Top 20 Best Universities in the US 2024 by QS/U.S News and KnowInsiders Rankings
 Top 40 Best Scholarships In The US for International Students: Government and Top Universities |
 Top 30 Best International Scholarships From Top Universities In The World |
| Table of Contents |
How many public colleges and universities are in the US?
What is the total number of colleges and universities in the United States that are open to the public? The National Center for Education Statistics listed 3,982 institutions, 1,625 of which were public colleges offering two or four years of study. The variety of public educational options ranges from small liberal arts colleges to large research universities.
Local and state governments fund them, primarily through the collection of taxes. As a result, these educational institutions frequently offer tuition discounts to residents of the states in which they are located.
How many private colleges and universities are in the US?
How many universities in the United States provide private education? There are approximately 697 for-profit schools in the fall of 2019. Despite accounting for the vast majority of higher education institutions in the United States, for-profit colleges have been steadily declining since the 2012-2013 academic year.
As a result, the majority of the funds raised by for-profit colleges are spent on marketing and recruitment rather than educational programs.
 |
| Top 20 Best Universities In The US 2023 By US News and QS World University Rankings. Photo KnowInsiders |
Top Best Universities In The US By US News
The university or college you choose to go to can have a major impact on the rest of your life, so it's probably a good idea to do some research first.
US news ranked 443 National Universities across US. At the leading position is Princeton University, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
READ MORE:
Top 40 Best Scholarships In The US for International Students: Government and Top UniversitiesBest Universities In The US By QS World University Rankings
This year’s QS World University Rankings include almost 1,500 institutions from around the world. It’s not just iconic institutions that take the top spots: this year’s highest rankings include universities from diverse locations across Europe, Asia and North America.
QS rankings are the fast and easy way to compare institutions on a host of different criteria: from academic reputation to the number of international students enrolled. You’ll find even more information about each university on their dedicated QS profile page, where you can explore the full range of study options available and enquire with their admissions team.
Top 5 best US universities by QS:
1-Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2-Stanford University
3-Harvard University
4-California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
5-University of Chicago
READ MORE:
Top 30 Best International Scholarships From Top Universities In The World
Top 20 Best Universities in the US by KnowInsiders
1. Princeton University
 |
| Princeton University |
Address: Princeton, NJ, 08544
Website: princeton.edu
Tuition: $57,410
Overview: Princeton University, one of the oldest colleges in the United States, is located in the quiet town of Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton has a variety of events, activities, and organizations within the walls of its historic ivy-covered campus. Princeton University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,548 students, with a gender distribution of 50/50. 94% of students at this school live in college-owned, operated, or affiliated housing, while 6% live off campus.
Ranking:
#1 in National Universities
#4 in Best Colleges for Veterans
#3 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie)
#2 in Best Value Schools
#30 in Most Innovative Schools (tie)
#186 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)
#12 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Address: 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139
Website: mit.edu
Tuition: $57,986
Overview: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private university that was established in 1861. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,638 students, an urban setting, and a campus size of 168 acres. It follows a 4-1-4 academic calendar.
4-Year Graduation Rate: 88%
Student/Faculty Ratio: 3:1
Classes With Fewer Than 20 Students: 70%
Ranking: Massachusetts Institute of Technology's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #2.
| MIT is very special place. It doesn't matter who you are, what you look like, or where you came from. If you can hack it, you are welcome. But remember, just because you were the smartest kid your high school ever saw in its 100-year hisotry, you are just going to be average there and competing against some of the smartest kids on the planet. On the other hand, the education is top notch. You can hardly walk down the halls without spotting a Nobel Prize winner. Unlike Harvard, Yale, and a lot of other top schools, MIT as an institution puts a lot of pressure on the professors to make sure they take teaching undergraduates seriously and do a first-rate job. At most top schools, professors care only about their Ph.D. students, not undergraduates. MIT is really different in that way. The faculty really care about undergraduates as well as grad students. It is commonly said of MIT: "Work, sleep, friends; pick any two." There's some truth in that. They demand the most from everyone. If that isn't your thing, forget it. But if it is, you will learn an incredible amount of stuff and meet some amazing people, many of whom will go on to spectacular success later. It's not a place for the faint of heart, but if you give it all you've got, MIT will give you all it has--and that is a LOT. |
3. Harvard University
 |
| Photo Getty |
Address: Cambridge, MA, 02138
Website: harvard.edu
Tuition: $57,261
Overview: Harvard University was founded in 1636 as a private institution. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,153 students (fall 2021), an urban setting, and a campus size of 5,076 acres. The academic calendar is semester-based.
86%: 4-Year Graduation Rate
7:1: Student/Faculty Ratio
71%: Classes With Fewer Than 20 Students
Ranking:
Harvard University's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #3.
4. Stanford University
Address: Stanford, CA, 94305
Website: standford.edu
Tuition: $56,169
Overview: Stanford University was established in 1885 as a private institution. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,645, a suburban setting, and a 8,180-acre campus. It follows a quarterly academic calendar.
Ranking:
Stanford University's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #3.
#3 in National Universities (tie)
#6 in Best Colleges for Veterans
#36 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie)
5. Yale University
 |
| Yale University |
Address: New Haven, CT, 06520
Website: yale.edu
Tuition: $62,250
Overview: Yale University admissions are the most selective, with a 5% acceptance rate. Half of the Yale University applicants have a SAT score between 1480 and 1580 or an ACT score between 33 and 35. However, one-quarter of admitted applicants received scores that were higher than these ranges, while the other quarter received scores that were lower.
Ranking: Yale University is ranked #3 out of 443 National Universities. Schools are ranked according to their performance across a set of widely accepted indicators of excellence.
6. University of Chicago
Address: 5801 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637
Website: uchicago.edu
Tuition: $62,940
Overview: The University of Chicago was founded in 1890 as a private institution. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,526, is located in an urban setting, and covers 217 acres. It follows a quarterly academic calendar.
Ranking: University of Chicago's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #6.
Average 6-year graduation rate (17.6%): 95%
6-year graduation rate of students who received a Pell Grant (2.5%): 93%
6-year graduation rate of students who did not receive a Pell Grant (2.5%): 96%
7. Johns Hopkins University
 |
| Johns Hopkins University |
Address: 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218
Website: jhu.edu
Tuition: $60,480
Overview: Johns Hopkins University is a private institution that was founded in 1876. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,132, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 140 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar.
Ranking:
#7 in National Universities (tie)
#9 in Best Value Schools
#10 in Most Innovative Schools (tie)
#326 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)
8. University of Pennsylvania
Address: 1 College Hall, Room 100, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
Website: upenn.edu
Tuition: $63,452
Overview: Benjamin Franklin founded the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. The Penn Quakers compete in the Ivy League in more than 25 NCAA Division I sports, and are known for their successful basketball and lacrosse teams. Penn has more than ten College Houses, but many students live in the numerous off-campus apartments and houses.
89%: 4-Year Graduation Rate
7:1: Student/Faculty Ratio
68%: Classes With Fewer Than 20 Students
Ranking:
#7 in National Universities (tie)
#18 in Best Value Schools
#59 in Most Innovative Schools (tie)
#313 in Top Performers on Social Mobility (tie)
#22 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (tie)
9. California Institute of Technology
Address: 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125
Website: caltech.edu
Tuition: $60,864
Overview: California Institute of Technology is a private university that was established in 1891. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 987 (fall 2021), a suburban setting, and a campus size of 124 acres. It follows a quarterly academic calendar.
Ranking: California Institute of Technology's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #9
#9 in National Universities
#10 in Best Value Schools
#9 in Most Innovative Schools
10. Duke University
Address: 2138 Campus Drive, Box 90586, Durham, NC, 27708
Website: duke.edu
Tuition: $63,054
Overview: Duke University was established in 1838 as a private institution. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,883, a suburban setting, and an 8,693-acre campus. The academic calendar is semester-based.
Ranking: Duke University's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #10.
#10 in National Universities (tie)
#11 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
#16 in Best Value Schools
11. University of California Berkeley (UCB)
 |
| University of California Berkeley |
Address: Berkeley, CA
Website: berkeley.edu
Tuition: $14,226 for in-state and $43,980 for out-of-state students
Overview:
The University of California, Berkeley (UCB), founded in 1868, is a public research university and the flagship institution of the University of California system's ten research universities.
Berkeley is one of the 14 founding members of the Association of American Universities and home to world-class research institutes such as the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute and the Space Sciences Laboratory.
Ranking:
#27
QS World University Rankings
#4
QS WUR Ranking By Subject
#4
US UNI (universities)
12. Northwestern University
Address: 633 Clark Street, Evanston, IL, 60208
Webstie: northwestern.edu
Tuition: $63,468
Overview: Northwestern University is a private institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,494, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 231 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar.
86%: 4-Year Graduation Rate
6:1: Student/Faculty Ratio
77%: Classes With Fewer Than 20 Students
Ranking:
#10 in National Universities (tie) by US News
#41 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie)
#13 in Best Value Schools
13. Cornell University
Address: Ithaca, New York 14850
Website: cornell.edu
Tuition: $61,015
Overview:
Cornell has been a co-educational, non-sectarian institution with no restrictions on admission based on religion or race since its inception. Cornell values liberal traditions: a recent article in the Cornell Chronicle celebrated the first all-female class admitted to its renowned Farrier program in veterinary science. Cornell was also the first to offer journalism degrees and the first to teach modern Far Eastern languages.
Cornell's main campus is located on East Hill in Ithaca, New York, with views of the city and Cayuga Lake. It covers 2,300 acres and houses laboratories, administrative buildings, and nearly all of the academic buildings, athletic facilities, auditoriums, and museums on campus.
Ranking:
Cornell University is one of the top private universities in Ithaca, United States. It is ranked #20 in QS World University Rankings 2023.
14. Columbia University
 |
| Columbia University |
Address: Morningside Height Campus, New York City
Website: columbia.edu
Tuition: $63,530
Overview: Columbia University, founded in 1754, is a private Ivy League research university in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It was founded as King's College by royal charter of George II of Great Britain and renamed Columbia College after the American Revolutionary War in 1784. Undergraduate schools such as Columbia College, the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies, as well as graduate schools such as Columbia Law School, Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia Journalism School, and Columbia Business School, are part of the university's 20-school structure. It also had global research outposts located all over the world. It has approximately 28,000 students, the majority of whom are postgraduates, with approximately 8,500 undergraduate students.
Ranking:
#22
QS World University Rankings
#7
QS WUR Ranking By Subject
#33
QS Sustainability Ranking
15. Dartmouth College
Address: Hanover, NH 03755
Website: dartmouth.edu
Tuition: $ 60,870
Overview: Dartmouth College- a private institution - was founded in 1769. Its undergraduate enrollment is 4,556. The campus covers an area of 237 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar.
Ranking:
#12 in National Universities
#3 in Best Colleges for Veterans
#5 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie)
16. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Address: Ann Arbor Campus, Ann Arbor
Wesbite: umich.edu
Tuition: $17,786 for in-state and $57,273 for out-of-state students
Overview:
The University of Michigan, one of the leading research universities in the United States, was founded in 1817, before Michigan was even a state, and relocated from Detroit to what is now its Central campus in Ann Arbor in 1837.
Michigan's Central and North campuses, two regional campuses, and a center in Detroit cover 780 acres. It has a large student body of around 46,000 people, with undergraduates accounting for two-thirds of that figure.
Ranking:
#25
QS World University Rankings
#29
QS WUR Ranking By Subject
17. Brown University
Address: Box 1920, Providence
Website: brown.edu
Tuition: $65,146
Overview: Brown University was founded in 1764 as a private institution. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,349, is located in a city, and is 146 acres in size. The academic calendar is semester-based.
Ranking:
#13 in National Universities (tie)
#17 in Best Colleges for Veterans
#2 in Best Undergraduate Teaching
18. Vanderbilt University
Address: Nashville, TN
Website: vanderbilt.edu
Tuition: $60,348
Overview: Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee. It provides over 70 undergraduate majors as well as a full range of graduate and professional degrees across 10 schools and colleges, all on a beautiful campus—an accredited arboretum—complete with athletic facilities and cutting-edge laboratories.
Ranking:
#13 in National Universities (tie)
#21 in Best Undergraduate Teaching (tie)
#8 in Best Value Schools
19. Rice University
Address: 6100 Main St., Houston
Website: rice.edu
Tuition: $54,960
Overview: Rice University, located in Houston's Museum District, provides a vibrant student life in the country's fourth-largest city. The Rice Coffeehouse, Valhalla Pub, and Willy's Pub are all student-run establishments that serve food and drinks on campus. All students are assigned to one of 11 residential colleges before they arrive on campus, and they remain members even if they move off campus. Residential colleges offer housing, dining, and academic and social activities. Rice University has 14 varsity NCAA Division I athletic teams, including a strong baseball program. All varsity athletic events are free for students.
Ranking: Rice University's ranking in the 2022-2023 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #15
20. New York University (NYU)
 |
| New York University |
Address: New York City Campus, New York City
Website: nyu.edu
Tuition: $ 56,500
Overview: NYU is based in New York City and has campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, with the majority of its buildings centered on the beautiful Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Among the notable alumni are actor Alec Baldwin, pop star Lady Gaga, and celebrated playwright Tony Kushner.
Ranking: New York University (NYU) was rated the maximum five QS stars, achieving full marks in the categories research, innovation, facilities and specialist criteria.
Top 10 largest universities in the US by US News
| University | Number of Students |
| University of Phoenix | 72,485 |
| Arizona State University | 63,124 |
| University of Central Florida | 61,456 |
| Grand Canyon University | 58,997 |
| Texas A&M University | 55,568 |
| Florida International University | 48,664 |
| Liberty University | 47,988 |
| The Ohio State University | 46,984 |
| University of Texas at Austin | 40,048 |
| The Pennsylvania State University | 39,809 |
Top 10 US business schools by US News
| University of Chicago (Booth) |
| University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) |
| Northwestern University (Kellogg) |
| Stanford University |
| Harvard University |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) |
| Yale University |
| Columbia University |
| University of California--Berkeley (Haas) |
| University of Michigan--Ann Arbor (Ross) |
Top 10 US universities for engineering & science by US News
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| Stanford University |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) |
| Harvard University |
| Georgia Institute of Technology |
| California Institute of Technology |
| Carnegie Mellon University |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| Princeton University |
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Top 10 medical schools in the US by US News
| Harvard University |
| Yale University |
| Stanford University |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) |
| Columbia University |
| New York University (NYU) |
| University of Chicago |
| Georgetown University |
| University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor |
Top 10 US universities for social sciences by US News
| Harvard University |
| Stanford University |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
| University of California, Berkeley (UCB) |
| Yale University |
| University of California, Los Angeles |
| University of Pennsylvania |
| Columbia University |
| University of Chicago |
| Princeton University |
Top 10 liberal arts colleges by US News
| Williams College |
| Amherst College |
| Swarthmore College |
| Pomona College |
| Wellesley College |
| Bowdoin College |
| United States Naval Academy |
| Claremont McKenna College |
| Carleton College |
| Middlebury College |
 Top 6 Best Universities In Asia for 2021 - 2022 Six best universities from Asia are in China and Singapore. Let’s find out what they are! |
 Top Best Universities In UK And Europe In 2022 Find the best universities in UK and Europe in 2022. Choose a study programme at a top university! |
 Best and Cheap Universities in Canada: Tuition Fees and Living Costs 2023/2024 Canada is a popular study destination for international students. Tuition fees at Canadian universities are a bit high but generally lower than those in countries ... |
