the Little Ivies, along with universities such as Tufts, Bowdoin, Colby, Amherst, Middlebury, Connecticut College, Hamilton, Trinity, Wesleyan, and Williams. The college is also known as one of the Hidden Ivies, which includes much larger research universities such as Johns Hopkins and Stanford University. The 2020 annual ranking by U.S. News & World Report ranked Bates tied for 21st overall best liberal arts college in the nation. Forbes ranked Bates 39th in its 2019 national rankings of 650 U.S. colleges, universities and service academies, and 11th among liberal arts colleges. The college's highest ranking on the Forbes tables was 8th in the U.S. during its 2018 listing. Washington Monthly ranked Bates 17th in 2019 among 214 liberal arts colleges in the U.S. based on its contribution to the public good, as measured by social mobility, research, and promoting public service. The peak position Bates has held on the Washington Monthly ranking was 6th in 2013. For the 2017–18 academic year, Niche, formerly College Prowler, graded Bates with an overall grade of an 'A+' noting an 'A+' for academics, 'A+' for campus food, 'A+' for technology, 'A' for administration, 'A−' for diversity, and an 'A' for campus quality. During the 2019 Niche rankings, Bates was designated the 14th best liberal arts college in the country. , Alumni Factor, which measures alumni success, ranks Bates first in Maine and among the top schools nationally. In 2018, Bates produced 23 Bates students who received Fulbright fellowships, attaining the distinction of "Fulbright Top Producer", and subsequently breaking the college's previous record, and ranking Bates first in the United States. The Peace Corps placed Bates 22nd, out of all liberal arts colleges, for international charity involvement. In 2017, according to The Washington Post–a paper that aggregates university rankings from six different publications–the undergraduate program is the 17th best in the United States. On September 20, 2016, PayScale released a report of 1,000 universities and their average graduate earning potential for the 2016–17 year. A Bates degree was worth approximately $120,000 in average salary making it the 13th highest among universities, and the third highest among liberal arts in the U.S. In 2016, two Bates alumni were featured on the Forbes' 30 Under 30 list. Campus Bates is in a former mill town, Lewiston, which has a large French Canadian ethnic presence due to migration from Quebec in the 19th century. The college is known for