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.
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- Tuition and fees:
- $45,042 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 4,194
- Setting:
- rural
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College, a private institution in Hanover, N.H., uses quarters, not semesters, to divide the school year. Among more than 300 student organizations at Dartmouth is the Outing Club, the nation’s oldest and largest collegiate club of its kind, which offers outdoor activities, expeditions, gear rentals, and courses.
- Tuition and fees:
- $43,779 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 8,475
- Setting:
- suburban
Evanston, IL
Northwestern University is a private school in Evanston, Ill., about 30 minutes outside of Chicago. Undergraduate students have more than 70 options for majors or can design their own non-traditional degree program.
- Tuition and fees:
- $43,930 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 5,980
- Setting:
- urban
Baltimore, MD
Johns Hopkins University is a private institution in Baltimore, Md. that offers a wide array of academic programs in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and engineering disciplines. The Hopkins Blue Jays men’s lacrosse team is consistently dominant in the NCAA Division I; other sports teams at Hopkins compete at the Division III level.
- Tuition and fees:
- $43,705 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 7,239
- Setting:
- suburban
St. Louis, MO
Students can study architecture, art, arts and sciences, business, and engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, a private research institution in Missouri. Outside of class, about a quarter of the student body is involved in Greek life.
- Tuition and fees:
- $43,758 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 6,380
- Setting:
- city
Providence, RI
At Brown University, undergraduate students are responsible for designing their own academic study with more than 70 concentration programs to choose from. Another unique offering at this private, Ivy League institution in Providence, R.I. is the Program in Liberal Medical Education, which grants both a bachelor’s degree and medical degree in eight years.
- Tuition and fees:
- $43,413 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 14,167
- Setting:
- rural
Ithaca, NY
Cornell University, a private school in Ithaca, N.Y., started the country’s first colleges for hotel administration, industrial and labor relations, and veterinary medicine. Cornell now offers a wide variety of undergraduate programs and runs interdisciplinary research centers for nanotechnology, supercomputing, and more.
- Tuition and fees:
- $37,292 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 3,755
- Setting:
- urban
Houston, TX
Rice University is located in the heart of the Museum District in Houston, TX. The private institution has a need-blind admissions policy and meets the full demonstrated need of any accepted student who requires help paying tuition.
- Tuition and fees:
- $42,971 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 8,452
- Setting:
- city
Notre Dame, IN
The University of Notre Dame is a private, independent, Catholic institution in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame’s athletic teams, known as the Fighting Irish, play in the NCAA Division I and are particularly competitive on the football field.
- Tuition and fees:
- $42,118 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 6,817
- Setting:
- urban
Nashville, TN
Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt University is a private institution. Vanderbilt University follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered most selective.
- Tuition and fees:
- $42,980 (2012-13)
- Enrollment:
- 7,441
- Setting:
- suburban
Atlanta, GA
Students can begin their education at the school's main location in a suburb of Atlanta, known as Emory College, or at Oxford College, a smaller campus about 40 miles away. This private institution offers about 70 majors in the arts and sciences, as well as degrees in business administration and nursing.
