Best colleges in America
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Best colleges in America
The 2024-2025 school year saw a growing number of students at campuses nationwide. Undergraduate enrollment was up by 3.2% in the spring of 2025, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. That increase is all the more noteworthy when you consider the current price tag for a college education—per the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of one year at a higher education institution clocks in at more than $38,000 in 2022-23. Still, college offers a valuable return on investment for many prospective students. An analysis from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that in recent years, college grads earned a median of $80,000 per year, while workers with only a high school diploma earned a median of $47,000 per year.
With this in mind, the return on investment may be more apparent at some schools than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best colleges in America using Niche’s 2026 rankings. All four-year schools in Niche’s database were considered. Niche ranks colleges using various factors, including academics, admissions, finances, and student life. You can check out the full methodology here.
The list includes public and private institutions, from West Coast research colleges to East Coast liberal arts schools. It also contains a fair share of sprawling state schools and religion-centric universities.
These colleges offer pioneering sciences, entrepreneurship, and even bagpipe performance programs. While some may be best known for athletic achievements, many football schools are making rapid educational advancements, producing several Rhodes scholars and collaborating with tech industry giants. Of course, some have cool perks that few others do, including an on-campus ice cream factory or proximity to the beach.
While the Ivy League is considered the cream of the crop for American colleges, that’s not necessarily the case with this list. Keep reading to see which school grabbed the #1 spot.
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#50. University of Georgia
– Location: Athens, GA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,799
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
– Acceptance rate: 37%
– Typical SAT range: 1160-1390
– Athletic conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The University of Georgia’s business school was the first of its kind in the South, and it remains a top institution in the field. The College of Environment and Design also consistently ranks among the nation’s best and confers degrees in landscape architecture, historic preservation, urban planning, and environmental design. In athletics, UGA is all about football.
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#49. University of Miami
– Location: Coral Gables, FL
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 13,250
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
– Acceptance rate: 19%
– Typical SAT range: 1330-1470
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Don’t let the proximity to South Beach and stories of partying fool you; the University of Miami is a leading center of academic study. Miami has top-flight programs in oceanography, medicine, and climate change. And yes, the main campus in Coral Gables is located near the beach.
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#48. University of California, Berkeley
– Location: Berkeley, CA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 31,548
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
– Acceptance rate: 12%
– Typical SAT range: 1310-1530
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Often considered the top public university in the country, the University of California, Berkeley has many Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and faculty and has produced the most Peace Corps volunteers—almost 4,000. With many important projects emanating from the Space Sciences Laboratory and a history of entrepreneurship, students often become leaders in their fields.
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#47. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
– Location: Champaign, IL
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,468
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
– Acceptance rate: 44%
– Typical SAT range: 1270-1510
– Athletic conference: Big Ten Conference (Big Ten)
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign counts dozens of Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners among its alumni and faculty. The school offers one of the largest public university libraries in the world, with more than 14 million volumes and 24 million other items. It is highly regarded for its leading research in technology, agriculture, and government policy.
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#46. Tufts University
– Location: Medford, MA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,685
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
– Acceptance rate: 10%
– Typical SAT range: 1460-1550
– Athletic conference: New England Small College Athletic Conference
Tufts University students have a variety of activities at their disposal, including with the Geological Society and popular a cappella groups. Its art collection features works from Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol, and the university has partnerships with Harvard, MIT, and more.
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#45. Boston College
– Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,654
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
– Acceptance rate: 16%
– Typical SAT range: 1430-1540
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Boston College hosts a famous Arts Festival as well as a plethora of dance competitions. The Carroll School of Management is a top business program, and BC is also a top Jesuit, Catholic, and liberal arts institution. Founded in 1863, it was the first school of higher education to operate in Boston.
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#44. Amherst College
– Location: Amherst, MA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,910
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 10%
– Typical SAT range: 1360-1550
– Athletic conference: New England Small College Athletic Conference
Amherst College is repeatedly recognized as one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. Students can take advantage of an open curriculum with no core requirements. Amherst is home to the Beneski Museum of Natural History and a 500-acre wildlife sanctuary.
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#43. Middlebury College
– Location: Middlebury, VT
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,778
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
– Acceptance rate: 10%
– Typical SAT range: 1430-1550
– Athletic conference: New England Small College Athletic Conference
Middlebury College is recognized for its environmental studies program, which began in 1965 as the first of its kind in the U.S. The school committed to taking action on climate change with its Energy2028 initiative to use 100% renewable energy sources by the end of that year. It also owns its own ski area, the Middlebury Snowbowl.
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#42. Barnard College
– Location: New York
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 3,183
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
– Acceptance rate: 8%
– Typical SAT range: 1450-1550
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Located across the street from Columbia University, Barnard College offers the same privileges to its students. The Barnard Center for Research on Women and the Athena Film Festival are two celebrated resources on campus. A center for teaching and learning, which opened in 2018, has given the school its own distinctive hub.
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#41. University of Texas at Austin
– Location: Austin, TX
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 39,787
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
– Acceptance rate: 29%
– Typical SAT range: 1230-1490
– Athletic conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
University of Texas at Austin students can take advantage of the McDonald Observatory, one of many prestigious facilities at this state school. The campus has a wealth of museums, from the LBJ Presidential Library to the Blanton Museum of Art, and you might even catch Matthew McConaughey at a Longhorns football game. Outside of campus, students can partake in the capital’s cultural institutions, such as South by Southwest and Franklin Barbecue.
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#40. Williams College
– Location: Williamstown, MA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,070
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
– Acceptance rate: 10%
– Typical SAT range: 1470-1560
– Athletic conference: New England Small College Athletic Conference
Fraternities no longer exist at Williams College, but more than 1 in 3 students participate in intercollegiate sports. Nearly everyone engages in clubs or activities, and the school has an exclusive program with the University of Oxford. January is dedicated to winter study, when students pursue one single subject on a pass-fail basis, conduct research, land an internship, or travel.
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#39. Northeastern University
– Location: Boston
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 15,857
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
– Acceptance rate: 6%
– Typical SAT range: 1460-1550
– Athletic conference: Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)
Northeastern University is regularly considered one of the best colleges for co-op and internship experiences. It has 13 campuses in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom and 3,500 employer partners around the world. Fields of study include robotics research and chemical imaging.
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#38. Boston University
– Location: Boston
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,899
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
– Acceptance rate: 11%
– Typical SAT range: 1400-1520
– Athletic conference: Patriot League (Patriot)
Located in one of America’s busiest college cities, Boston University offers a mix of big city buildings and intimate brownstones. It stands on accessible education and prioritizes research, artistic creation, and professional practice. The school is also home to the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre and easily accessible from most parts of the city by public transportation.
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#37. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
– Location: Chapel Hill, NC
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 19,939
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
– Acceptance rate: 19%
– Typical SAT range: 1370-1530
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s medical programs, particularly in dentistry and pharmacy, receive high praise. The school prides itself on teaching, research, and public service as well as carrying on a storied history and tradition; it opened in 1795.
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#36. Swarthmore College
– Location: Swarthmore, PA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,641
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
– Acceptance rate: 7%
– Typical SAT range: 1460-1560
– Athletic conference: Centennial Conference
Swarthmore College is highly committed to its sustainability initiatives, with the goal of becoming a zero-waste campus by 2035. The 300-acre Scott Arboretum is a highlight of the 350-acre grounds, located 11 miles from Philadelphia, and the Peaslee Debate Society is among the popular extracurricular options.
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#35. Davidson College
– Location: Davidson, NC
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,904
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
– Acceptance rate: 14%
– Typical SAT range: 1360-1510
– Athletic conference: Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10)
Davidson College, just north of Charlotte, North Carolina, is known for its tight-knit community, which comes together for events including flickerball—a variation of touch football created on campus in 1951. The Farm teaches students about sustainable growth and provides them with fresh produce.
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#34. New York University
– Location: New York
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,692
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
– Acceptance rate: 9%
– Typical SAT range: 1480-1570
– Athletic conference: University Athletic Association
New York University has more international students and those studying abroad than any other school in America. It draws creatives and filmmakers to its chic campus centered in historic Greenwich Village. The school offers a range of unique courses, from its Center for Disability Studies to classes on injustice, disaster nursing, and emergency preparedness, and the New York Underground.
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#33. Emory University
– Location: Atlanta
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,263
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
– Acceptance rate: 11%
– Typical SAT range: 1460-1550
– Athletic conference: University Athletic Association
Emory University is internationally known for its liberal arts colleges, graduate and professional schools, and academic health care system. The Goizueta Business School is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s best. The Carter Center, created by former President Jimmy Carter, offers internships and lectures throughout the year.
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#32. Bowdoin College
– Location: Brunswick, ME
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,873
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
– Acceptance rate: 8%
– Typical SAT range: 1480-1550
– Athletic conference: New England Small College Athletic Conference
Bowdoin College trumpets its cooperative environment with dozens of areas of study. Students focus on brainstorming with faculty, working in teams, and welcoming difficult questions. Graduates are frequently employed by Google, the U.S. government, financial institutions, and hospitals. Another perk: SAT scores are optional for admission.
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#31. Washington and Lee University
– Location: Lexington, VA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,887
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 17%
– Typical SAT range: 1410-1530
– Athletic conference: Old Dominion Athletic Conference
One of Washington and Lee University’s hallmarks is its small class size and access to faculty. The school, the ninth-oldest in the country, dates to 1749 and offers a small but outstanding law program. Additionally, it is the only leading liberal arts college in the country with a nationally accredited undergraduate business program too.
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#30. University of Florida
– Location: Gainesville, FL
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 31,571
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
– Acceptance rate: 24%
– Typical SAT range: 1300-1480
– Athletic conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The University of Florida hosts the most powerful supercomputer owned by a college in the country, and all students are taught about artificial intelligence. Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech is a business incubator affiliated with the school, and UF Innovate offers other research and innovation-oriented programs.
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#29. Georgia Institute of Technology
– Location: Atlanta
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,171
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
– Acceptance rate: 16%
– Typical SAT range: 1330-1530
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Centered in Atlanta, the Georgia Institute of Technology has a top-ranked undergraduate engineering program. It produces the most women and underrepresented minorities with engineering degrees in the nation, and the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines breaks ground in autonomy, medical robotics and human augmentation, and collaborative robotics.
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#28. University of Virginia
– Location: Charlottesville, VA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 16,829
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 17%
– Typical SAT range: 1410-1530
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
The University of Virginia is a public school that earns high marks for its business program and hospital. The college estimates $2.92 billion in research proposal activity in 2025, with the Data Science Institute and Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative anchoring that area.
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#27. University of Southern California
– Location: Los Angeles
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 20,502
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 10%
– Typical SAT range: 1440-1550
– Athletic conference: Big Ten Conference (Big Ten)
Located in southwest Los Angeles, the University of Southern California has a network of over 480,000 living alumni for making connections in Hollywood and elsewhere. George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis are just some of the directors to attend the School of Cinematic Arts. The Spirit of Troy marching band is one of the best in the nation.
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#26. Pomona College
– Location: Claremont, CA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,739
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 7%
– Typical SAT range: 1480-1560
– Athletic conference: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Despite its small size, Pomona College—one of five Claremont Colleges—has more than 250 clubs and organizations, and 95% of students live on campus for four years, creating a tight-knit atmosphere. Near Los Angeles in a bucolic mountain setting, students enjoy skiing and beaches, including the annual Ski-Beach Day. The school also has an art museum and eight music ensembles.
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#25. University of Notre Dame
– Location: Notre Dame, IN
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 8,866
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
– Acceptance rate: 12%
– Typical SAT range: 1440-1540
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
The University of Notre Dame combines Catholic and intellectual pursuits in a leading school known for its theology and philosophy departments. The college is a top undergraduate teaching institution and research center, and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art and the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center provide insightful programming. The campus also has more than 60 chapels.
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#24. Johns Hopkins University
– Location: Baltimore
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,607
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 1:1
– Acceptance rate: 8%
– Typical SAT range: 1530-1580
– Athletic conference: Centennial Conference
Johns Hopkins University is one of the preeminent schools for studying medicine. For 45 consecutive years, it has led U.S. colleges in research and development spending, and it counts 29 Nobel Prize winners among its associates. The school also runs programs in conjunction with NASA, and the Spring Fair is one of the largest such gatherings in the nation.
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#23. Claremont McKenna College
– Location: Claremont, CA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,377
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 11%
– Typical SAT range: 1450-1560
– Athletic conference: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Located 30 miles east of Los Angeles, Claremont McKenna College, despite encompassing only 1 square mile, has plenty on campus to keep students busy, including the Athenaeum, which hosts a variety of speakers four nights a week. This small school has close student-faculty bonds, as about 75% of students engage in research with faculty.
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#22. Northwestern University
– Location: Evanston, IL
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,020
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
– Acceptance rate: 7%
– Typical SAT range: 1490-1560
– Athletic conference: Big Ten Conference (Big Ten)
Northwestern University’s journalism program has a century-long tradition of producing quality reporters. The school’s business and materials science and engineering programs are also highly regarded, while research remains its backbone, with $2.6 billion in revenue from patents and intellectual property licensing. Located outside of Chicago, Northwestern combines suburban tranquility with a big-city feel.
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#21. Cornell University
– Location: Ithaca, NY
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 15,899
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
– Acceptance rate: 8%
– Typical SAT range: 1480-1560
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
For decades, Cornell University has been vital to space exploration to Mars and advancements in agriculture and farming. Though centered in Ithaca, Cornell has several facilities in New York City and two programs overseas. Gatherings at ice hockey games are full of traditions, and they can be followed by a trip to the Cornell Dairy for ice cream.
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#20. University of California, Los Angeles
– Location: Los Angeles
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 32,472
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 9%
– Typical SAT range: No data available
– Athletic conference: Big Ten Conference (Big Ten)
The University of California, Los Angeles, offers more than 140 majors and receives over $5.7 billion for research and program support. The perfectly situated campus is regularly used as a filming location and hosts several large gatherings throughout the year, including the JazzReggae Festival. Bruins athletic teams have won 124 national championships—the second-most all-time.
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#19. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
– Location: Ann Arbor, MI
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 32,345
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
– Acceptance rate: 18%
– Typical SAT range: 1350-1530
– Athletic conference: Big Ten Conference (Big Ten)
In 2023, the University of Michigan produced 580 inventions and 25 business startups. U-M regularly lands among the schools with the most research volume, has a top academic medical center and multiple renowned graduate programs, and scores well in affordability with its financial aid. Michigan Stadium is the largest in the country with a capacity of 109,901 fans.
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#18. The University of Chicago
– Location: Chicago
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,617
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
– Acceptance rate: 5%
– Typical SAT range: 1510-1570
– Athletic conference: Midwest Conference
The University of Chicago has been instrumental in pioneering various cancer treatments, discovering new dinosaur species, and proposing the existence of black holes. The school hosts Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, a National Historic Landmark and part of a UNESCO World Heritage inscription. The school also has a long tradition of nurturing successful improv comedy troupes.
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#17. Georgetown University
– Location: Washington DC
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,220
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
– Acceptance rate: 13%
– Typical SAT range: 1390-1550
– Athletic conference: Big East Conference (Big East)
Georgetown University, the nation’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university, is home to the largest student-run business in the world, The Corp, and the oldest continuously running student theater group, Mask and Bauble. Its business school launched the Venture Lab for students to incubate ideas and startups. Located in Washington D.C., students are connected to a bevy of internship opportunities with private businesses and local, state, and federal governments.
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#16. Harvey Mudd College
– Location: Claremont, CA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 911
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
– Acceptance rate: 13%
– Typical SAT range: 1480-1560
– Athletic conference: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Harvey Mudd College focuses on engineering, science, and math, offering real-world experience through its Clinic Program. Students regularly engage in elaborate pranks. Ski slopes are less than 30 minutes away, beaches are less than an hour away, and the desert is 90 minutes away.
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#15. Carnegie Mellon University
– Location: Pittsburgh
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,133
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
– Acceptance rate: 11%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
– Athletic conference: University Athletic Association
Carnegie Mellon University students study topics including brain science and driverless vehicles, with the latter pursuit having begun four decades ago. It is commonly recognized for its premier computer science, business, and engineering programs and boasts a highly respected drama program. It is one of the only schools to offer a degree in bagpipe performance.
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#14. Duke University
– Location: Durham, NC
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,474
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 1:1
– Acceptance rate: 7%
– Typical SAT range: 1510-1570
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Duke University’s law and medical schools regularly rank near the top of lists, and the Levine Science Research Center—one of the country’s largest single-site interdisciplinary research facilities—is impressive too. Duke University Chapel is a center for campus events and religious services, and Cameron Indoor Stadium offers a premier sporting environment.
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#13. Washington University in St. Louis
– Location: St. Louis
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,534
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
– Acceptance rate: 12%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
– Athletic conference: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin
Students at Washington University in St. Louis come from over 110 countries, and 8 in 10 undergraduates pursue multiple majors or minors. WashU received $978 million in sponsored support in 2023 for medical, environmental and energy, innovation and entrepreneurial, plant science, and other research. The university also has nine libraries and its own art museum.
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#12. University of Pennsylvania
– Location: Philadelphia
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 10,610
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
– Acceptance rate: 6%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania—including more than 5,000 faculty at 195 centers and institutes—have a budget of $1.37 billion in 2024, focusing on medicine, technology, business, and science. Penn was founded in 1740 and has four undergraduate and 12 graduate schools, including the distinguished Wharton School. Its arts and culture and Philly attractions are nearly limitless, and then, of course, there’s “Ben on the Bench.”
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#11. Brown University
– Location: Providence, RI
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,220
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
– Acceptance rate: 5%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Brown University is well known for its open curriculum, which encourages creative thinkers, intellectual risk-takers, and entrepreneurial problem-solvers. The Carney Institute for Brain Science and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society provide unique perspectives on important fields of study. The university values its relationship with Providence, and more than 420 students work or volunteer every year in the city’s public schools.
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#10. Rice University
– Location: Houston
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,483
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
– Acceptance rate: 8%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
– Athletic conference: American Athletic Conference (The American)
An oak tree-lined sanctuary in the middle of bustling Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked near the top of lists that gauge students’ quality of life. Rice has been a leader in artificial heart research and other sciences and maintains a close partnership with NASA. It was modeled after English universities, with eleven residential colleges.
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#9. California Institute of Technology
– Location: Pasadena, CA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 982
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
– Acceptance rate: 3%
– Typical SAT range: 1530-1580
– Athletic conference: Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
The California Institute of Technology is home to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Einstein Papers Project, a seismological laboratory, and an international observatory network. Every Halloween, students combine their interest in science with recreation, smashing pumpkins from the top of Caltech Hall. The student body is famous for its pranks.
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#8. Princeton University
– Location: Princeton, NJ
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,598
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
– Acceptance rate: 4%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1580
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Ninety-six percent of students live on campus at Princeton University, which is in downtown Princeton and a short train ride to New York City and Philadelphia. Noted for its economics and engineering departments, Princeton also thrives in modern sciences such as plasma physics, and a quantum science center has been in the works for years. Eating clubs are at the intersection of social life and tradition.
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#7. Vanderbilt University
– Location: Nashville, TN
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,146
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
– Acceptance rate: 6%
– Typical SAT range: 1510-1560
– Athletic conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
Vanderbilt University is one of the world’s most innovative institutions. From 2015-2025, it launched 66 startups and had 611 patents and 929 licenses issued, and the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization continues to break ground. In 2024, Vanderbilt was ranked #1 by The Princeton Review in students’ quality of life and is also known for its medical center and music school.
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#6. Columbia University
– Location: New York
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 8,428
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
– Acceptance rate: 4%
– Typical SAT range: 1490-1570
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Columbia University is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, near a variety of parks and landmarks. The students form a melting pot, with 16% from international locales and 12% from domestic small towns. Campus media outlets such as the Columbia Daily Spectator, WKCR, and Bwog captivate readers and listeners throughout the city. For decades, students have started protests that have made national headlines.
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#5. Dartmouth College
– Location: Hanover, NH
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,419
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
– Acceptance rate: 6%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Dartmouth College allows students to customize their academic schedules. This Ivy League institution has an abundance of centers for arts and culture as well as various technology and science institutes. Each year, it hosts a Winter Carnival and a Powwow celebrating Indigenous history.
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#4. Harvard University
– Location: Cambridge, MA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,316
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
– Acceptance rate: 3%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1580
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Harvard University, which dates to 1636, was the first college in the American colonies, and it remains a bastion of success. The school has educated eight U.S. presidents and, in 2022, earmarked $100 million to address its history with slavery. Harvard has over 450 organizations and offers 42 varsity sports, the most in the country. The Harvard Lampoon humor magazine has been entertaining (and infuriating) students for almost 150 years.
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#3. Stanford University
– Location: Stanford, CA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,841
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
– Acceptance rate: 4%
– Typical SAT range: 1510-1580
– Athletic conference: Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
Located in Silicon Valley in Northern California, Stanford University has strong bonds with tech giants such as Google, which was founded by Stanford students. It has seven schools and is known for its acclaimed education, engineering, law, and business programs; theater and music groups; and the Solar Car Project. The university also has a storied athletic program, and its athletes have won hundreds of Olympic medals.
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#2. Yale University
– Location: New Haven, CT
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,805
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
– Acceptance rate: 5%
– Typical SAT range: 1500-1580
– Athletic conference: Ivy League
Twenty-five percent of the Yale University student body hails from abroad, creating a diverse mix on the neo-Gothic campus nestled in downtown New Haven. Yale has 14 residential colleges and is known for its law, art, nursing, drama, environment, and divinity schools, among others. Founded in 1701, it has many revered traditions, including Class Day, which features prizes and awards, ivy, churchwarden pipes, hats, and more.
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#1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
– Location: Cambridge, MA
– Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,543
– Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
– Acceptance rate: 5%
– Typical SAT range: 1510-1580
– Athletic conference: New England Women’s & Men’s Athletic Conference
Students and researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are always on the cutting edge of modern technology. Among the highlights of this school are the Haystack Observatory, Media Lab (designed by alum I. M. Pei), and MIT.nano. MIT has acres of stunning scenery, from quiet Cambridge streets to the futuristic layout of Simmons Hall, and a striking public art collection.
Data reporting by Rob Powell. Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo.
