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
#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
#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
#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
#58	Fordham University New York, NY	$41,732	15,189	42.4%	90%	78	Locked	Locked
#58	Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX	$41,750	10,982	54.6%	89%	75	Locked	Locked
#58	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	$39,004	20,829	49.4%	91%	80	Locked	Locked
#58	University of Maryland–College Park College Park, MD	in-state: $8,908, out-of-state: $27,287	37,580	44.7%	94%	82	Locked	Locked
#58	University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA	in-state: $16,590, out-of-state: $26,280	28,766	57.9%	92%	79	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
#63	University of Georgia Athens, GA	in-state: $9,842, out-of-state: $28,052	34,816	63.0%	94%	83	Locked	Locked
#65	Purdue University–West Lafayette West Lafayette, IN	in-state: $9,900, out-of-state: $28,702	39,637	68.3%	88%	68	Locked	Locked
#65	Texas A&M University–College Station College Station, TX	in-state: $8,505, out-of-state: $25,035	49,861	63.5%	92%	80	Locked	Locked
#65	Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MA	$41,380	5,778	56.7%	94%	76	Locked	Locked
#68	Brigham Young University–Provo Provo, UT	$4,710	34,101	62.8%	85%	78	Locked	Locked
#68	Clemson University Clemson, SC	in-state: $12,674, out-of-state: $29,600	19,914	63.3%	91%	80	Locked	Locked
#68	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–New Brunswick Piscataway, NJ	in-state: $13,073, out-of-state: $26,393	39,950	61.1%	92%	77	Locked	Locked
#68	University of Minnesota–Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	N/A	52,557	46.6%	89%	70	Locked	Locked
#72	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	N/A	47,954	72.9%	91%	77	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
#72	Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA	in-state: $10,930, out-of-state: $25,320	30,936	66.6%	91%	82	Locked	Locked
#75	Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ	$43,561	5,541	41.7%	91%	79	Locked	Locked
#75	University of Delaware Newark, DE	N/A	20,737	58.2%	92%	78	Locked	Locked
#77	American University Washington, DC	$39,499	12,724	41.6%	90%	77	Locked	Locked
#77	Baylor University Waco, TX	$33,916	15,029	39.7%	84%	72	Locked	Locked
#77	Colorado School of Mines Golden, CO	in-state: $15,654, out-of-state: $30,684	5,346	44.6%	88%	70	Locked	Locked
#77	SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY	in-state: $6,570, out-of-state: $15,820	2,346	46.8%	85%	66	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
#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
#83	Clark University Worcester, MA	$38,450	3,462	67.9%	89%	80	Locked	Locked
#83	Drexel University Philadelphia, PA	$36,090	18,489	57.5%	84%	68	Locked	Locked
#83	Indiana University–Bloomington Bloomington, IN	in-state: $10,033, out-of-state: $31,483	42,731	72.3%	90%	72	Locked	Locked
#83	Marquette University Milwaukee, WI	$33,244	12,002	56.8%	89%	81	Locked	Locked
#83	University of Denver Denver, CO	$39,177	11,797	68.2%	88%	79	Locked	Locked
#83	University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK	$31,198	4,092	41.0%	88%	68	Locked	Locked
#89	Auburn University Auburn University, AL	in-state: $9,446, out-of-state: $25,190	25,469	70.0%	87%	66	Locked	Locked
#89	Binghamton University–SUNY Binghamton, NY	in-state: $7,613, out-of-state: $16,761	14,746	40.7%	91%	78	Locked	Locked
#89	Miami University–Oxford Oxford, OH	in-state: $13,595, out-of-state: $29,158	17,395	74.1%	89%	81	Locked	Locked
#92	St. Louis University St. Louis, MO	$35,246	14,073	61.3%	85%	71	Locked	Locked
#92	Stony Brook University–SUNY Stony Brook, NY	in-state: $7,514, out-of-state: $18,134	24,059	39.2%	89%	67	Locked	Locked
#92	Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX	$34,590	9,518	37.7%	86%	74	Locked	Locked
#92	University of San Diego San Diego, CA	$39,970	8,317	47.5%	86%	75	Locked	Locked
#92	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	in-state: $15,254, out-of-state: $35,582	13,478	75.4%	86%	72	Locked	Locked
#97	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	N/A	41,087	58.5%	91%	74	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
#97	University of Massachusetts–Amherst Amherst, MA	in-state: $13,230, out-of-state: $26,645	28,084	65.6%	88%	67	Locked	Locked
#97	University of Missouri Columbia, MO	in-state: $9,257, out-of-state: $23,366	33,805	82.3%	85%	69	Locked	Locked
#101	Iowa State University Ames, IA	in-state: $7,726, out-of-state: $19,838	29,611	86.3%	86%	68	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

#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

#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

#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

#58

Fordham University

New York, NY

$41,732

15,189

42.4%

90%

Locked

#58

Southern Methodist University

Dallas, TX

$41,750

10,982

54.6%

89%

Locked

#58

Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY

$39,004

20,829

49.4%

91%

Locked

#58

University of Maryland–College Park

College Park, MD

in-state: $8,908, out-of-state: $27,287

37,580

44.7%

94%

Locked

#58

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA

in-state: $16,590, out-of-state: $26,280

28,766

57.9%

92%

Locked

#63

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT

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

25,868

47.3%

93%

Locked

#63

University of Georgia

Athens, GA

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

34,816

63.0%

94%

Locked

#65

Purdue University–West Lafayette

West Lafayette, IN

in-state: $9,900, out-of-state: $28,702

39,637

68.3%

88%

Locked

#65

Texas A&M University–College Station

College Station, TX

in-state: $8,505, out-of-state: $25,035

49,861

63.5%

92%

Locked

#65

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA

$41,380

5,778

56.7%

94%

Locked

#68

Brigham Young University–Provo

Provo, UT

$4,710

34,101

62.8%

85%

Locked

#68

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

in-state: $12,674, out-of-state: $29,600

19,914

63.3%

91%

Locked

#68

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey–New Brunswick

Piscataway, NJ

in-state: $13,073, out-of-state: $26,393

39,950

61.1%

92%

Locked

#68

University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN

N/A

52,557

46.6%

89%

Locked

#72

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI

N/A

47,954

72.9%

91%

Locked

#72

University of Iowa

Iowa City, IA

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

29,810

79.8%

85%

Locked

#72

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

in-state: $10,930, out-of-state: $25,320

30,936

66.6%

91%

Locked

#75

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ

$43,561

5,541

41.7%

91%

Locked

#75

University of Delaware

Newark, DE

N/A

20,737

58.2%

92%

Locked

#77

American University

Washington, DC

$39,499

12,724

41.6%

90%

Locked

#77

Baylor University

Waco, TX

$33,916

15,029

39.7%

84%

Locked

#77

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, CO

in-state: $15,654, out-of-state: $30,684

5,346

44.6%

88%

Locked

#77

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Syracuse, NY

in-state: $6,570, out-of-state: $15,820

2,346

46.8%

85%

Locked

#77

University of Alabama

Tuscaloosa, AL

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

31,647

43.5%

85%

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

#83

Clark University

Worcester, MA

$38,450

3,462

67.9%

89%

Locked

#83

Drexel University

Philadelphia, PA

$36,090

18,489

57.5%

84%

Locked

#83

Indiana University–Bloomington

Bloomington, IN

in-state: $10,033, out-of-state: $31,483

42,731

72.3%

90%

Locked

#83

Marquette University

Milwaukee, WI

$33,244

12,002

56.8%

89%

Locked

#83

University of Denver

Denver, CO

$39,177

11,797

68.2%

88%

Locked

#83

University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK

$31,198

4,092

41.0%

88%

Locked

#89

Auburn University

Auburn University, AL

in-state: $9,446, out-of-state: $25,190

25,469

70.0%

87%

Locked

#89

Binghamton University–SUNY

Binghamton, NY

in-state: $7,613, out-of-state: $16,761

14,746

40.7%

91%

Locked

#89

Miami University–Oxford

Oxford, OH

in-state: $13,595, out-of-state: $29,158

17,395

74.1%

89%

Locked

#92

St. Louis University

St. Louis, MO

$35,246

14,073

61.3%

85%

Locked

#92

Stony Brook University–SUNY

Stony Brook, NY

in-state: $7,514, out-of-state: $18,134

24,059

39.2%

89%

Locked

#92

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, TX

$34,590

9,518

37.7%

86%

Locked

#92

University of San Diego

San Diego, CA

$39,970

8,317

47.5%

86%

Locked

#92

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT

in-state: $15,254, out-of-state: $35,582

13,478

75.4%

86%

Locked

#97

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL

N/A

41,087

58.5%

91%

Locked

#97

University of Colorado–Boulder

Boulder, CO

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

32,252

86.9%

84%

Locked

#97

University of Massachusetts–Amherst

Amherst, MA

in-state: $13,230, out-of-state: $26,645

28,084

65.6%

88%

Locked

#97

University of Missouri

Columbia, MO

in-state: $9,257, out-of-state: $23,366

33,805

82.3%

85%

Locked

#101

Iowa State University

Ames, IA

in-state: $7,726, out-of-state: $19,838

29,611

86.3%

86%

Locked