey, Sahenk isn't a public fixture. She's a behind-the-scenes advocate for women's leadership and development and an active philanthropist as president of the Ayhan Sahenk Foundation, which supports education, the environment, and social and healthcare-related causes. She also reportedly has a passion for collecting antique Turkish art.

Networking can be difficult and time-consuming, especially early in your career. But graduating from a school with a solid alumni base means diving straight into a built-in network of professionals.

The Princeton Review compiled a list of the 25 colleges with the best alumni networks in the country, featured in the book "Colleges That Pay You Back: 2016 Edition," published in February, based on students' ratings of how visible and active alumni are on their campuses.

We've also gathered salary data from PayScale to show how much new graduates from these schools can expect to make. Read on to see schools with active alumni who help students get ahead.

SEE ALSO: The 30 most fun colleges in America

DON'T MISS: The best public college in every state

25. Colgate University

Location: Hamilton, New York

Median starting salary: $54,000

Colgate graduates find themselves among good company: The school counts NBCUniversal CEO and President Stephen Burke and Ben & Jerry's cofounder Ben Cohen among its notable alumni. Many are willing to lend a hand to undergraduates as well — students reported to The Princeton Review that "alumni would jump over any hurdle for you."

24. Stanford University

Location: Stanford, California

Median starting salary: $62,900

Stanford alumni — a network more than 217,00o deep — provide extensive help to their alma mater through CareerConnect, a job board that exclusively lists job openings from Stanford grads. Alums also volunteer with "career communities" of undergraduates in a specific field who aim to stay on the best path toward finding a job.

The school boasts no shortage of big names among its graduates, including Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, author John Steinbeck, and former US President Herbert Hoover.

23. New College of Florida

Location: Sarasota, Florida

Median starting salary: $39,800

Graduates of the New College of Florida stay involved with their alma mater long after graduation by mentoring current students, hosting alumni events, and working with students on independent study projects. The school's Alumnae/i Fellows Program pairs current students with New College graduates who coach them through a semester-long course or workshop in a specific field.

America's best private high schools offer a top-notch education and have a reputation as feeders to elite universities. Though many congregate on the East and West coasts, great private schools exist across the country.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, released its 2016 rankings of the best private high schools in the US earlier this year.

Niche looked at performance on the SAT and ACT, college-matriculation rates, quality of colleges that students consider and attend, school culture and diversity, and student and parent reviews. It combined these metrics to reflect "overall excellence," measured on a 100-point scale.

Business Insider searched the ranking to find the best in each state. Sufficient data wasn't available for Alaska, North Dakota, or Wyoming, so they do not appear on this list.

Read on for the best private high schools in each state:

SEE ALSO: The best public high school in every state

ALABAMA: Indian Springs School

Location: Indian Springs

Overall rating: 88.20

Student-teacher ratio: 9:1

"Because we have a student disciplinary panel, we are self-accountable,"reported one Niche user.

Another commented on the status of Indian Springs School alumni: "We've got astronauts, lawyers, and John Green. I'd say graduates are doing well."

ARIZONA: Phoenix Country Day School

Location: Paradise Valley

Overall rating: 92.19

Student-teacher ratio: 7:1

"The teaching staff is very well liked by the students and parents,"commented a Niche user. "They are very welcoming and available for the students when they need them."

A Phoenix Country Day School parent agreed: "The headmaster greets everyone with a handshake and a smile everyday and the teachers are phenomenal, the best of the best."

ARKANSAS: Pulaski Academy

Location: Little Rock

Overall rating: 84.68

Student-teacher ratio: 10:1

"The teachers, education, school spirit, sports, and friends have made my experience exciting and life changing," shareda Pulaski Academy senior. "I feel more than prepared for college and am excited that the faculty and teachers have guided me to graduation."

Quick, cheap, and satisfying: fast-food restaurants are designed to please the customer.

A $225 billion industry that's universally associated with American culture, fast food evokes surprising passion, with millions of customers developing cult-like loyalty for their favorite chains.

Business Insider recently teamed up with Restaurant Business, a food-service industry expert and media outlet, to compile a definitive ranking of the best fast-food restaurants in America in 2016. Using proprietary data collected by Restaurant Business and its sister research firm Technomic, we looked at nearly 100 of the largest US chains and rated them on three criteria that we considered the most telling for all-around fast-food excellence: financial performance, customer satisfaction, and overall value. (Read more about the methodology here).

Here, we rank the best fast-food chains in America by their customer satisfaction ranking.

As it seems, customers tend to gravitate toward more specialized and regional brands that offer a higher-quality experience, including fresh, sustainable ingredients, at an affordable price, according to Restaurant Business.

Keep reading to see the 14 fast-food chains Americans love most.

DON'T MISS: The 25 best fast-food chains in America

AND: 15 of the healthiest fast-food menu items

14. Jamba Juice

Headquarters: Emeryville, California

US sales: $539 million

Number of US locations:818

Financial performance rank: 72

Customer satisfaction rank: 14

Value rank: 5

Founded in 1990 in a California beach town, Jamba Juice was years ahead of today’s ubiquitous green smoothie and healthy living trends. Despite slow growth, the smoothie stop has remained a favorite for loyal customers over the years.

The chain’s menu has expanded to offer Greek yogurt energy bowls and plenty of new fruit and vegetable smoothies. But perhaps Jamba Juice’s most infamous item is the Wheatgrass shot— a liquefied chunk of grass cut right off the in-store grass garden that’s packed with vitamin K.

13. Schlotzsky's

Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia

US sales: $320 million

Number of US locations:350

Financial performance rank: 55

Customer satisfaction rank: 13

Value rank: 43

The average customer order totals just over $11 at Schlotzsky's, according to Technomic. That's pricey for a sandwich shop, but the higher-quality offerings keep customers satisfied. Schlotzky's serves up more than a dozen classic sandwiches, as well as oven-baked pastas, flatbreads, soups, salads, gourmet pizzas, and Cinnabon desserts.

After more than 40 years of operation, Schlotzsky's has begun remodeling its locations to install electronic charging stations for phones and laptops, called “Juice Bars,”and plans to include them in all new locations.

12. Jason's Deli

Headquarters: Beaumont, Texas

US sales: $654 million

Number of US restaurants: 262

Financial performance rank: 34

Customer satisfaction rank: 12

Value rank: 15

Nutrition is a priority at Jason’s Deli, which has eliminated artificial trans fat, most artificial MSG, and all artificial colors, dyes, and flavors from its food over the past 10 years. In addition, the chain serves fresh produce — delivered to its locations six days a week — as well as more than a dozen USDA-certified organic ingredients.

The family-owned chain has set up shop in 30 states in the South and Midwest over 40 years of operation.

Top private high schools offer a lot of perks, from the newest classroom technology to pristine athletic fields. But when it comes down to it, nothing is more important than the quality of a school's academics.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, just released its 2016 rankings of the best private high schools in the US, from which it also ranked the schools with the best academics— the smartest private high schools across the country.

It determined the bulk of the ratings by weighing the composite SAT/ACT score, caliber of colleges graduates attend, and percentage of seniors who go on to four-year colleges for more than 8,000 schools. Niche also looked at student-teacher ratios and survey responses from parents and students. You can read the full methodology here.

Read on to see the 50 private high schools with the smartest students in the country:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best private high schools in America

DON'T MISS: The 24 best private high schools in the Northeast

No. 50. The Pingry School

Location: Martinsville, New Jersey

Average SAT score: 2060

Four-year matriculation rate: 100%

Popular college choices: Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University

"The curriculum here is top-notch," one junior said. "Many students go to Ivy Leagues and other prestigious universities. The schedule is awesome and provided like a college schedule. Workload is heavy, but students deal with it."

No. 49. Newark Academy

Location: Livingston, New Jersey

Average SAT score: 2080

Four-year matriculation rate: 100%

Popular college choices: University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Columbia University

"Teachers are always happy to provide extra help, and for the most part create fun and engaging classroom environments," one senior said.

Students point out that excellent teachers make the hard work worth it.

"Definitely one of the best schools in the state," another senior noted. "Rigorous academics but the teachers make it possible for everyone to succeed as long as they apply themselves."

No. 48. Noble & Greenough School

Location: Dedham, Massachusetts

Average SAT score: 2080

Four-year matriculation rate: 100%

Popular college choices: Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, Cornell University

"Noble typically has one of the most impressive matriculation rates in the country and definitely prepares its students for college and the real world," one Niche user shared. "I've been a step ahead of my peers in college and I know many of my fellow classmates can agree to this."

"Students and alumni are all well connected and the school has given me valuable life skills," they added. "I did plenty of internships in high school and the networks that I have been able to create will benefit me later on in the future."

Finding a great job that comes with a significant salary boost is one of the top reasons to move to a new city.

In its recently released ranking of the best places to live in America, U.S. News & World Report gathered data on the 100 most populous US cities. Among the factors it considered were affordable housing, a low cost of living, good schools, quality healthcare, and access to well-paying jobs. You can read U.S. News' full methodology here.

Business Insider reranked these cities based on median annual salary to find the 20 where residents earn the most. They don't all rank highly on U.S. News' overall list, given higher costs of living and other factors, so we've included each city's overall ranking for comparison's sake. For instance, Chicago ranks at No. 20 in terms of salary, but it came in only at No. 90 on the list of 100.

Of the 100 best places to live in the US, here are 20 where you can land the highest-paying jobs:

SEE ALSO: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

DON'T MISS: REAL-ESTATE WARS: Inside the class and culture fight that's tearing San Francisco apart

20. Santa Rosa, California

Population: 491,790

Median annual salary: $49,800

Overall rank on best places to live list: 62

Just 55 miles north of San Francisco sits Santa Rosa, one of Sonoma County's premier wine-country towns. According to US News' local expert, Santa Rosa is an originator of the farm-to-table movement and "a haven for bicyclists, who train on its rural western roads and visit en masse for two major cycling events: the Amgen Tour of California and the Levi's GranFondo."

The job market in Santa Rosa is powered by tourism: 9% of residents work in the industry, mainly at local farms, wineries, and brewpubs.

19. Chicago, Illinois

Population: 9,516,448

Median annual salary: $50,410

Overall rank on best places to live list: 90

The Midwest's largest city may have a couple of drawbacks, including frigid winters and a high cost of living, but Chicago is also host to a bevy of corporations — 31 in the Fortune 500 — that can set residents up with a high-paying salary, including Boeing, United Airlines, Kraft, and Allstate.

Chicago also has a dynamic restaurant scene — far more than just the deep-dish pizza the city is famous for — as well as world-class museums, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Lollapalooza music festival.  

18. Portland, Oregon

Population: 2,288,796

Median annual salary: $50,710

Overall rank on best places to live list:20

Portland isn't for everybody — its slogan is "Keep Portland Weird," after all. But one local expert asserts that it's a "well-rounded city with more than just the offbeat shops and events" and a population that has "more academic degrees than the national average." An annual job-growth rate of 2.9% per year is attributed to roots in the technology sector, including major employer Intel Corp., as well as the 6,000-employee headquarters for Nike, about 7 miles outside Portland.

When deciding where to put down roots, many factors are in the eye of the beholder, such as climate, politics, or proximity to extended family.

Other aspects are coveted by nearly everybody: affordable housing, access to well-paying jobs, a low cost of living, good schools, and quality healthcare. In its recently released ranking of the best places to live in America, U.S. News & World Report gathered data on these crucial components for the 100 most populous US cities.

They then categorized the data into five indexes for each city — job market, value, quality of life, desirability, and net migration — to definitively rank these major metro areas. You can read U.S. News' full methodology here.

Scores for "value," a blend of annual household income and cost of living, and "quality of life," which accounts for crime, college readiness, commute, and other factors, are included below on a 10-point scale, as well as the city’s population and median annual salary.

Keep reading to discover the 50 best places to live in America.

SEE ALSO: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

NOW WATCH: REAL-ESTATE WARS: Inside the class and culture fight that's tearing San Francisco apart

50. Columbus, Ohio

Population: 1,948,188

Median annual salary: $46,470

Quality of life: 6.1

Overall value: 7.2

The spirit of Columbus is inextricably linked to Ohio State University — and of course its football team — which calls the city home. Residents love to cheer on the Buckeyes year-round, but Columbus isn’t just a college town. Head to the Short North Arts District for shopping and gallery hopping, get outside at one of the many parks surrounding the city, or take in some culture at the Museum of Art or the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

49. Kansas City, Missouri

Population: 2,040,869

Median annual salary: $46,800

Quality of life: 6.3

Overall value: 7.6

Don’t call it a flyover city. Innovation, creativity, and a celebrated history combine to make Kansas City a hub of activity. In addition to a low cost of living and an abundance of jobs, residents enjoy exploring the city’s thriving art scene, cheering on the Royals during baseball season, and noshing on Kansas City’s signature style of barbecue — slow cooked and topped with a tomato-based sauce.

48. Phoenix, Arizona

Population: 4,337,542

Median annual salary: $45,840

Quality of life: 6.2

Overall value: 6.8

Come for the weather, stay for the city: Phoenix boasts more sunny days per year than any other city in the US, according to a local expert. But it’s the thriving job market, variety of shops and restaurants, and easy access to numerous outdoor activities — think everything from hiking to paddleboarding — that keep residents happy long-term.

In 2015, Stanford University accepted just 5% of applicants, fortifying its 125-year history as one of thebest colleges in the nation.

With esteemed alumni who include the founders of Snapchat, Google, Instagram, and Netflix, the Silicon Valley feeder school is a breeding ground for top talent.

We've tracked down 12 of the school's most impressive students to check out what America's next generation of inventors, innovators, advocates, coders, engineers, and leaders are up to.

Scroll through to meet some of Stanford's incredibly impressive students.

NOW CHECK OUT: 15 impressive students at MIT

Aashna Mago is a virtual-reality aficionado who's interning at Oculus this summer.

Class of 2017

Major: computer science

By the time she entered her freshman year at Stanford, Aashna Mago was a budding molecular biologist who'd spent several years doing research in cancer treatments at Princeton. But Mago had a change of heart when she got to Stanford and set out to learn about programming and technology and teach herself how to code.

She landed a summer internship with virtual-reality expert Mark Bolas in the Mixed Reality Lab at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies, where she honed skills in programming, 3D modeling and printing, and design.

Halfway through her sophomore year, Mago took a leave of absence from Stanford to accept a full-time position at Rothenberg Ventures, where she helped launch an in-house production studio and run the first batch of River, the world's first VR/AR accelerator.

Since returning to campus last fall, Mago has earned a Women in VR scholarship from Oculus and VR Girls; cohosted a large-scale Women in VR event in San Francisco to encourage women from diverse industries to get involved in VR; and founded Rabbit Hole VR, a group at Stanford focused on bringing more diversity to the VR community through innovative storytelling. This summer, she'll be a software engineer at Facebook-owned Oculus.

Aashna Shroff founded a coding camp for girls in India.

Class of 2017

Major: computer science 

Growing up in India, Aashna Shroff was one of two girls in her high-school computer-science class. When she arrived at Stanford, Shrof was impressed by the initiatives to get women involved in computing fields, so she decided to take those ideas back to India by founding Girls Code Camp (GCC).

Last summer, Shroff led the GCC team of Stanford students to India to teach computer-science workshops to more than 500 middle- and high-school girls. The subsequent "GCC Hack Day" produced projects ranging from medical-emergency apps to educational games.

Shroff is also championing gender diversity on campus. This quarter, she'll be doing research with Stanford's Clayman Institute for Gender Research to help detect unconscious bias in job descriptions. And she's a mentor for Girls Teaching Girls To Code, a program that teaches Bay Area high-school girls how to code.

Shroff also contributed to research at Stanford's Bio-Robotics lab on a project that allows surgeons to practice brain surgery on virtual patients. She used cutting-edge technology to create a program where sights, sounds, and forces of the virtual surgery replicate that of the operating room.

Brandon Hill is the student body vice president and a former White House intern.

Class of 2016

Major: political science, African/African-American studies 

The summer before he was set to start at Stanford, Brandon Hill was de-accepted by the university for a bad grade in physics. He decided to take a year off — something he later dubbed "Year On" during a TEDx talk — to travel more than 30,000 miles across the world on a full scholarship through Semester at Sea.

He made it to Stanford and is now vice president of the school's more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students. 

Hill is passionate about helping youths of color maximize their creative potential through his startup, Enza Academy. Over the last two years, Enza has trained more than 150 kids nationwide at its innovation, tech, and entrepreneurship "hack-camps," which have been sponsored by Google, Stanford, Columbia University, and Facebook. Last December, Hill and his cofounder spoke about Enza Academy at the White House, where Hill interned the summer after his freshman year at Stanford.

He's also interned at Google on the YouTube star-management team, at UNICEF in Tanzania, and for the US Department of Education. When he graduates in June, Hill plans to work full-time on his "TED meets Twitter" idea-sharing platform.

Despite popular belief, the best high-school education doesn't always come from a private school. In fact, several of America's best public high schools offer top-level academics — without the five-figure tuition cost.

Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, recently released its 2016 ranking of the best public high schools in America, from which it also ranked the schools with the best academics— the smartest public schools in America.

Niche ranked the schools' academics by key factors like graduation rates, performance on SAT/ACT and Advanced Placement tests, and student and parent reviews for 23,861 public high schools across the US. You can read the full methodology here.

Read on for the 50 smartest public high schools in the US.

SEE ALSO: The best public high school in every state

AND: The 25 best school districts in America

50. Monta Vista High School

Location: Cupertino, California

Average SAT score: 2130

AP test pass rate: 87.2%

"Very hard academics in terms of teacher standards, so that inevitably pushes you to become a better student,"said one alum. 

"There is a very huge presence of AP/honors classes, and a huge student-preference towards math and science-type classes,"commented another.

49. Carroll Senior High School

Location: Southlake, Texas

Average SAT score: 1940

AP test pass rate: N/A

"Carroll is academically challenging at first but you get used to the workload,"said one Niche user. "There are a lot of different elective options and its pretty common to get all the classes you want."

48. Indian Hill High School

Location: Cincinnati

Average SAT score: 1920

AP test pass rate: 83.2%

Many Indian Hill students complimented the school's educators. "The teachers are amazing. Our counselors are always available to help us whenever a problem arises: teacher conflicts, schedules, or just general problems,"said a senior. 

U.S. News & World Report recently released its list of the best places to live in America, ranking the 100 most populous US cities on factors such as desirability, job market, and quality of life.

The best region in the country, going by the US Census Bureau's geographic divisions, might surprise some: the South. Twenty-four of the top 50 cities can be found in the South — more than the combined number of cities that made the list from the traditionally more desirable West and Northeast regions.

Though prominent coastal areas like Boston and San Francisco might be expected to help their regions topple the competition, cities in the South outperformed the field on two key metrics: job market and cost of living.

"U.S. News found a divide between what Americans say makes a place desirable to live in versus what their criteria is when thinking about moving," Miriam Weiner, product manager for real estate at U.S. News, told Business Insider. "Looking at regions, metropolitan areas in the South and Midwest do not perform as highly as coastal areas on the desirability index, but they do offer stronger job markets and a better cost of living — two components that make up 45% of our methodology." (You can read the full methodology here.)

The appeal of iconic cultural hubs like New York and Los Angeles is a draw for many, but in the end, affordability matters a lot, giving the South a leg up on the competition.

Southern cities like Austin, Charleston, and Houston also offer many of the amenities of more "desirable" areas, including proximity to beaches, thriving food scenes, and an abundance of local culture.

Ready to move yet? Keep reading to discover the 24 best places to live in the South.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best places to live in America

DON'T MISS: The 20 best places to live in America if you want to make a lot of money

24. Columbia, South Carolina

Population: 784,698

Median annual salary: $41,020

Quality of life: 6.4

Overall value: 7.7

Home to the University of South Carolina, Columbia exudes a college-town atmosphere that can be felt through its abundance of trendy coffee shops and hip bars. For the nonstudent residents, the town’s job market is on the rise, steadily adding positions in the technology and manufacturing sectors. Columbia’s cost of living also sits well below the national average.

23. Louisville, Kentucky

Population: 1,253,305

Median annual salary: $42,330

Quality of life: 6.2

Overall value: 7.9

Many Louisville residents find work in healthcare, business, tourism, and technology, with companies like YUM Brands, Humana, and Ford offering opportunities for employment.

Tourists and locals alike come together each spring at Churchill Downs for the two-week Kentucky Derby festival, filled with mint juleps, Kentucky bourbon, and a some horse racing, too.

22. Orlando, Florida

Population: 2,226,835

Median annual salary: $40,200

Quality of life: 6.9

Overall value: 5.3

There’s more to Orlando than Disney World. Head downtown for a ticket to the hottest restaurants and nightclubs of the moment or trek out to the residential sector filled with picturesque lakefront homes.

That’s not to say locals don’t appreciate the tourist traps. The parks serve as a point of pride for many long-term residents, according to one local expert. “The theme parks' special pricing for local residents along with the widespread employment that the parks offer have largely endeared them to the community,” he explained.

From thick-cut steak fries to crispy shoestrings to those doused in layers of cheese, fries come in thousands of mouthwatering varieties.

In honor of National French Fry Day on July 13, we rounded up the best fries in every state by sorting through expert reviews and local recommendations.

From gravy-soaked poutine in Oregon to purple potatoes in Idaho to San Diego's famous carne asada fries, here's the best place to get your fry fix in every state. 

Did we get your state right? Let us know in the comments.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best barbecue joints in America, ranked

DON'T MISS: This wildly popular french fry restaurant just reopened one year after a deadly gas explosion leveled it — here's what it's like now

ALABAMA: Despite the upscale vibe of this Birmingham brasserie, Chez Fonfon's classic French fries are a hard menu item to beat. But here's the catch: You have to order a croque or hamburger to get them, as they aren't offered as a standalone side.

Chez Fonfon

ALASKA: What's the perfect complement for one of International House of Hot Dogs' gourmet dogs? Cilantro fries, of course. This Anchorage favorite not only serves the best hot dogs in town, but crispy, flavorful fries to match.

International House of Hot Dogs

ARIZONA: You'll feel like a kid again at Zinburger, where you're encouraged to indulge in grown-up versions of childhood favorites like burgers, shakes and, of course, fries, including truffle, zucchini, and sweet potato varieties. Originally opened in Phoenix, there are now locations across Arizona.

Zinburger

Frugality is a subjective term. To the average Joe it could mean eating meals at home or scouring the internet for cheap flights.

But to a billionaire it means showing up to work in a T-shirt and jeans, driving a Toyota or Volkswagen, and, in some instances, foregoing the purchase of a private jet or lavish vacation home.

Surprisingly, some of the richest people on earth are incredibly frugal, each one with their own penny-pinching habits.

From eating lunch in the office cafeteria with their employees to residing in homes worth a fraction of what they could afford, these eight self-made billionaires — many of whom are also generous philanthropists— know the secret to keeping their net worth high.

DON'T MISS: After studying rich people for 5 years, I realized there are 10 critical habits the wealthy learn from their parents

SEE ALSO: The 50 richest people on earth

Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, still lives in the same home he bought for $31,500 in 1958.

Net worth:$68.1 billion

The "Oracle of Omaha" is one of the wisest and most frugal billionaires around. Despite his status as one of the richest people on earth, he still lives in the same modest home he bought for $31,500 in 1958, doesn't carry a cellphone or have a computer at his desk, and once had a vanity license plate that read "THRIFTY," according to his 2009 biography. And when his friend of 25 years Bill Gates visits Omaha, Buffett picks Gates up from the airport himself.

Buffett also has a decidedly low-brow palate, known not just for investing in junk-food purveyors like Burger King, Dairy Queen, and Coca-Cola, but also for filling up on them as well. The Buffett diet includes five Cokes a day, as well as Cheetos and potato chips.

At his annual shareholder's meeting in 2014, Buffett explained that his quality of life isn't affected by the amount of money he has:

"My life couldn't be happier. In fact, it'd be worse if I had six or eight houses. So, I have everything I need to have, and I don't need any more because it doesn't make a difference after a point."

Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, drives a manual-transmission Volkswagen hatchback.

Net worth:$51.5 billion

Despite his status as one of the richest tech moguls on earth, Mark Zuckerberg leads a low-key lifestyle with his wife Priscilla Chan and their newborn daughter. The founder of Facebook has been unabashed about his simple T-shirt, hoodie, and jeans uniform.

"I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community," Zuckerberg said.

The trappings of wealth have never impressed the 32-year-old, who in December 2015 announced he would donate 99% of his Facebook shares during his lifetime.

Zuckerberg chowed down on McDonald's shortly after marrying Chan in 2012 in the backyard of their $7 million Palo Alto home — a modest sum for such an expensive housing market and pocket change for a man worth more than $51 billion. In 2014, he traded in his $30,000 Acura for a manual-transmission Volkswagen hatchback.

Carlos Slim Helú, founder of Grupo Carso, has lived in the same six-bedroom house for more than 40 years.

Net worth:$31.6 billion

Rather than spending his fluctuating fortune, Carlos Slim funnels his billions back into the economy and his vast array of companies. He once mused to Reuters that wealth was like an orchard because "what you have to do is make it grow, reinvest to make it bigger, or diversify into other areas."

The 76-year-old is by far the richest man in Mexico, but he forgoes luxuries like private jets and yachts and reportedly still drives an old Mercedes-Benz. Slim runs his companies frugally, too, writing in staff handbooks that employees should always"maintain austerity in prosperous times (in times when the cow is fat with milk)."

The businessman has lived in the same six-bedroom house in Mexico for more than 40 years and routinely enjoys sharing home-cooked meals with his children and grandchildren. He's got a couple of known indulgences, including fine art — in honor of his late wife — and Cuban cigars, as well as an $80 million mansion in Manhattan, which he was trying to sell last spring.

Big cities aren't for everyone. But America's best metropolises have become magnets for people looking to find a great job and start a new, exciting life. 

In its recently released ranking of the best places to live in America, U.S. News & World Report gathered data on the 100 most populous US cities. Among the factors they considered: affordable housing, access to well-paying jobs, a low cost of living, good schools, and quality healthcare (you can read U.S. News' full methodology here). 

U.S. News separately ranked the best mega-cities on their list, defined as the major metros with populations above 2.5 million people. Business Insider has included the top-12 big cities from that list.

Scores for "value," a blend of annual household income and cost of living, and "quality of life," which accounts for crime, college readiness, commute, and other factors, are included below on a 10-point scale, as well as the city’s population and median annual salary.

Keep reading to discover America's 12 best big cities to live in right now.

SEE ALSO: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

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12. Atlanta, Georgia

Population: 5,455,053

Median annual salary: $48,750

Quality of life: 5.8

Overall value: 7.1

The premier metropolis of southeastern America, Atlanta blends southern charm and big-city hustle and bustle. It offers residents a below-average cost of living and access to major employers like CNN, Delta, The Home Depot, and Coca-Cola. 

Parks are plentiful, and other popular attractions include Civil War museums, the Georgia Aquarium, and the city's beloved professional baseball team, the Atlanta Braves. 

11. Phoenix, Arizona

Population: 4,337,542

Median annual salary: $45,840

Quality of life: 6.2

Overall value: 6.8

Come for the weather, stay for the city: Phoenix boasts more sunny days per year than any other city in the US, according to a local expert. But it’s the thriving job market, variety of shops and restaurants, and easy access to numerous outdoor activities — think everything from hiking to paddleboarding — that keep residents happy long-term.

10. Tampa, Florida

Population: 2,851,235

Median annual salary: $43,420

Quality of life: 6.7

Overall value: 5.4

Tampa’s laid-back atmosphere, warm weather, and barrage of entertainment options make it feel like a trip to paradise. “Living in the Tampa Bay is like being on vacation all year,” said a local expert.

Tampa hasn’t been overtaken by tourists, however. It retains several niche communities, including a strong Cuban influence in historic Ybor City, formerly known as the “cigar capital of the world.”

Getting to know the personalities of the high fliers in the European tech community isn't easy. They're busy people and constantly on the move. 

Thankfully, many of the top founders, CEOs, and investors have Instagram accounts that they use to document their day-to-day lives as they jet around the world, attend swanky dinners, and rub shoulders with government leaders. 

We ranked some of Europe's best tech Instagrammers according to how good their photos are, how regularly they post, and what they post snaps of.

See the ranking:

19. Dailymotion CEO Cedric Tournay. WHY? Tournay enjoys experimenting with a filter while travelling to Asia and beyond.

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18. Mike Butcher, editor at large of TechCrunch. WHY? Butcher posts snaps from tech conferences around the world.

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17. Eileen Burbidge, partner at Passion Capital. WHY? Burbidge's Instagram is a snapshot of her family life, and the glamorous parties she attends.

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The World Economic Forum recently announced its 2016 class of Young Global Leaders — people under the age of 40 who are changing the world — and 24 of the 121 are American.

This year's Young Global Leaders class includes leaders from an array of backgrounds. Some are famous entertainers, like actor and investor Ashton Kutcher and writer John Green, and others are inventors, CEOs, philanthropists, and scientists working on revolutionary ideas — such as Nina Tandon, who grows human bones with her biotech company, EpiBone. 

Once chosen by the WEF, these leaders are a part of the program for five years — they attend meetings, participate in initiatives and research, and work with the rest of the WEF's community.

Here are the 24 American leaders making a worldwide impact.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly omitted James Song. The list has since been updated.

SEE ALSO: America’s 12 best big cities to live in right now

SEE ALSO: The 24 best private high schools in the Northeast

Andy Moon, SunFarmer

Andy Moon started his work in the solar energy industry in 2009 as a project developer for SunEdison. In 2013, he and a coworker started SunFarmer — a nonprofit that brings solar power to developing countries — with the help of a $2 million grant from a SunEdison foundation.

SunFarmer has completed more than 100 solar energy projects so far in Nepal, its pilot country, powering schools and health clinics as well as providing relief to victims following a pair of earthquakes last spring.

By 2020, SunFarmer’s goal is to power 4,000 hospitals, schools and water projects around the world.

Aria Finger, DoSomething.Org

After graduating from college in 2005, Aria Finger joined the nonprofit DoSomething.org to try to change the way young people give back to their communities. The organization has since grown from five employees to 55, and in the past decade it has helped 4.7 million young people started campaigns in their hometowns.

Six months ago, Finger was promoted to CEO. Her most recent campaign, Keep Guns Off Campus, encourages students to pressure their college presidents to take a stand against having guns on campus.

Ashton Kutcher, THORN: Digital Defenders of Children

The actor, producer, and tech investor started the DNA Foundation in 2011 with then-wife Demi Moore with the goal of ending child sex slavery. The company rebranded a year later to “Thorn: Digital Defenders of Children” with a more specific focus: technology’s role in the sexual exploitation of children.

With the help of partners such as Facebook, Tumblr, and Microsoft, Thorn has been battling Internet-enabled sexual abuse and providing support to victims. This past November, Kutcher announced that the organization would open an innovation lab that will allow data analysts and scientists to think up new technologies to deter online predatory behavior toward children.

Business Insider recently released its ranking of the top 50 law schools in America, with some surprisingly results: Yale and Harvard were dethroned as the de facto No. 1 and No. 2 schools, falling instead to No. 10 and No. 3, respectively. University of Pennsylvania and University of Chicago took first and second on our ranking.

How did we arrive at a ranking that so sharply diverged from other popular law school rankings? For starters, we put very little stock in selectivity. We gave small consideration to having a high averate LSAT score but did not factor in acceptance rates. We also gave no weight for past reputation — we cared more about what school is showing the best results right now.

So instead, we based our ranking primarily on graduates' success in the job market. Law school is expensive, and it's currently a competitive, oversaturated industry with far worse job prospects than in years past. So we gave extra weight to schools that helped students secure well-paying and highly coveted positions: jobs at big law firms that pay well (those with over 251 employees) and federal clerkships, which are difficult to secure and frequently set up successful careers. We also gave significant credit to a school's record for setting students up with full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and we docked points for schools with higher rates of students who were unemployed but still seeking work. Finally, we factored in the percentage of students that passed the bar on their first try and the cost of non-resident tuition. 

All of our data comes from the American Bar Association and is primarily based on job results for the class of 2015.

Here's the breakdown of how we weighted it:

• 32% — Percentage of graduates securing a highly coveted position 
• 20% — Percentage of graduates securing full-time, long-term positions requiring bar passage 
• 20% — Percentage of graduates still seeking employment (negatively weighted) 
• 12% — Percentage of graduates who pass the bar on their first try 
• 8% — Cost of tuition for full-time, non-resident students (negatively weighted) 
• 8% — Median LSAT score for admitted students

Check out the full list of 50.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best business schools in the world

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges in America

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While it can be tough to get into elite law schools, the real challenge happens post-graduation: securing a good job.

Law-school enrollment remains high — 39,984 students graduated in the class of 2015— but the prestigious degree no longer holds the same clout that it once did, and an oversaturation of lawyers has left graduates struggling in the job market.

For the class of 2010, only 40% of graduates were working at law firms by 2015, and 20% of the class held jobs that didn't even require a law license.

Even many who do land at a law firm can struggle to pay off the crushing debt. Law students incur an average loan burden of $84,000 by the time they graduate from a public school and $122,158 by the time they graduate from a private school, according to the American Bar Association.

But only about 17% of 2014 graduates employed at law firms full-time were making the coveted $160,000 salary, while half reported salaries of $40,000 to $65,000.

So, to determine which law schools stand as the best in the country, Business Insider focused on the institutions that lead to top jobs in the legal world. Using data from the ABA, the ranking primarily homed in on the percentage of graduates who land full-time, long-term, highly coveted jobs, which includes positions at big law firms that pay well — those with over 251 employees — and federal clerkships, which are difficult to secure and frequently set up successful careers.

The ranking also took into consideration the percentage of graduates with full-time, long-term jobs that require passing the bar, the percentage that are unemployed but seeking employment, bar-passage rate, tuition, and median LSAT scores. You can read more about our methodology here. 

Placing a higher weight on jobs — and no weight on selectivity or reputation — yielded unexpected results. The University of Pennsylvania earned the top spot, followed by the University of Chicago at No. 2. The law programs at Yale and Harvard, perennially ranked Nos. 1 and 2 in other rankings, came in 10th and third, respectively.

Continue on to check out the full list.

Additional reporting by Kaitlyn Yarborough and Alexa Pipia.

Edited by Alex Morrell and Sara Silverstein.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best business schools in the world

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges in America

50. Seton Hall University

Location: Newark, New Jersey

Percent of graduates with highly coveted positions: 7%

Bar passage rate: 83%

Median LSAT score: 157

The only private law school in New Jersey, Seton Hall offers instruction in the areas of health, intellectual property, public interest and public policy, and social justice. About 80% of graduates secured full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar-exam passage.

49. Louisiana State University

Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Percent of graduates with highly coveted positions: 6%

Bar passage rate: 84%

Median LSAT score: 155

In addition to a traditional law degree in common law, Louisiana State University's Paul M. Herbert Law Center also gives students the option to earn an additional degree in civil law, which the school describes as a "blend of Roman, Spanish, and French legal traditions." After graduation, 70% of LSU law students secure full-time, long-term jobs that require passing the bar.

48. University of Kansas

Location: Lawrence, Kansas

Percent of graduates with highly coveted positions: 10%

Bar passage rate: 86%

Median LSAT score: 156

Law students at the University of Kansas can complete dual-degree programs in several areas, including business, journalism, and communications. Tuition for the public school is the third-lowest on our list at $35,328.

Business Insider recently released its ranking of the 50 best law schools in America, which highlights the top institutions that prepare students to land highly coveted jobs in the legal world. 

But apart from job prospects, location can play an important role in deciding which school to attend, too. Some people don't want to uproot too far from a community where they're established, while others may want to get their JD near a specific industry epicenter — like the finance world of New York or the tech scene out West.

Pulling from our overall law school ranking, we've compiled a list of the best schools in the Northeast, as defined by the US Census Bureau. Our methodology draws data from the American Bar Association and focuses on the percentage of graduates who land full-time, long-term, highly coveted jobs, which includes positions at big law firms that pay well — those with over 251 employees— and federal clerkships. Read more about our methodology here.

Half of the schools on the list are located in New York, but the top spot goes to the University of Pennsylvania, which also topped the main list.

Read on to find out the 14 best school law schools located in the Northeast.

Additional reporting by Kaitlyn Yarborough.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best law schools in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 best colleges in America

14. Cardozo Law School

Location: New York, New York

Percent of graduates with highly coveted positions: 16%

Bar passage rate: 86%

Median LSAT score: 159

Over 51% of students at Cardozo School of Law are women, making it the second highest percentage on the list behind Boston University (55%). According to U.S. News & World Report, it’s also in the top 10 schools for both dispute resolution and intellectual property law.

13. St. John's University

Location: Queens, New York

Percent of graduates with highly coveted positions: 14%

Bar passage rate: 85%

Median LSAT score: 158

Located a short subway ride from Manhattan, 81% of St. John’s University School of Law graduates take jobs in New York state. St. John’s boasts a total of nine academic centers aimed at helping students pursue areas of interest and refine their skills. JD candidates interested in studying abroad have the option to take courses in Rome, Paris, or Glasgow.

12. Temple University

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Percent of graduates with highly coveted positions: 14%

Bar passage rate: 84%

Median LSAT score: 160

As soon as JD candidates start at Temple University, they are immediately introduced to a number of experiential learning programs. Its practicum pairs students with a member of the faculty and a practicing attorney to work with clients at local organizations. Temple’s trial advocacy program is also ranked the second-best in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Earning a law degree was once a sure-fire path to a successful and lucrative career. Law school enrollment remains high, but an oversaturation of lawyers has left graduates struggling in the job market. Even the grads who find jobs aren't guaranteed a six-figure salary, leaving many stuck under a mountain of student debt. 

Which is why Business Insider's recently released list of the 50 best law schools in the country focused on the institutions that lead to top jobs in the legal world. The ranking primarily homed in on the percentage of graduates who land full-time, long-term, highly coveted jobs, which we narrowed down to two things: positions at big law firms and federal clerkships.

Landing a spot at a large firm all but guarantees financial success — big firms pay significantly more than small ones. And the mega firms tend to play follow-the-leader when it comes to compensation: After a prominent New York City firm raised its base starting salary to $180,000 last month, many other big names followed suit.

We culled data from the American Bar Association to find the schools that funnel the highest percentage of graduates into the largest law firms — those with more than 500 employees. We used overall rank on our main list as a tiebreaker. Read on to see which law schools send the most graduates these companies. 

Additional reporting by Kaitlyn Yarborough and Alexa Pipia.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best law schools in America

DON'T MISS: The 50 best business schools in the world

25. Emory University

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Percent of graduates who secure jobs at law firms with over 500 employees: 17%

Bar passage rate: 89%

Median LSAT score: 165

Seventy-five percent of Emory Law’s more than 300 graduates secured long-term, full-time jobs requiring bar passage. The private school, which is known for its public service law program, costs $51,510 per year.

24. University of Notre Dame

Location: South Bend, Indiana

Percent of graduates who secure jobs at law firms with over 500 employees: 20%

Bar passage rate: 84%

Median LSAT score: 164

The University of Notre Dame law school encourages students to extend their education outside of the US and offers several opportunities to study abroad, including stays at Notre Dame’s programs in London, Chile, or Italy. Grads join the ranks of successful alumni, such as Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan and Fox News senior judicial analyst Andrew Napolitano.

23. Washington University in St. Louis

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Percent of graduates who secure jobs at law firms with over 500 employees: 21%

Bar passage rate: 89%

Median LSAT score: 165

Seventy-five percent of Emory Law’s more than 300 graduates secured long-term, full-time jobs requiring bar passage. The private school, which is known for its public service law program, costs $51,510 per year.