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!

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
#56	Northeastern University Boston, MA	$39,736	19,719	34.5%	93%	77	Locked	Locked
#56	Ohio State University–Columbus Columbus, OH	in-state: $10,037, out-of-state: $25,445	56,867	63.4%	93%	80	Locked	Locked
#54	Pepperdine University Malibu, CA	$42,772	7,539	31.6%	90%	81	Locked	Locked
#54	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	N/A	49,589	43.2%	96%	84	Locked	Locked
#51	Boston University Boston, MA	$42,994	32,439	49.4%	91%	85	Locked	Locked
#51	Tulane University New Orleans, LA	$45,240	13,359	25.0%	90%	72 ⁸	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
#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
#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
#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
#37	Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH	$40,490	9,636	51.3%	92%	78	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
#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
#32	New York University New York, NY	N/A	43,911	32.7%	92%	86	Locked	Locked

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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

#56

Northeastern University

Boston, MA

$39,736

19,719

34.5%

93%

Locked

#56

Ohio State University–Columbus

Columbus, OH

in-state: $10,037, out-of-state: $25,445

56,867

63.4%

93%

Locked

#54

Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA

$42,772

7,539

31.6%

90%

Locked

#54

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

N/A

49,589

43.2%

96%

Locked

#51

Boston University

Boston, MA

$42,994

32,439

49.4%

91%

Locked

#51

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA

$45,240

13,359

25.0%

90%

72 ⁸

Locked

#46

Pennsylvania State University–University Park

University Park, PA

in-state: $16,444, out-of-state: $28,746

45,628

52.4%

92%

Locked

#46

University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL

in-state: $14,428, out-of-state: $28,570

44,407

67.6%

94%

Locked

#46

University of Texas–Austin

Austin, TX

in-state: $9,792, out-of-state: $33,060

51,112

46.6%

92%

Locked

#46

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

N/A

42,428

58.4%

93%

Locked

#46

Yeshiva University

New York, NY

$36,500

6,563

69.4%

91%

Locked

#44

University of California–Irvine

Irvine, CA

N/A

27,189

47.5%

94%

Locked

#44

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL

N/A

16,068

38.3%

90%

Locked

#41

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY

$44,475

6,914

39.6%

93%

Locked

#41

University of California–Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA

in-state: $13,671, out-of-state: $36,549

21,685

45.7%

91%

Locked

#41

University of Wisconsin–Madison

Madison, WI

in-state: $10,384, out-of-state: $26,634

42,441

50.5%

94%

Locked

#38

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA

$42,220

7,055

33.4%

94%

Locked

#38

University of California–Davis

Davis, CA

in-state: $13,877, out-of-state: $36,755

31,732

46.0%

92%

Locked

#38

University of California–San Diego

La Jolla, CA

N/A

28,593

35.5%

95%

Locked

#37

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH

$40,490

9,636

51.3%

92%

Locked

#36

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA

in-state: $10,098, out-of-state: $29,402

20,941

51.2%

94%

Locked

#33

Brandeis University

Waltham, MA

$43,708

5,828

40.0%

93%

Locked

#33

College of William and Mary

Williamsburg, VA

in-state: $13,570, out-of-state: $36,753

8,200

34.6%

95%

Locked

#33

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY

$43,666

10,319

34.1%

95%

Locked

#32

New York University

New York, NY

N/A

43,911

32.7%

92%

Locked