By Travis Thayer File photo. (Highland Heights, Ky.) - Northern Kentucky University has been recognized as one of America’s top colleges’. An elite list of 650 public and private universities across the nation make up Forbes Magazine’s “America’s Top Colleges” rankings. NKU was once again ranked among the nation’s top higher education institutions. NKU has been included in the Forbes rankings for seven consecutive years. The rankings focus on student outcomes in five categories including student satisfaction, post-graduate success, student debt, graduation rate and academic success. “We are honored to once again be ranked among the top colleges in the nation,” said NKU President Geoffrey S. Mearns. In May, NKU graduated the largest class in its 48-year history.