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
Rank Not Published	Texas A&M University–Kingsville Kingsville, TX	in-state: $6,940, out-of-state: $17,470	6,731	97.9%	59%	33	Locked	Locked
#92	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX	$34,590	9,518	37.7%	86%	74	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	Texas Southern University Houston, TX	N/A	9,730	26.2%	62% ⁸	12	Locked	Locked
#165	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	N/A	32,327	66.3%	81%	61	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	Texas Woman's University Denton, TX	in-state: $7,050, out-of-state: $17,580	14,718	88.4%	72%	42	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN	$21,290	2,478	76.7%	72%	54	Locked	Locked
Unranked	Trident University International ¹ Cypress, CA	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	Trinity International University Deerfield, IL	$25,840	2,814	98.1%	70%	57	Locked	Locked
#28	Tufts University Medford, MA	$44,666	10,775	21.9%	97%	90	Locked	Locked
#51	Tulane University New Orleans, LA	$45,240	13,359	25.0%	90%	72 ⁸	Locked	Locked
Unranked	Union Institute and University Cincinnati, OH	N/A	1,821	N/A	68%	31 ⁶	Locked	Locked
#131	University at Albany–SUNY Albany, NY	in-state: $7,525, out-of-state: $18,145	17,142	51.3%	85%	65	Locked	Locked
#106	University at Buffalo–SUNY Buffalo, NY	in-state: $7,482, out-of-state: $15,592	28,860	53.2%	88%	71	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	University of Akron Akron, OH	in-state: $9,863, out-of-state: $18,063	27,470	74.1%	70%	38	Locked	Locked
#77	University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	in-state: $9,200, out-of-state: $22,950	31,647	43.5%	85%	66	Locked	Locked
#151	University of Alabama–Birmingham Birmingham, AL	N/A	17,575	72.2%	80%	45	Locked	Locked
#184	University of Alabama–Huntsville Huntsville, AL	N/A	7,629	63.7%	77%	45	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	University of Alaska–Fairbanks Fairbanks, AK	in-state: $6,443, out-of-state: $18,893	9,818	79.2%	76%	31	Locked	Locked
#120	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	in-state: $10,035, out-of-state: $26,231	39,236	71.4%	78%	61	Locked	Locked
#134	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	in-state: $7,554, out-of-state: $18,434	23,199	60.9%	83%	59	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	University of Arkansas–Little Rock ¹ Little Rock, AR	in-state: $6,854, out-of-state: $16,066	N/A	96.2% ⁴	62% ⁸	20 ⁶	Locked	Locked
#21	University of California–Berkeley Berkeley, CA	N/A	36,142	21.6%	97%	90	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
#44	University of California–Irvine Irvine, CA	N/A	27,189	47.5%	94%	85	Locked	Locked
#24	University of California–Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	in-state: $12,692, out-of-state: $35,570	40,675	25.5%	97%	90	Locked	Locked
#101	University of California–Riverside Riverside, CA	in-state: $12,923, out-of-state: $35,801	20,901	69.0%	86%	70	Locked	Locked
#38	University of California–San Diego La Jolla, CA	N/A	28,593	35.5%	95%	85	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
#77	University of California–Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	in-state: $13,416, out-of-state: $36,294	17,454	67.4%	90%	77	Locked	Locked
#174	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	N/A	58,587	45.1%	87%	63	Locked	Locked
#4	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	$44,574	12,316	16.3%	98%	92	Locked	Locked
#139	University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH	in-state: $10,784, out-of-state: $25,816	32,264	64.8%	85%	59	Locked	Locked
#97	University of Colorado–Boulder Boulder, CO	in-state: $9,482, out-of-state: $31,378	32,252	86.9%	84%	68	Locked	Locked
#189	University of Colorado–Denver Denver, CO	N/A	22,495	74.6%	73%	40	Locked	Locked
#63	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	in-state: $11,242, out-of-state: $29,074	25,868	47.3%	93%	83	Locked	Locked
#115	University of Dayton Dayton, OH	$33,400	11,045	75.6%	87%	74	Locked	Locked
#75	University of Delaware Newark, DE	N/A	20,737	58.2%	92%	78	Locked	Locked
#83	University of Denver Denver, CO	$39,177	11,797	68.2%	88%	79	Locked	Locked
#54	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	N/A	49,589	43.2%	96%	84	Locked	Locked
#63	University of Georgia Athens, GA	in-state: $9,842, out-of-state: $28,052	34,816	63.0%	94%	83	Locked	Locked
#156	University of Hawaii–Manoa Honolulu, HI	in-state: $9,404, out-of-state: $25,652	20,429	78.4%	78%	55	Locked	Locked
#184	University of Houston Houston, TX	N/A	39,820	63.6%	80%	46	Locked	Locked
#165	University of Idaho Moscow, ID	in-state: $6,212, out-of-state: $19,000	12,312	60.9%	79%	51	Locked	Locked
#147	University of Illinois–Chicago Chicago, IL	in-state: $13,050, out-of-state: $25,440	28,091	62.8%	80%	54	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
#72	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	in-state: $8,057, out-of-state: $26,279	29,810	79.8%	85%	71	Locked	Locked
#106	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	N/A	27,939	92.7%	79%	61	Locked	Locked
#125	University of Kentucky Lexington, KY	in-state: $9,676, out-of-state: $19,864	27,226	68.4%	81%	59	Locked	Locked
#165	University of La Verne La Verne, CA	$33,350	4,692	39.9%	82%	58	Locked	Locked
Rank Not Published	University of Louisiana–Lafayette Lafayette, LA	N/A	16,885	65.9%	75%	41	Locked	Locked

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

Rank Not Published

Texas A&M University–Kingsville

Kingsville, TX

in-state: $6,940, out-of-state: $17,470

6,731

97.9%

59%

Locked

#92

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX

$34,590

9,518

37.7%

86%

Locked

Rank Not Published

Texas Southern University

Houston, TX

N/A

9,730

26.2%

62% ⁸

Locked

#165

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX

N/A

32,327

66.3%

81%

Locked

Rank Not Published

Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX

in-state: $7,050, out-of-state: $17,580

14,718

88.4%

72%

Locked

Rank Not Published

Trevecca Nazarene University

Nashville, TN

$21,290

2,478

76.7%

72%

Locked

Unranked

Trident University International ¹

Cypress, CA

N/A

Locked

Rank Not Published

Trinity International University

Deerfield, IL

$25,840

2,814

98.1%

70%

Locked

#28

Tufts University

Medford, MA

$44,666

10,775

21.9%

97%

Locked

#51

Tulane University

New Orleans, LA

$45,240

13,359

25.0%

90%

72 ⁸

Locked

Unranked

Union Institute and University

Cincinnati, OH

N/A

1,821

N/A

68%

31 ⁶

Locked

#131

University at Albany–SUNY

Albany, NY

in-state: $7,525, out-of-state: $18,145

17,142

51.3%

85%

Locked

#106

University at Buffalo–SUNY

Buffalo, NY

in-state: $7,482, out-of-state: $15,592

28,860

53.2%

88%

Locked

Rank Not Published

University of Akron

Akron, OH

in-state: $9,863, out-of-state: $18,063

27,470

74.1%

70%

Locked

#77

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

in-state: $9,200, out-of-state: $22,950

31,647

43.5%

85%

Locked

#151

University of Alabama–Birmingham

Birmingham, AL

N/A

17,575

72.2%

80%

Locked

#184

University of Alabama–Huntsville

Huntsville, AL

N/A

7,629

63.7%

77%

Locked

Rank Not Published

University of Alaska–Fairbanks

Fairbanks, AK

in-state: $6,443, out-of-state: $18,893

9,818

79.2%

76%

Locked

#120

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ

in-state: $10,035, out-of-state: $26,231

39,236

71.4%

78%

Locked

#134

University of Arkansas

Fayetteville, AR

in-state: $7,554, out-of-state: $18,434

23,199

60.9%

83%

Locked

Rank Not Published

University of Arkansas–Little Rock ¹

Little Rock, AR

in-state: $6,854, out-of-state: $16,066

N/A

96.2% ⁴

62% ⁸

20 ⁶

Locked

#21

University of California–Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

N/A

36,142

21.6%

97%

Locked

#38

University of California–Davis

Davis, CA

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

31,732

46.0%

92%

Locked

#44

University of California–Irvine

Irvine, CA

N/A

27,189

47.5%

94%

Locked

#24

University of California–Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

in-state: $12,692, out-of-state: $35,570

40,675

25.5%

97%

Locked

#101

University of California–Riverside

Riverside, CA

in-state: $12,923, out-of-state: $35,801

20,901

69.0%

86%

Locked

#38

University of California–San Diego

La Jolla, CA

N/A

28,593

35.5%

95%

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

#77

University of California–Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, CA

in-state: $13,416, out-of-state: $36,294

17,454

67.4%

90%

Locked

#174

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL

N/A

58,587

45.1%

87%

Locked

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

$44,574

12,316

16.3%

98%

Locked

#139

University of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

in-state: $10,784, out-of-state: $25,816

32,264

64.8%

85%

Locked

#97

University of Colorado–Boulder

Boulder, CO

in-state: $9,482, out-of-state: $31,378

32,252

86.9%

84%

Locked

#189

University of Colorado–Denver

Denver, CO

N/A

22,495

74.6%

73%

Locked

#63

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT

in-state: $11,242, out-of-state: $29,074

25,868

47.3%

93%

Locked

#115

University of Dayton

Dayton, OH

$33,400

11,045

75.6%

87%

Locked

#75

University of Delaware

Newark, DE

N/A

20,737

58.2%

92%

Locked

#83

University of Denver

Denver, CO

$39,177

11,797

68.2%

88%

Locked

#54

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

N/A

49,589

43.2%

96%

Locked

#63

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

in-state: $9,842, out-of-state: $28,052

34,816

63.0%

94%

Locked

#156

University of Hawaii–Manoa

Honolulu, HI

in-state: $9,404, out-of-state: $25,652

20,429

78.4%

78%

Locked

#184

University of Houston

Houston, TX

N/A

39,820

63.6%

80%

Locked

#165

University of Idaho

Moscow, ID

in-state: $6,212, out-of-state: $19,000

12,312

60.9%

79%

Locked

#147

University of Illinois–Chicago

Chicago, IL

in-state: $13,050, out-of-state: $25,440

28,091

62.8%

80%

Locked

#46

University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL

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

44,407

67.6%

94%

Locked

#72

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

in-state: $8,057, out-of-state: $26,279

29,810

79.8%

85%

Locked

#106

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

N/A

27,939

92.7%

79%

Locked

#125

University of Kentucky

Lexington, KY

in-state: $9,676, out-of-state: $19,864

27,226

68.4%

81%

Locked

#165

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA

$33,350

4,692

39.9%

82%

Locked

Rank Not Published

University of Louisiana–Lafayette

Lafayette, LA

N/A

16,885

65.9%

75%

Locked