Best College Rankings and Lists

National University Rankings

Schools in the National Universities category, such as the University of Pennsylvania and Duke University, offer a full range of undergraduate majors, master's, and doctoral degrees. These colleges also are committed to producing ground breaking research. Full rankings »

National Liberal Arts College Rankings

Among the National Liberal Arts Colleges are schools like Washington and Lee University and Davidson College, which emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study. Full rankings »

Regional Universities Rankings

Regional Universities offer a full range of undergrad programs and some master's programs but few doctoral programs. Regional Universities include Providence College, James Madison University, Creighton University, and Santa Clara University. These rankings are split into 4 regions: North, South, Midwest, and West. Full rankings »

Regional Colleges Rankings

These colleges focus on undergraduate education but grant fewer than half their degrees in liberal arts disciplines. Regional Colleges include the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, John Brown University, Marietta College, and Oklahoma Baptist University. These rankings are split into 4 regions: North, South, Midwest, and West. Full rankings »

More Rankings

University of Pennsylvania

Best Undergraduate Business Programs

These undergrad business programs were ranked solely on a peer assessment survey conducted in spring 2011. To appear on this survey, the undergraduate business program must be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Full rankings »

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs

These undergrad engineering programs were ranked solely on a peer assessment survey conducted in spring 2011. To appear on an undergraduate engineering survey, a school must have a program accredited by ABET. These programs are split into two groups: schools whose highest engineering degree offered is a doctorate and schools whose highest engineering degree offered is a bachelor's or master's.

Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (where doctorate is highest degree)

Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (where doctorate not offered)

Spelman College

Historically Black Colleges and Universities Ranking

These historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) were compared only with one another for these rankings. In order to be on the list, a school currently must be designated by the U.S. Department of Education as an HBCU. To qualify for the U.S. News ranking, an HBCU also must be an undergraduate baccalaureate-granting institution that enrolls primarily first-year, first-time students and must have been a school that was currently part of the 2011 Best Colleges rankings. Full rankings »

Carleton College

Best Undergraduate Teaching

Many colleges have a strong commitment to teaching undergraduates instead of graduate-level research. Based on a survey conducted in spring 2011, all the schools on these lists are ones that received the most votes from top college administrators as paying a particular focus on undergraduate teaching. Full rankings »

University of California—Berkeley

Top Public Schools

These are the highest ranked public colleges and universities in the 2012 Best Colleges rankings, listed according to their ranking category. Full rankings »

Yale University

High School Counselor Rankings

In spring 2011, we asked guidance counselors from all the high schools in U.S. News's 2010 Best High Schools rankings, as well as from the largest private independent schools nationwide, to tell us which colleges they think offer the best undergraduate education to their students.

High School Counselor Rankings of National Universities

High School Counselor Rankings of National Liberal Arts Colleges

Other College Lists & Rankings
Academic Programs to Look For

This is the ninth consecutive year that U.S. News is publishing a list of schools with outstanding examples of academic programs that are believed to lead to student success. With the help of education experts, including staff members of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, we identified eight such types of programs. In spring 2011 we invited college presidents, chief academic officers, deans of students, and deans of admissions from more than 1,500 schools to nominate up to 10 institutions with stellar examples of each program type. Colleges and universities that were mentioned most often are listed here, in alphabetical order.

Unranked Specialty Schools

Colleges that offer most or all of their degrees in fine arts, performing arts, business, or engineering are listed here as specialty schools. One hundred percent of students at the Juilliard School in New York, for example, major in the performing arts (music, dance, or drama). These schools are not ranked, since each category is so small. Comparative data in a few key areas can be found in the tables, including freshman retention and graduation rates, class size, and student/faculty ratio.

Morse Code: Inside the College Rankings by Bob Morse
Morse Code RSS More Rankings News
Rise in Endowments May Impact Best Colleges Rankings
If a school's endowment shrinks, it may have less money to spend on its students.
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