National University Rankings
National University Methodology
Schools in the National Universities category, such as Columbia University and Stanford University, offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and Ph.D. programs. These colleges also are committed to producing groundbreaking research.
To see full rankings, SAT/ACT scores, scholarship and grant information, graduation rates, and more, sign up for the U.S. News College Compass!
| Save | U.S. News rank | School | Tuition | Total enrollment | Fall 2011 acceptance rate | Average freshman retention rate | 6-year graduation rate | Classes with under 20 students | SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #24 |
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA |
in-state: $12,006, out-of-state: $38,018 | 24,297 | 33.3% | 97% | 94 | Locked | Locked | |
| #27 |
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC |
$43,200 | 7,351 | 39.9% | 94% | 88 | Locked | Locked | |
| #28 |
Tufts University
Medford, MA |
$44,666 | 10,775 | 21.9% | 97% | 90 | Locked | Locked | |
| #29 |
University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI |
in-state: $13,437, out-of-state: $39,109 | 42,716 | 40.6% | 96% | 90 | Locked | Locked | |
| #30 |
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC |
in-state: $7,694, out-of-state: $28,446 | 29,137 | 31.4% | 97% | 90 | Locked | Locked | |
| #31 |
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA |
$43,878 | 13,906 | 28.0% | 95% | 91 | Locked | Locked | |
| #32 |
New York University
New York, NY |
N/A | 43,911 | 32.7% | 92% | 86 | Locked | Locked | |
| #33 |
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA |
$43,708 | 5,828 | 40.0% | 93% | 91 | Locked | Locked | |
| #33 |
College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA |
in-state: $13,570, out-of-state: $36,753 | 8,200 | 34.6% | 95% | 91 | Locked | Locked | |
| #33 |
University of Rochester
Rochester, NY |
$43,666 | 10,319 | 34.1% | 95% | 83 | Locked | Locked | |
| #36 |
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA |
in-state: $10,098, out-of-state: $29,402 | 20,941 | 51.2% | 94% | 79 | Locked | Locked | |
| #37 |
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH |
$40,490 | 9,636 | 51.3% | 92% | 78 | Locked | Locked | |
| #38 |
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA |
$42,220 | 7,055 | 33.4% | 94% | 87 | Locked | Locked | |
| #38 |
University of California–Davis
Davis, CA |
in-state: $13,877, out-of-state: $36,755 | 31,732 | 46.0% | 92% | 86 | Locked | Locked | |
| #38 |
University of California–San Diego
La Jolla, CA |
N/A | 28,593 | 35.5% | 95% | 85 | Locked | Locked | |
| #41 |
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY |
$44,475 | 6,914 | 39.6% | 93% | 84 | Locked | Locked | |
| #41 |
University of California–Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA |
in-state: $13,671, out-of-state: $36,549 | 21,685 | 45.7% | 91% | 86 | Locked | Locked | |
| #41 |
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Madison, WI |
in-state: $10,384, out-of-state: $26,634 | 42,441 | 50.5% | 94% | 83 | Locked | Locked | |
| #44 |
University of California–Irvine
Irvine, CA |
N/A | 27,189 | 47.5% | 94% | 85 | Locked | Locked | |
| #44 |
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL |
N/A | 16,068 | 38.3% | 90% | 78 | Locked | Locked | |
| #46 |
Pennsylvania State University–University Park
University Park, PA |
in-state: $16,444, out-of-state: $28,746 | 45,628 | 52.4% | 92% | 87 | Locked | Locked | |
| #46 |
University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL |
in-state: $14,428, out-of-state: $28,570 | 44,407 | 67.6% | 94% | 82 | Locked | Locked | |
| #46 |
University of Texas–Austin
Austin, TX |
in-state: $9,792, out-of-state: $33,060 | 51,112 | 46.6% | 92% | 81 | Locked | Locked | |
| #46 |
University of Washington
Seattle, WA |
N/A | 42,428 | 58.4% | 93% | 80 | Locked | Locked | |
| #46 |
Yeshiva University
New York, NY |
$36,500 | 6,563 | 69.4% | 91% | 85 | Locked | Locked |













