Top Universities in The USA

Top Universities in The USA

Browse the College Rankings list below or search for a top-ranked on-campus or online college program that specializes in your area of interest.Top-ranked national universities, such as Princeton and MIT, offer a wide variety of majors and award bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees. Many of these top-ranked colleges and universities also produce groundbreaking research in one or more fields.

Browse the college rankings list below for top school rankings or select a specific college ranking category from the list on the left.

Princeton University

Princeton University, located in quiet Princeton, N.J., was founded in 1746. The historic campus offers several events, activities, and organizations on its 600 acres. The Princeton Tigers are part of the Ivy League and are known for their strong men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. This private institution has educated several notable alumni including U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. All undergraduate students are required to write a senior thesis, a unique aspect of Princeton’s academic program.

Are you ready to begin an undergraduate degree program now? U.S. News University Directory canmatchyou with top schools and accredited degree programs that meet your criteria in a few simple steps.Get matched now!

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Princeton, NJ 08544
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1746

Admission

Academic calendar: Semester
January 01 application deadline
7.4% accepted

Programs Offered

Bachelor’s degree, doctorate, master's degree

Majors Offered

Engineering, general, Chemical engineering, Civil engineering, general, Computer engineering, general, Electrical and electronics engineering, Mechanical engineering, Operations research, Comparative literature, Slavic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, German language and literature, French language and literature, Hispanic and latin american languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, English language and literature, general, Molecular biology, Mathematics, general, Multi-/interdisciplinary studies, other, Philosophy, Religion/religious studies, Architecture, Astrophysics, Chemistry, general, Geology/earth science, general, Physics, general, Psychology, general, Public policy analysis, general, Anthropology, Demography and population studies, Economics, general, Political science and government, general, Sociology, East asian studies, Near and middle eastern studies, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, general, History, general.

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Harvard University

Harvard University, located in urban Cambridge, Mass., is a private institution founded in 1636. Harvard is known for its extensive library system that houses the oldest book and document collection in the United States and the largest private collection in the world. In addition to an education at an outstanding school, Harvard also offers sports and active student organizations. Harvard has also educated eight U.S. presidents and other notable alumni.

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Cambridge, MA 02138
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1636

Admission

Academic calendar: Semester
January 01 application deadline
6% accepted

Programs Offered

bachelor's degree, doctorate, master's degree, post-bachelor's certificate, post-master's certificate

Majors Offered

East asian studies, Computer science, Electrical and electronics engineering, Engineering science, Mechanical engineering, German language and literature, Linguistics, Slavic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Comparative literature, Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, English language and literature, general, English language and literature/letters, other, Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies, Biology/biological sciences, general, Biochemistry, Biochemistry and molecular biology, Cell/cellular and molecular biology, Evolutionary biology, Neurobiology and neurosciences, other, Mathematics, general, Applied mathematics, general, Statistics, general, Environmental studies, Philosophy, Religion/religious studies, Astronomy and astrophysics, other, Chemistry, general, Geology/earth science, general, Physics, general, Atomic/molecular physics, Psychology, general, Economics, general, History, other, Social sciences, general, Anthropology, Political science and government, general, Sociology, Near and middle eastern studies, South asian studies, African-american/black studies, Women's studies, Music, general, Visual and performing arts, general, Art history, criticism and conservation, History, general, History and philosophy of science and technology.

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Yale University

Yale University, located in urban New Haven, Conn., is a private institution founded in 1701. Yale is known for its excellent drama and music programs. The Yale Bulldogs are part of the Ivy League and have an on-going rivalry with Harvard. Yale is also well known for its secret societies, the most popular ones being the Skull and Bone Society and the Scroll and Key Society. Actress Meryl Streep, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward and actor Edward Norton are distinguished Yale alumni.

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New Haven, CT 06520
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1701

Admission

Academic calendar: Semester
January 01 application deadline
6.3% accepted

Programs Offered

Bachelor’s degree, doctorate, master's degree, post-master's certificate

Majors Offered

Computer and information sciences, general, Computer programming, specific applications, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Chemical engineering, Electrical and electronics engineering, Engineering physics/applied physics, Engineering science, Environmental/environmental health engineering, Mechanical engineering, Linguistics, Chinese language and literature, Germanic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Modern greek language and literature, French language and literature, Italian language and literature, Portuguese language and literature, Spanish language and literature, Ancient near eastern and biblical languages, literatures, and linguistics, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Ancient/classical greek language and literature, Latin language and literature, English language and literature, general, English language and literature/letters, other, Humanities/humanistic studies, Biology/biological sciences, general, Biochemistry and molecular biology, Cell/cellular and molecular biology, Evolutionary biology, Mathematics, general, Applied mathematics, general, Statistics, general, Environmental studies, Mathematics and computer science, International/global studies, Cognitive science, Multi-/interdisciplinary studies, other, Philosophy, Religion/religious studies, Jewish/judaic studies, Architecture, Astronomy, Astrophysics, Astronomy and astrophysics, other, Chemistry, general, Geology/earth science, general, Geological and earth sciences/geosciences, other, Physics, general, Physical sciences, other, Psychology, general, Anthropology, Archeology, Economics, general, International relations and affairs, Political science and government, general, Sociology, African studies, American/united states studies/civilization, Latin american studies, Near and middle eastern studies, Russian studies, South asian studies, Chinese studies, German studies, Japanese studies, Area studies, other, African-american/black studies, Women's studies, Ethnic, cultural minority, gender, and group studies, other, Drama and dramatics/theatre arts, general, Film/cinema/video studies, Art/art studies, general, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, general, History, general, Japanese language and literature, Russian language and literature

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Columbia University

Columbia University, located in the New York City borough of Manhattan, is a private institution founded in 1754. Columbia offers a wide range of student activities. The Columbia Lions have more than 25 NCAA Division I teams in the Ivy League, there are numerous Greek fraternity and sorority chapters on campus, and the university has organizations like the Urban New Yorker, which gives out free tickets to events in the city. John Jay, President Barack Obama, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II and Maggie Gyllenhaal are distinguished Columbia alumni.

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2960 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1754

Admission

Academic calendar: Semester
January 01 application deadline
7% accepted

Programs Offered

Bachelor’s degree, certificate, doctorate, master's degree, post-bachelor's certificate

Majors Offered

Computer and information sciences, general, Art history, criticism and conservation, Visual and performing arts, Architectural history and criticism, American/united states studies/civilization, Ancient studies/civilization, Anthropology, African-american/black studies, Archeology, Architecture, Asian-american studies, Astronomy, Biological and physical sciences, Biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, Comparative literature, Chemistry, Chemical physics, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, Latin language and literature, Classical and ancient studies, Modern greek language and literature, Computer science, Dance, general, East asian studies, Economics, Econometrics and quantitative economics, Environmental biology, Environmental science, Geological and earth sciences/geosciences, English language and literature, general, Film/cinema/video studies, French language and literature, French studies, German language and literature, German studies, Germanic languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, History, History, other, Italian language and literature, Italian studies, Latin american studies, Linguistics, Mathematics, Mathematics, other, Mathematics and statistics, Middle/near eastern and semitic languages, literatures, and linguistics, Asian studies/civilization, Music, general, Philosophy, Physics, Astronomy and astrophysics, other, Biophysics, Political science and government, general, Political science and government, other, Psychology, Religion/religious studies, Russian language and literature, Slavic studies, Russian studies, Sociology, Hispanic-american, puerto rican, and mexican-american/chicano studies, Spanish language and literature, Statistics, general, Statistics, other, Drama and dramatics/theatre arts, general, Urban studies/affairs, Women's studies, Engineering technology, general, Applied mathematics, general, Physical sciences, other, Materials engineering, Biomedical/medical engineering, Civil engineering, Engineering mechanics, Chemical engineering, Computer engineering, Environmental/environmental health engineering, Education, Education, general, Electrical and electronics engineering, English language and literature, general, Philosophy, Operations research, Industrial engineering, Mechanical engineering, East asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Slavic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Ecology, evolution, systematics, and population biology, Evolutionary biology, Architecture, Architectural history and criticism, general, Psychology, general, Near and middle eastern studies, History, general

Minors Offered

Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics, French language and literature, Spanish language and literature, Middle/near eastern and semitic languages, literatures, and linguistics, Latin language and literature, English language and literature, general, Applied mathematics, Statistics, Philosophy, Religion/religious studies, Architecture, Psychology, Economics, Sociology, Hispanic-american, puerto rican, and mexican-american/chicano studies, Dance, Art history, criticism and conservation, History, Computer science, Civil engineering, other, Engineering mechanics, Environmental/environmental health engineering, Materials engineering, Mechanical engineering, Operations research, East asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, Germanic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general.

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Stanford University

Stanford University, located in suburban Stanford, Calif., is a private institution founded in 1885. Stanford has 8,180 acres for student activities and many student organizations, including the Stanford Solar Car Project, which designs, builds and races a solar car every two years. U.S. President Herbert Hoover, NFL quarterback John Elway, actress Sigourney Weaver and golfer Tiger Woods are all distinguished Stanford alumni.

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Stanford, CA 94305
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1885

Admission

Academic calendar: Quarter
January 03 application deadline
5.1% accepted

Programs Offered

bachelor's degree, doctorate, master's degree

Majors Offered

African-american/black studies, American/united states studies/civilization, Asian studies/civilization, East asian studies, Ethnic, cultural minority, gender, and group studies, other, Hispanic-american, puerto rican, and mexican-american/chicano studies, Latin american studies, Computer and information sciences, general, Computer science, Engineering, general, Aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical/space engineering, Architectural engineering, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Chemical engineering, Civil engineering, general, Electrical and electronics engineering, Engineering physics, Engineering, other, Engineering/industrial management, Environmental/environmental health engineering, Materials engineering, Industrial engineering, Manufacturing engineering, Mechanical engineering, Petroleum engineering, Systems engineering, Engineering technologies and engineering-related fields, other, Chinese language and literature, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Foreign languages and literatures, general, French language and literature, German language and literature, Italian language and literature, Japanese language and literature, Linguistics, Comparative literature, Russian language and literature, Slavic, baltic, and albanian languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Spanish language and literature, English language and literature, general, Biology, general, Mathematics, general, Computational mathematics, Environmental science, Systems science and theory, Mathematics and computer science, Human biology, Human computer interaction, Philosophy, Religion/religious studies, Religion/religious studies, Jewish/judaic studies, Philosophy and religious studies, other, Chemistry, Geological and earth sciences/geosciences, Geology/earth science, general, Physics, Psychology, Psychology, general, Public policy analysis, general, Anthropology, Archeology, Archeology, Economics, general, International relations and affairs, Political science and government, general, Sociology, Urban studies/affairs, Area studies, African studies, American indian/native american studies, Women's studies, Drama and dramatics/theatre arts, general, Film/cinema/video studies, Fine and studio arts, Fine/studio arts, general, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, Music, general, History, general, Communication and media studies, Mass communication/media studies

Minors Offered

Computer science, Engineering, Aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering, Chemical engineering, Civil engineering, Civil engineering, other, Electrical and electronics engineering, Environmental/environmental health engineering, Materials engineering, Mechanical engineering, Petroleum engineering, Systems engineering, Chinese language and literature, Japanese language and literature, French language and literature, Italian language and literature, Portuguese language and literature, Spanish language and literature, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, English language and literature/letters, Creative writing, Biological and biomedical sciences, Biology, general, Mathematics and statistics, Mathematics, general, Statistics, Systems science and theory, Mathematics and computer science, Science, technology and society, Human biology, Philosophy, Religion/religious studies, Jewish/judaic studies, Chemistry, Geology/earth science, general, Physics, Materials science, Psychology, Public policy analysis, Anthropology, Archeology, Economics, International relations and affairs, Sociology, Urban studies/affairs, African studies, American/united states studies/civilization, Asian studies/civilization, East asian studies, Russian, central european, east european and eurasian studies, Latin american studies, German studies, Area studies, other, African-american/black studies, American indian/native american studies, Hispanic-american, puerto rican, and mexican-american/chicano studies, Asian-american studies, Women's studies, Ethnic, cultural minority, gender, and group studies, other, Drama/theatre arts and stagecraft, Film/cinema/video studies, Film/video and photographic arts, other, Art/art studies, general, Music, History, Communication and media studies.

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University of Chicago

The University of Chicago, located in urban Chicago, Ill., is a private institution founded in 1892 and known as one of the nation’s leading research universities. Aside from the academics, the University of Chicago also offers many student activities. The Chicago Maroons have more than 15 NCAA Division III Teams and there are more than 400 student organizations. Students also can join the small but active Greek life. Distinguished alumni include John Ashcroft, Milton Friedman, Jesse Jackson, John Paul Stevens and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

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5801 S. Ellis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1890

Admission

Academic calendar: Quarter
January 04 application deadline
8.8% accepted

Programs Offered

Bachelor’s degree, doctorate, master's degree

Majors Offered

Computer science, Linguistics, Comparative literature, East asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Slavic, baltic and albanian languages, literatures, and linguistics, German language and literature, South asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Middle/near eastern and semitic languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, English language and literature, general, Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies, Humanities/humanistic studies, Biology/biological sciences, general, Mathematics, general, Statistics, general, Environmental studies, Medieval and renaissance studies, Philosophy, Jewish/judaic studies, Theology/theological studies, Chemistry, general, Chemistry, other, Geophysics and seismology, Physics, general, Psychology, general, Public policy analysis, general, Anthropology, Economics, general, Geography, International relations and affairs, Political science and government, general, Sociology, Social sciences, other, African studies, Latin american studies, South asian studies, Ethnic, cultural minority, gender, and group studies, other, Directing and theatrical production, Film/cinema/video studies, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, general, Visual and performing arts, other, History, general, History and philosophy of science and technology

Minors Offered

Computer science, Engineering science, Linguistics, East asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Slavic, baltic and albanian languages, literatures, and linguistics, German language and literature, South asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, French language and literature, Italian language and literature, Portuguese language and literature, Spanish language and literature, Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Middle/near eastern and semitic languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, English language and literature, general, Biology/biological sciences, general, Neuroscience, Mathematics, general, Statistics, general, Environmental studies, Philosophy, Jewish/judaic studies, Theology/theological studies, Physics, general, Social sciences, other, African studies, Latin american studies, Ethnic, cultural minority, gender, and group studies, other, Directing and theatrical production, Film/cinema/video studies, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, general, Visual and performing arts, other, History, general, History and philosophy of science and technology.

MIT wide

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located in urban Cambridge, Mass., is a private institution founded in 1861 and known for scientific and technological research. The MIT Engineers have more than 30 NCAA Division III teams. MIT also offers housing in one of the coolest dorms in the country, known as “The Sponge”, designed by Steven Holl. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, and Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke are among MIT’s distinguished alumni.

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77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1861

Admission

Academic calendar: 4-1-4
January 01 application deadline
7.9% accepted

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Duke University

Duke University, located in suburban Durham, N.C., is a private institution founded in 1838. The campus is 8,709 acres and offers, in addition to a top notch academic education, many different sports and student activities. The Duke Blue Devils are well known for their men’s basketball program and their rivalry with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. Numerous students are affiliated with Greek life, which has several fraternities and sororities. Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, NBA player Carlos Boozer and U.S. Congressman and two-time presidential candidate Ron Paul are among Duke’s notable alumni.

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2138 Campus Drive, Box 90586
Durham, NC 27708
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1838

Admission

Academic calendar: Semester
January 02 application deadline
11.4% accepted

Programs Offered

Bachelor’s degree, doctorate, master's degree, post-bachelor's certificate

Majors Offered

Computer and information sciences, general, Education, general, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Civil engineering, general, Electrical and electronics engineering, Mechanical engineering, Linguistics, Comparative literature, Slavic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, German language and literature, Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, French language and literature, Spanish language and literature, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Ancient/classical greek language and literature, English language and literature, general, English language and literature/letters, other, Biology/biological sciences, general, Neurobiology and neurosciences, other, Mathematics, general, Environmental studies, Medieval and renaissance studies, Multi-/interdisciplinary studies, other, Philosophy, Religion/religious studies, Chemistry, general, Geology/earth science, general, Physics, general, Psychology, general, Public policy analysis, general, Anthropology, Demography and population studies, Economics, general, Sociology, Asian studies/civilization, Area studies, other, African-american/black studies, Women's studies, Design and visual communications, general, Drama and dramatics/theatre arts, general, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, general, History, general.

Penn campus 2

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, located in urban Philadelphia, Penn., is a private institution founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin. The school offers several student activities. The Penn Quakers have more than 25 NCAA Division I sports that compete in the Ivy League and the Greek life is strong with numerous fraternities and sororities. The university offers several clubs and organizations and works closely with the west Philadelphia area through community service. William Henry Harrison, William Carlos Williams, and Donald Trump are among Penn’s distinguished alumni.

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1 College Hall, Room 100
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Institutional Control: Private
Year Founded: 1740

Admission

Academic calendar: Semester
January 01 application deadline
10.4% accepted

Programs Offered

Associate degree, terminal associate degree, bachelor's degree, certificate, doctorate, master's degree, post-bachelor's certificate, post-master's certificate

Majors Offered

Computer graphics, Computer systems networking and telecommunications, Education, general, Elementary education and teaching, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Chemical engineering, Civil engineering, general, Computer engineering, general, Electrical and electronics engineering, Environmental/environmental health engineering, Materials engineering, Mechanical engineering, Systems engineering, Engineering, other, Linguistics, Comparative literature, East asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Russian language and literature, German language and literature, French language and literature, Italian language and literature, Spanish language and literature, Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Middle/near eastern and semitic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Legal professions and studies, other, English language and literature, general, English language and literature/letters, other, Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies, Humanities/humanistic studies, Biology/biological sciences, general, Biomedical sciences, general, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Biological and biomedical sciences, other, Mathematics, general, Statistics, general, Environmental studies, Natural sciences, International/global studies, Cognitive science, Philosophy, Logic, Philosophy, other, Religion/religious studies, Jewish/judaic studies, Architecture, Environmental design/architecture, Chemistry, general, Geology/earth science, general, Physics, general, Psychology, general, Public policy analysis, general, Social sciences, general, Anthropology, Criminology, Economics, general, International relations and affairs, Political science and government, general, Sociology, Urban studies/affairs, African studies, American/united states studies/civilization, East asian studies, Latin american studies, South asian studies, African-american/black studies, Women's studies, Visual and performing arts, general, Drama and dramatics/theatre arts, general, Film/cinema/video studies, Fine/studio arts, general, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, general, Health/health care administration/management, Community health services/liaison/counseling, Business/commerce, general, Business administration and management, general, Operations management and supervision, E-commerce/electronic commerce, Transportation/mobility management, Business administration, management and operations, other, Accounting, Finance, general, Human resources management/personnel administration, general, International business/trade/commerce, Management information systems, general, Actuarial science, Management sciences and quantitative methods, other, Marketing/marketing management, general, Real estate, Insurance, Sales, distribution, and marketing operations, general, Retailing and retail operations, History, general, History and philosophy of science and technology, History, other, Speech communication and rhetoric

Minors Offered

Computer and information sciences, general, Computer systems networking and telecommunications, Education, general, Bioengineering and biomedical engineering, Chemical engineering, Computer engineering, general, Electrical and electronics engineering, Environmental/environmental health engineering, Materials engineering, Mechanical engineering, Systems engineering, Linguistics, Comparative literature, East asian languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Russian language and literature, German language and literature, French language and literature, Italian language and literature, Spanish language and literature, Romance languages, literatures, and linguistics, other, Middle/near eastern and semitic languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Classics and classical languages, literatures, and linguistics, general, Legal professions and studies, other, English language and literature, general, English language and literature/letters, other, Liberal arts and sciences/liberal studies, Biology/biological sciences, general, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Mathematics, general, Statistics, general, Environmental studies, Cognitive science, Philosophy, Logic, Religion/religious studies, Jewish/judaic studies, Architecture, Chemistry, general, Geology/earth science, general, Physics, general, Psychology, general, Public policy analysis, general, Anthropology, Economics, general, International relations and affairs, Political science and government, general, Sociology, Urban studies/affairs, African studies, American/united states studies/civilization, East asian studies, Latin american studies, South asian studies, African-american/black studies, Women's studies, Drama and dramatics/theatre arts, general, Film/cinema/video studies, Fine/studio arts, general, Art history, criticism and conservation, Music, general, Health/health care administration/management, Business administration and management, general, Actuarial science, Marketing/marketing management, general, History, general, History and philosophy of science and technology, History, other, Speech communication and rhetoric