National University Rankings

National University Methodology

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.

U.S. News rank	School	Tuition	Total enrollment	Fall 2010 acceptance rate	Average freshman retention rate	6-year graduation rate	Classes with under 20 students	SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile
#1	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	$39,849	19,627	7%	97%	97%	Locked	Locked
#1	Princeton University Princeton, NJ	$37,000	7,802	9%	98%	96%	Locked	Locked
#3	Yale University New Haven, CT	$40,500	11,701	8%	99%	96%	Locked	Locked
#4	Columbia University New York, NY	$45,290	22,283	10%	99%	96%	Locked	Locked
#5	California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA	$37,704	2,175	13%	98%	90%	Locked	Locked
#5	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	$40,732	10,566	10%	98%	93%	Locked	Locked
#5	Stanford University Stanford, CA	$40,569	19,535	7%	98%	95%	Locked	Locked
#5	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	$42,783	12,781	19%	98%	92%	Locked	Locked
#5	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	$42,098	19,842	14%	98%	96%	Locked	Locked
#10	Duke University Durham, NC	$41,958	14,983	16%	97%	94%	Locked	Locked
#11	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	$42,996	6,141	12%	98%	95%	Locked	Locked
#12	Northwestern University Evanston, IL	$41,983	19,389	23%	97%	94%	Locked	Locked
#13	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD	$42,280	21,092	21%	97%	92%	Locked	Locked
#14	Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO	$41,992	13,820	21%	97%	94%	Locked	Locked
#15	Brown University Providence, RI	$42,230	8,695	9%	98%	96%	Locked	Locked
#15	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	$41,541	20,939	18%	96%	93%	Locked	Locked
#17	Rice University Houston, TX	$35,551	5,879	21%	97%	92%	Locked	Locked
#17	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	$41,332	12,714	18%	97%	91%	Locked	Locked
#19	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	$41,417	11,992	29%	98%	96%	Locked	Locked
#20	Emory University Atlanta, GA	$41,164	13,381	29%	95%	89%	Locked	Locked
#21	University of California--Berkeley Berkeley, CA	in-state: $11,767, out-of-state: $34,645	35,838	22%	97%	91%	Locked	Locked
#22	Georgetown University Washington, DC	$41,393	16,871	20%	96%	93%	Locked	Locked
#23	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	$43,396	11,618	33%	95%	86%	Locked	Locked
#23	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	$42,818	36,896	24%	97%	89%	Locked	Locked
#25	University of California--Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	in-state: $11,604, out-of-state: $34,482	39,593	23%	97%	90%	Locked	Locked

Save

U.S. News rank

School

Tuition

Total enrollment

Fall 2010 acceptance rate

Average freshman retention rate

6-year graduation rate

Classes with under 20 students

SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

$39,849

19,627

97%

Locked

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

$37,000

7,802

98%

96%

Locked

Yale University

New Haven, CT

$40,500

11,701

99%

96%

Locked

Columbia University

New York, NY

$45,290

22,283

10%

99%

96%

Locked

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA

$37,704

2,175

13%

98%

90%

Locked

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

$40,732

10,566

10%

98%

93%

Locked

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

$40,569

19,535

98%

95%

Locked

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

$42,783

12,781

19%

98%

92%

Locked

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

$42,098

19,842

14%

98%

96%

Locked

#10

Duke University

Durham, NC

$41,958

14,983

16%

97%

94%

Locked

#11

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

$42,996

6,141

12%

98%

95%

Locked

#12

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

$41,983

19,389

23%

97%

94%

Locked

#13

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

$42,280

21,092

21%

97%

92%

Locked

#14

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

$41,992

13,820

21%

97%

94%

Locked

#15

Brown University

Providence, RI

$42,230

8,695

98%

96%

Locked

#15

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

$41,541

20,939

18%

96%

93%

Locked

#17

Rice University

Houston, TX

$35,551

5,879

21%

97%

92%

Locked

#17

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

$41,332

12,714

18%

97%

91%

Locked

#19

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

$41,417

11,992

29%

98%

96%

Locked

#20

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

$41,164

13,381

29%

95%

89%

Locked

#21

University of California--Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

in-state: $11,767, out-of-state: $34,645

35,838

22%

97%

91%

Locked

#22

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

$41,393

16,871

20%

96%

93%

Locked

#23

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

$43,396

11,618

33%

95%

86%

Locked

#23

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

$42,818

36,896

24%

97%

89%

Locked

#25

University of California--Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

in-state: $11,604, out-of-state: $34,482

39,593

23%

97%

90%

Locked