The longest bull market in history keeps charging. Stocks are near record highs, which sounds good, but it does create a problem for income investors. Specifically, where can they find dividend stocks poised for outperformance that still sport decent yields?

The idea, after all, is to buy stocks when they're low, then sell high. And they don't seem too low when they're only a couple of percentage points below record levels. Stocks' lofty prices have crushed their yields, too. The trailing 12-month dividend yield on the S&P 500 stands at a paltry 1.9%.

High-quality dividend stocks with better-than-average yields do exist, however. We're here to help you find them.

We scoured the S&P 500 for dividend stocks with yields of at least 3%. From that pool, we focused on stocks with an average broker recommendation of Buy or better. S&P Global Market Intelligence surveys analysts' stock ratings and scores them on a five-point scale, where 1.0 equals Strong Buy and 5.0 means Strong Sell. Any score of 2.0 or lower means that analysts, on average, rate the stock a Buy. The closer the score gets to 1.0, the stronger the Buy call.

Lastly, we dug into research and analysts' estimates on the top-scoring names. That led us to these 25 great blue-chip dividend stocks that have the highest analyst ratings.

KeyCorp

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With more than 1,100 branches across 15 states and about $130 billion in assets, Cleveland-based KeyCorp (KEY, $18.12) is one of the largest regional banks in the nation. A hefty dividend yield north of 4% and solid growth prospects have analysts convinced that solid returns still lie ahead.

"KEY is not immune to the challenging rate environment, but the company has been more aggressive than many in protecting its position," note analysts at Sandler O'Neill & Partners, who rate shares at Buy.

Analysts forecast the bank to generate average annual earnings growth of 7.8% over the next three to five years, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence. Add in a yield of more than 4%, making KEY one of the higher-yielding dividend stocks in the financial sector, and its total-return potential is sweet enough to warrant an average analyst recommendation of Buy.

One note: You might've heard this banking stock called out in July after it disclosed fraudulent activity involving a business customer that could cost KeyCorp up to $90 million. However, Baird analyst David George told CNBC the situation is "manageable." He has an Outperform rating (equivalent of Buy) on the stock, and says, "While we acknowledge that this isn't a pretty headline, we believe any weakness beyond 1.5%-2% is an opportunity to add to positions."

Archer Daniels Midland

Courtesy Archer Daniels Midland

Archer Daniels Midland (, $40.29) is a global food