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
#151	University of Alabama–Birmingham Birmingham, AL	N/A	17,575	72.2%	80%	45	Locked	Locked
#151	University of Mississippi University, MS	in-state: $6,282, out-of-state: $16,266	18,224	79.0%	81%	60	Locked	Locked
#151	University of Texas–Dallas Richardson, TX	N/A	18,864	53.4%	84%	61	Locked	Locked
#155	Adelphi University Garden City, NY	$29,320	7,922	69.2%	80%	66	Locked	Locked
#156	Illinois State University Normal, IL	in-state: $12,726, out-of-state: $20,016	21,310	63.4%	85%	71	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
#156	University of Maine Orono, ME	in-state: $10,594, out-of-state: $27,454	11,168	77.7%	78%	60	Locked	Locked
#156	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY	in-state: $4,278, out-of-state: $13,428	12,925	96.0%	73%	53	Locked	Locked
#160	Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL	$34,710	5,189	57.4%	76%	56	Locked	Locked
#160	Maryville University of St. Louis St Louis, MO	$23,746	3,846	67.4%	82%	68	Locked	Locked
#160	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	in-state: $6,264, out-of-state: $15,828	20,424	67.8%	83%	60 ⁸	Locked	Locked
#160	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	N/A	21,153	72.7%	78%	51	Locked	Locked
#160	University of Maryland–Baltimore County Baltimore, MD	in-state: $9,764, out-of-state: $20,825	13,199	60.8%	86%	57	Locked	Locked
#165	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	in-state: $7,076, out-of-state: $18,236	31,303	32.9%	84%	66	Locked	Locked
#165	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	N/A	32,327	66.3%	81%	61	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
#165	University of La Verne La Verne, CA	$33,350	4,692	39.9%	82%	58	Locked	Locked
#165	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	in-state: $6,090, out-of-state: $18,868	29,617	84.8%	80%	57	Locked	Locked
#170	University of Massachusetts–Lowell Lowell, MA	in-state: $11,852, out-of-state: $18,965	15,431	65.0%	79%	50	Locked	Locked
#170	University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND	in-state: $7,254, out-of-state: $17,170	14,697	70.8%	78%	54	Locked	Locked
#170	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	N/A	39,596	38.1%	88%	52	Locked	Locked
#170	Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA	in-state: $9,885, out-of-state: $23,300	31,899	65.7%	85%	53	Locked	Locked
#174	Biola University La Mirada, CA	$31,004	6,250	76.4%	85%	66	Locked	Locked
#174	Pace University New York, NY	$36,504	12,593	73.8%	77%	56	Locked	Locked
#174	St. Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN	$28,320	5,688	71.9%	74%	62	Locked	Locked
#174	University of Central Florida Orlando, FL	N/A	58,587	45.1%	87%	63	Locked	Locked
#174	Utah State University Logan, UT	in-state: $5,931, out-of-state: $17,078	26,757	96.9%	72%	53	Locked	Locked
#179	Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA	$31,076	9,929	49.2%	85%	63	Locked	Locked
#179	Edgewood College Madison, WI	$23,740	2,658	71.9%	78%	51	Locked	Locked
#179	Southern Illinois University–Carbondale Carbondale, IL	in-state: $11,153, out-of-state: $22,844	19,817	44.1%	68%	44	Locked	Locked
#179	University of Missouri–Kansas City Kansas City, MO	in-state: $9,220, out-of-state: $21,754	15,492	69.3%	75%	44	Locked	Locked
#179	University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM	N/A	28,977	63.9%	77%	45	Locked	Locked
#184	Ball State University Muncie, IN	in-state: $8,980, out-of-state: $23,650	22,147	67.5%	79%	55	Locked	Locked
#184	Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH	in-state: $10,520, out-of-state: $17,828	17,577	75.5%	74%	58	Locked	Locked
#184	North Dakota State University Fargo, ND	in-state: $7,233, out-of-state: $17,478	14,399	86.0%	78%	53	Locked	Locked
#184	University of Alabama–Huntsville Huntsville, AL	N/A	7,629	63.7%	77%	45	Locked	Locked
#184	University of Houston Houston, TX	N/A	39,820	63.6%	80%	46	Locked	Locked
#189	Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI	$24,478	3,547	36.1%	79%	63	Locked	Locked
#189	Ashland University ¹ Ashland, OH	N/A	N/A	72.3%	71% ⁸	61 ⁶	Locked	Locked
#189	Montana State University Bozeman, MT	in-state: $6,749, out-of-state: $20,018	14,153	60.2%	73%	51	Locked	Locked
#189	New Mexico State University Las Cruces, NM	in-state: $6,040, out-of-state: $19,068	18,024	80.2%	72%	46	Locked	Locked
#189	Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL	in-state: $13,044, out-of-state: $22,510	22,990	52.5%	73%	56	Locked	Locked
#189	University of Colorado–Denver Denver, CO	N/A	22,495	74.6%	73%	40	Locked	Locked
#189	University of Nevada–Reno Reno, NV	in-state: $6,248, out-of-state: $19,844	18,004	86.2%	78%	53	Locked	Locked
#189	University of North Carolina–Greensboro Greensboro, NC	in-state: $6,136, out-of-state: $19,934	18,265	58.7%	77%	53	Locked	Locked
#189	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	N/A	25,086	83.2%	74%	56	Locked	Locked
#189	Widener University Chester, PA	$36,382	6,464	66.3%	72%	54	Locked	Locked
#199	East Carolina University Greenville, NC	in-state: $5,318, out-of-state: $17,896	27,386	60.7%	79%	59	Locked	Locked
#199	Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA	N/A	11,518	62.1%	74%	49	Locked	Locked
#199	South Dakota State University Brookings, SD	in-state: $7,404, out-of-state: $9,350	12,725	92.3%	76%	60	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

#151

University of Alabama–Birmingham

Birmingham, AL

N/A

17,575

72.2%

80%

Locked

#151

University of Mississippi

University, MS

in-state: $6,282, out-of-state: $16,266

18,224

79.0%

81%

Locked

#151

University of Texas–Dallas

Richardson, TX

N/A

18,864

53.4%

84%

Locked

#155

Adelphi University

Garden City, NY

$29,320

7,922

69.2%

80%

Locked

#156

Illinois State University

Normal, IL

in-state: $12,726, out-of-state: $20,016

21,310

63.4%

85%

Locked

#156

University of Hawaii–Manoa

Honolulu, HI

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

20,429

78.4%

78%

Locked

#156

University of Maine

Orono, ME

in-state: $10,594, out-of-state: $27,454

11,168

77.7%

78%

Locked

#156

University of Wyoming

Laramie, WY

in-state: $4,278, out-of-state: $13,428

12,925

96.0%

73%

Locked

#160

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL

$34,710

5,189

57.4%

76%

Locked

#160

Maryville University of St. Louis

St Louis, MO

$23,746

3,846

67.4%

82%

Locked

#160

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS

in-state: $6,264, out-of-state: $15,828

20,424

67.8%

83%

60 ⁸

Locked

#160

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY

N/A

21,153

72.7%

78%

Locked

#160

University of Maryland–Baltimore County

Baltimore, MD

in-state: $9,764, out-of-state: $20,825

13,199

60.8%

86%

Locked

#165

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

in-state: $7,076, out-of-state: $18,236

31,303

32.9%

84%

Locked

#165

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX

N/A

32,327

66.3%

81%

Locked

#165

University of Idaho

Moscow, ID

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

12,312

60.9%

79%

Locked

#165

University of La Verne

La Verne, CA

$33,350

4,692

39.9%

82%

Locked

#165

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV

in-state: $6,090, out-of-state: $18,868

29,617

84.8%

80%

Locked

#170

University of Massachusetts–Lowell

Lowell, MA

in-state: $11,852, out-of-state: $18,965

15,431

65.0%

79%

Locked

#170

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, ND

in-state: $7,254, out-of-state: $17,170

14,697

70.8%

78%

Locked

#170

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL

N/A

39,596

38.1%

88%

Locked

#170

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA

in-state: $9,885, out-of-state: $23,300

31,899

65.7%

85%

Locked

#174

Biola University

La Mirada, CA

$31,004

6,250

76.4%

85%

Locked

#174

Pace University

New York, NY

$36,504

12,593

73.8%

77%

Locked

#174

St. Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN

$28,320

5,688

71.9%

74%

Locked

#174

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL

N/A

58,587

45.1%

87%

Locked

#174

Utah State University

Logan, UT

in-state: $5,931, out-of-state: $17,078

26,757

96.9%

72%

Locked

#179

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA

$31,076

9,929

49.2%

85%

Locked

#179

Edgewood College

Madison, WI

$23,740

2,658

71.9%

78%

Locked

#179

Southern Illinois University–Carbondale

Carbondale, IL

in-state: $11,153, out-of-state: $22,844

19,817

44.1%

68%

Locked

#179

University of Missouri–Kansas City

Kansas City, MO

in-state: $9,220, out-of-state: $21,754

15,492

69.3%

75%

Locked

#179

University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM

N/A

28,977

63.9%

77%

Locked

#184

Ball State University

Muncie, IN

in-state: $8,980, out-of-state: $23,650

22,147

67.5%

79%

Locked

#184

Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH

in-state: $10,520, out-of-state: $17,828

17,577

75.5%

74%

Locked

#184

North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND

in-state: $7,233, out-of-state: $17,478

14,399

86.0%

78%

Locked

#184

University of Alabama–Huntsville

Huntsville, AL

N/A

7,629

63.7%

77%

Locked

#184

University of Houston

Houston, TX

N/A

39,820

63.6%

80%

Locked

#189

Andrews University

Berrien Springs, MI

$24,478

3,547

36.1%

79%

Locked

#189

Ashland University ¹

Ashland, OH

N/A

72.3%

71% ⁸

61 ⁶

Locked

#189

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT

in-state: $6,749, out-of-state: $20,018

14,153

60.2%

73%

Locked

#189

New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM

in-state: $6,040, out-of-state: $19,068

18,024

80.2%

72%

Locked

#189

Northern Illinois University

DeKalb, IL

in-state: $13,044, out-of-state: $22,510

22,990

52.5%

73%

Locked

#189

University of Colorado–Denver

Denver, CO

N/A

22,495

74.6%

73%

Locked

#189

University of Nevada–Reno

Reno, NV

in-state: $6,248, out-of-state: $19,844

18,004

86.2%

78%

Locked

#189

University of North Carolina–Greensboro

Greensboro, NC

in-state: $6,136, out-of-state: $19,934

18,265

58.7%

77%

Locked

#189

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI

N/A

25,086

83.2%

74%

Locked

#189

Widener University

Chester, PA

$36,382

6,464

66.3%

72%

Locked

#199

East Carolina University

Greenville, NC

in-state: $5,318, out-of-state: $17,896

27,386

60.7%

79%

Locked

#199

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, LA

N/A

11,518

62.1%

74%

Locked

#199

South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD

in-state: $7,404, out-of-state: $9,350

12,725

92.3%

76%

Locked