National University Rankings

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

The ivy-covered campus of Princeton University, a private institution, is located in the quiet town of Princeton, N.J. Princeton was the first university to offer a “no loan” policy to financially needy students, giving grants instead of loans to accepted students who need help paying tuition.

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Tuition and fees:

$42,292 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

6,658

Setting:

city

^#2Overall Score: 99 out of 100.

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University is a private institution in Cambridge, Mass., just outside of Boston. This Ivy League school is the oldest higher education institution in the country and has the largest endowment of any school in the world.

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Tuition and fees:

$44,000 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

5,405

Setting:

city

^#3Overall Score: 97 out of 100.

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Yale University, located in New Haven, Conn., offers a small college life with the resources of a major research institution. Yale students are divided into 12 residential colleges that foster a supportive environment for living, learning, and socializing.

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Tuition and fees:

$49,138 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

6,068

Setting:

urban

^#4Overall Score: 95 out of 100.

Columbia University

New York, NY

Columbia University has three undergraduate schools: Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and the School of General Studies. This Ivy League, private school guarantees students housing for all four years on campus in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood in New York City.

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Tuition and fees:

$43,245 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

7,063

Setting:

suburban

^#5Overall Score: 94 out of 100.

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

The sunny campus of Stanford University is located in California’s Bay Area, about 30 miles from San Francisco. The private institution stresses a multidisciplinary combination of teaching, learning, and research, and students have many opportunities to get involved in research projects.

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Tuition and fees:

$46,386 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

5,590

Setting:

urban

^#5Overall Score: 94 out of 100.

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

The University of Chicago, situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting. Since 1987, the private institution has hosted the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, a four-day event that is regarded as the largest scavenger hunt in the world.

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Tuition and fees:

$45,476 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

6,655

Setting:

suburban

^#7Overall Score: 92 out of 100.

Duke University

Durham, NC

Located in Durham, N.C., Duke University is a private institution that has liberal arts and engineering programs for undergraduates. The Duke Blue Devils sports teams have a fierce rivalry with the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill Tar Heels and are best known for their outstanding men's basketball program.

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Tuition and fees:

$43,498 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

4,503

Setting:

urban

^#7Overall Score: 92 out of 100.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

Though the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be best known for its math, science, and engineering education, this private research university also offers architecture, humanities, management, and social science programs. The school is located in Cambridge, Mass., just across the Charles River from downtown Boston.

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Tuition and fees:

$45,890 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

9,682

Setting:

urban

^#7Overall Score: 92 out of 100.

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Founded by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania is a private institution in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pa. Students can study in one of four schools that grant undergraduate degrees: Arts and Sciences, Nursing, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Wharton.

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Tuition and fees:

$41,538 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

997

Setting:

suburban

^#10Overall Score: 91 out of 100.

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA

The California Institute of Technology focuses on science and engineering education and has a low student-to-faculty ratio of 3:1. This private institution in Pasadena, Calif. is actively involved in research projects with grants from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Tuition and fees:

$46,752 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

4,193

Setting:

rural

^#10Overall Score: 91 out of 100.

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College, a private institution in Hanover, N.H., uses quarters, not semesters, to divide the school year. Among more than 300 student organizations at Dartmouth is the Outing Club, the nation’s oldest and largest collegiate club of its kind, which offers outdoor activities, expeditions, gear rentals, and courses.

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Tuition and fees:

$45,470 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

6,153

Setting:

urban

^#12Overall Score: 89 out of 100.

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University is a private institution in Baltimore, Md. that offers a wide array of academic programs in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and engineering disciplines. The Hopkins Blue Jays men’s lacrosse team is consistently dominant in the NCAA Division I; other sports teams at Hopkins compete at the Division III level.

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Tuition and fees:

$45,527 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

8,600

Setting:

suburban

^#12Overall Score: 89 out of 100.

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University is a private school in Evanston, Ill., about 30 minutes outside of Chicago. Undergraduate students have more than 70 options for majors or can design their own non-traditional degree program.

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Tuition and fees:

$45,612 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

6,435

Setting:

city

^#14Overall Score: 87 out of 100.

Brown University

Providence, RI

At Brown University, undergraduate students are responsible for designing their own academic study with more than 70 concentration programs to choose from. Another unique offering at this private, Ivy League institution in Providence, R.I. is the Program in Liberal Medical Education, which grants both a bachelor’s degree and medical degree in eight years.

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Tuition and fees:

$44,841 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

7,259

Setting:

suburban

^#14Overall Score: 87 out of 100.

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Students can study architecture, art, arts and sciences, business, and engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, a private research institution in Missouri. Outside of class, about a quarter of the student body is involved in Greek life.

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Tuition and fees:

$45,359 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

14,261

Setting:

rural

^#16Overall Score: 85 out of 100.

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Cornell University, a private school in Ithaca, N.Y., started the country’s first colleges for hotel administration, industrial and labor relations, and veterinary medicine. Cornell now offers a wide variety of undergraduate programs and runs interdisciplinary research centers for nanotechnology, supercomputing, and more.

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Tuition and fees:

$42,978 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

6,796

Setting:

urban

^#17Overall Score: 84 out of 100.

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University is a private institution in Nashville, Tenn. with four undergraduate colleges: the College of Arts and Science, the School of Engineering, Peabody College, and the Blair School of Music. More than 40 percent of Vanderbilt students participate in Greek life.

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Tuition and fees:

$38,941 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

3,848

Setting:

urban

^#18Overall Score: 83 out of 100.

Rice University

Houston, TX

Rice University is located in the heart of the Museum District in Houston, TX. The private institution has a need-blind admissions policy and meets the full demonstrated need of any accepted student who requires help paying tuition.

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Tuition and fees:

$44,605 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

8,475

Setting:

city

^#18Overall Score: 83 out of 100.

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

The University of Notre Dame is a private, independent, Catholic institution in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame’s athletic teams, known as the Fighting Irish, play in the NCAA Division I and are particularly competitive on the football field.

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Tuition and fees:

$44,008 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

7,656

Setting:

city

^#20Overall Score: 79 out of 100.

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Students can begin their education at the school's main location in a suburb of Atlanta, known as Emory College, or at Oxford College, a smaller campus about 40 miles away. This private institution offers about 70 majors in the arts and sciences, as well as degrees in business administration and nursing.

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Tuition and fees:

$44,805 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

7,552

Setting:

urban

^#20Overall Score: 79 out of 100.

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic university in the country. The school's location in Washington, D.C. gives students many opportunities for internships throughout the nation's capital.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$13,836 (2013-14)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$25,056 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

25,774

Setting:

urban

^#20Overall Score: 79 out of 100.

University of California--Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

The University of California—Berkeley overlooks the San Francisco Bay in Berkeley, Calif. Students at this public school have more than 700 organizations to get involved in, including more than 55 fraternity and sorority chapters.

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Tuition and fees:

$46,962 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

6,279

Setting:

urban

^#23Overall Score: 76 out of 100.

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University, a private institution in Pittsburgh, Pa., is the country’s only school founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The school specializes in academic areas including engineering, business, computer science, and fine arts.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$12,696 (2013-14)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$35,574 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

27,941

Setting:

urban

^#23Overall Score: 76 out of 100.

University of California--Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

The University of California—Los Angeles is just five miles away from the Pacific Ocean. The public institution offers more than 3,000 courses and more than 130 majors to undergraduate students.

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Tuition and fees:

$46,298 (2013-14)

Enrollment:

18,316

Setting:

urban

^#23Overall Score: 76 out of 100.

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

Undergraduates study in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences at the University of Southern California, a private school based in Los Angeles. The USC Trojans compete in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference and are particularly competitive in football.

U.S. News & World Report