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
#1	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	$40,866	19,872	6.3%	98%	97	Locked	Locked
#1	Princeton University Princeton, NJ	$38,650	7,859	8.5%	98%	96	Locked	Locked
#3	Yale University New Haven, CT	$42,300	11,875	7.7%	99%	97	Locked	Locked
#4	Columbia University New York, NY	$47,246	22,885	7.0%	99%	96	Locked	Locked
#4	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	$44,574	12,316	16.3%	98%	92	Locked	Locked
#6	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	$42,050	10,894	9.7%	98%	93	Locked	Locked
#6	Stanford University Stanford, CA	$41,787	19,945	7.1%	98%	96	Locked	Locked
#8	Duke University Durham, NC	$43,623	15,427	14.0%	97%	94	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
#10	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	$45,042	6,144	10.1%	98%	95	Locked	Locked
#12	Northwestern University Evanston, IL	$43,779	19,968	18.0%	97%	94	Locked	Locked
#13	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD	$43,930	21,139	18.4%	97%	92	Locked	Locked
#14	Washington University in St. Louis St. Louis, MO	$43,705	13,908	16.5%	97%	93	Locked	Locked
#15	Brown University Providence, RI	$43,758	8,768	8.9%	98%	95	Locked	Locked
#15	Cornell University Ithaca, NY	$43,413	21,131	18.0%	97%	93	Locked	Locked
#17	Rice University Houston, TX	$37,292	6,224	18.8%	97%	92	Locked	Locked
#17	University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN	$42,971	12,004	24.3%	98%	96	Locked	Locked
#17	Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN	$42,118	12,836	16.4%	97%	92	Locked	Locked
#20	Emory University Atlanta, GA	$42,980	13,893	26.7%	95%	90	Locked	Locked
#21	Georgetown University Washington, DC	$42,870	17,130	18.1%	96%	94	Locked	Locked
#21	University of California–Berkeley Berkeley, CA	N/A	36,142	21.6%	97%	90	Locked	Locked
#23	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA	$45,124	12,058	30.4%	96%	87	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
#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
#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

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

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

$40,866

19,872

6.3%

98%

Locked

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

$38,650

7,859

8.5%

98%

Locked

Yale University

New Haven, CT

$42,300

11,875

7.7%

99%

Locked

Columbia University

New York, NY

$47,246

22,885

7.0%

99%

Locked

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

$44,574

12,316

16.3%

98%

Locked

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

$42,050

10,894

9.7%

98%

Locked

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

$41,787

19,945

7.1%

98%

Locked

Duke University

Durham, NC

$43,623

15,427

14.0%

97%

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

#10

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

$45,042

6,144

10.1%

98%

Locked

#12

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

$43,779

19,968

18.0%

97%

Locked

#13

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

$43,930

21,139

18.4%

97%

Locked

#14

Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

$43,705

13,908

16.5%

97%

Locked

#15

Brown University

Providence, RI

$43,758

8,768

8.9%

98%

Locked

#15

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

$43,413

21,131

18.0%

97%

Locked

#17

Rice University

Houston, TX

$37,292

6,224

18.8%

97%

Locked

#17

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

$42,971

12,004

24.3%

98%

Locked

#17

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

$42,118

12,836

16.4%

97%

Locked

#20

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

$42,980

13,893

26.7%

95%

Locked

#21

Georgetown University

Washington, DC

$42,870

17,130

18.1%

96%

Locked

#21

University of California–Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

N/A

36,142

21.6%

97%

Locked

#23

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

$45,124

12,058

30.4%

96%

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

#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

#27

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

$43,200

7,351

39.9%

94%

Locked

#28

Tufts University

Medford, MA

$44,666

10,775

21.9%

97%

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

#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

#31

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

$43,878

13,906

28.0%

95%

Locked

#32

New York University

New York, NY

N/A

43,911

32.7%

92%

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

#36

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA

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

20,941

51.2%

94%

Locked

#37

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH

$40,490

9,636

51.3%

92%

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

#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

#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

#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