Consult the rankings of major publications like "U.S. News & World Report." This publication can provide you with tremendous insight into the general perception of graduate degree programs in your intended field of study. Although it does not provide rankings for every type of graduate program, it does for many of the more popular fields of study. Rankings are compiled each year by surveying faculty members nationwide who work in that discipline. These surveys primarily provide you with the bias of the academic community toward each particular discipline, but this bias can be a positive thing to consider because it is offered by people who are "in the know" regarding their field of expertise.
Visit websites like PhDs.org to use their online rankings tool. This website allows you to rank programs based on criteria you consider important such as size of the program, faculty members' characteristics (male, female, minority, etc.), tuition costs, financial aid available, diversity within the program, resources for students, the department's research productivity and student placement. Rankings are provided for schools across a wide variety of disciplines including agricultural science, the social and behavioral sciences, math and physical sciences, life sciences, arts and humanities, communication, health sciences and engineering.
Compare the findings of your list created on PhDs.org with those of "U.S. News & World Report." This should give you some idea of which program should be placed at the top of your list and which should not. There can be considerable discrepancies between the two lists, depending upon which criteria you use to establish your list. Eliminate schools from your list for which there appears to be little or no financial aid available.