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
#33	University of Rochester Rochester, NY	$43,666	10,319	34.1%	95%	83	Locked	Locked
#23	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	$45,124	12,058	30.4%	96%	87	Locked	Locked
#54	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	N/A	49,589	43.2%	96%	84	Locked	Locked
#21	Georgetown University Washington, DC	$42,870	17,130	18.1%	96%	94	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
#15	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	$43,413	21,131	18.0%	97%	93	Locked	Locked
#12	Northwestern University Evanston, IL	$43,779	19,968	18.0%	97%	94	Locked	Locked
#17	Rice University Houston, TX	$37,292	6,224	18.8%	97%	92	Locked	Locked
#28	Tufts University Medford, MA	$44,666	10,775	21.9%	97%	90	Locked	Locked
#17	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	$42,118	12,836	16.4%	97%	92	Locked	Locked
#13	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD	$43,930	21,139	18.4%	97%	92	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
#24	University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA	$44,463	38,010	23.0%	97%	90	Locked	Locked
#24	University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA	in-state: $12,006, out-of-state: $38,018	24,297	33.3%	97%	94	Locked	Locked
#14	Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO	$43,705	13,908	16.5%	97%	93	Locked	Locked
#8	Duke University Durham, NC	$43,623	15,427	14.0%	97%	94	Locked	Locked
#21	University of California–Berkeley Berkeley, CA	N/A	36,142	21.6%	97%	90	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
#15	Brown University Providence, RI	$43,758	8,768	8.9%	98%	95	Locked	Locked
#1	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	$40,866	19,872	6.3%	98%	97	Locked	Locked
#6	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	$42,050	10,894	9.7%	98%	93	Locked	Locked
#17	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	$42,971	12,004	24.3%	98%	96	Locked	Locked
#10	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	$45,042	6,144	10.1%	98%	95	Locked	Locked
#8	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	$43,738	19,919	12.4%	98%	96	Locked	Locked
#10	California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA	$39,588	2,231	12.8%	98%	87	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

#33

University of Rochester

Rochester, NY

$43,666

10,319

34.1%

95%

Locked

#23

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

$45,124

12,058

30.4%

96%

Locked

#54

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL

N/A

49,589

43.2%

96%

Locked

#21

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

$42,870

17,130

18.1%

96%

Locked

#29

University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI

in-state: $13,437, out-of-state: $39,109

42,716

40.6%

96%

Locked

#15

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

$43,413

21,131

18.0%

97%

Locked

#12

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

$43,779

19,968

18.0%

97%

Locked

#17

Rice University

Houston, TX

$37,292

6,224

18.8%

97%

Locked

#28

Tufts University

Medford, MA

$44,666

10,775

21.9%

97%

Locked

#17

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

$42,118

12,836

16.4%

97%

Locked

#13

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

$43,930

21,139

18.4%

97%

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%

Locked

#24

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

$44,463

38,010

23.0%

97%

Locked

#24

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

in-state: $12,006, out-of-state: $38,018

24,297

33.3%

97%

Locked

#14

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

$43,705

13,908

16.5%

97%

Locked

Duke University

Durham, NC

$43,623

15,427

14.0%

97%

Locked

#21

University of California–Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

N/A

36,142

21.6%

97%

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

#15

Brown University

Providence, RI

$43,758

8,768

8.9%

98%

Locked

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

$40,866

19,872

6.3%

98%

Locked

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

$42,050

10,894

9.7%

98%

Locked

#17

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

$42,971

12,004

24.3%

98%

Locked

#10

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

$45,042

6,144

10.1%

98%

Locked

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

$43,738

19,919

12.4%

98%

Locked

#10

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA

$39,588

2,231

12.8%

98%

Locked