Top 20 Most Prestigious Schools in the US: 4 Year Universities and Community Colleges
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Obtaining a definitive ranking of the most esteemed universities and colleges in the United States is a challenging task due to the varying criteria employed, which may yield divergent outcomes.
KnowInsiders has compiled a catalogue of globally renowned and esteemed universities, which have garnered significant recognition in recent times, not limited to the United States. We hope that you will make an informed decision that is optimal for your future educational pursuits.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
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| Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
117 degree programs are available from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is a sizable, private, four-year university that is not for profit. 1,733 Master's degrees, 1,102 Bachelor's degrees, and 584 Doctoral degrees were awarded to 3,419 graduates in 2020.
Acceptance Rate: 7%
SAT Range: 1510-1580
ACT Range: 34-36
Student/Faculty Ratio: 8:1
Total Enrollments: 11,254
Total Cost: $72,462
Net Average Cost of Attendance: $19,998
Website: web.mit.edu
Location: 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Notable Alumni
Nineteen MIT graduates have received Nobel Prizes, with a sizable representation in the fields of physics, chemistry, and economics. MIT-educated astronauts have been present on more than one-third of the country's space missions, including four of the twelve astronauts who participated in the Apollo program's moon landings. Other notable graduates include the Doppler Radar inventor Bernard Gordon, the architect IM Pei, the journalist Karen Arenson, the former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank Ben Bernanke, and the Princess of Thailand Ubolratana Manidol.
Online learning and extension/adult learning opportunities
Through OpenCourseWare (OCW), MIT makes almost all of its course materials available online for free in an effort to spread knowledge to anyone who is interested. Through video lectures, online textbooks, and assignments with solutions, this enables independent study of a variety of disciplines (computer programming, linear algebra, and algorithms are among the most popular subjects). MIT takes part in edX, a platform that offers online courses from prestigious universities. An official certificate of completion signed by the instructor is available to participants.
2. California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, CA)
At California Institute of Technology, 93 degree options are available. It's a four-year, small, private university in a medium-sized city. 207 Bachelor's degrees, 146 Doctoral degrees, and 101 Master's degrees were awarded to the 454 graduates in 2020.
Acceptance Rate: 7%
SAT Range : 1530-1580
ACT Range : 35-36
Student/Faculty Ratio: 6:1
Total Enrollments: 2,240
Total Cost: $77,718
Net Average Cost of Attendance : $26,591
Website: www.caltech.edu
Location: 1200 E California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125
3. Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD)
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| Johns Hopkins University |
Johns Hopkins University provides 474 different degree options. It is a very sizable, private, four-year university that is not for profit. There were 9,510 graduates in 2020, with 6,708 Master's degree holders, 1,392 Bachelor's degree holders, 760 Certificate holders, and 650 Doctoral degree holders.
Acceptance Rate: 11%
SAT Range: 1470-1560
ACT Range: 34-36
Student/Faculty Ratio: 20:1
Total Enrollments: 28,890
Total Cost: $67,667
Net Average Cost of Attendance: $25,241
Website: www.jhu.edu
Location: 3400 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD 21218-2688
4. Rice University (Houston, TX)
Around 7,000 undergraduate students are enrolled in Rice University, a private university in Houston, Texas. The university's 300-acre campus borders both the Texas Medical Center and the Houston Zoo. The university offers the majority of students merit- and need-based scholarships, and students take classes that adhere to a semester-based academic calendar.
The Ken Kennedy Institute of Information Technology, the Boniuk Institute, and the Cao Center for Asian Studies are just a few of Rice's many academic institutions. In addition to taking advantage of Houston's METRORail system, which is located directly across from Rice's main campus, students can stroll through Hermann Park and explore the Museum District of Houston.
Small class sizes and a faculty-to-student ratio of 6:1 are advantages for many students at Rice. Additionally, the university offers more than 360 undergraduate and graduate degree options across more than 60 academic departments. Students who are interested in media and journalism can join a variety of student-led organizations outside of the classroom, including The Rice Thresher, The Campanile, and KTRU Rice Radio. Howard Hughes, a pilot, Joyce Carol Oates, a writer, and John Doerr, an American investor, are notable alumni.
Acceptance Rate
11%
SAT Range
1460-1570
ACT Range
34-36
Student/Faculty Ratio
11:1
Total Enrollments
7,643
Total Cost
$69,557
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$19,215
Website
www.rice.edu
Location
6100 S Main StHouston, TX 77005-1827
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5. Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA)
There are 25 degree options at Harvey Mudd College. A very small, private, four-year university that is not for profit is located in a sizable suburb. 2020 saw the graduation of 208 students, who received 208 Bachelor's degrees.
Acceptance Rate
18%
SAT Range
1490-1570
ACT Range
34-35
Student/Faculty Ratio
8:1
Total Enrollments
854
Total Cost
$79,539
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$37,192
Website
www.hmc.edu
Location
301 Platt Blvd.Claremont, CA 91711
6. Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
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| Cornell University |
The private land-grant research university Cornell University was established in 1865 by Andrew Dickson White and Ezra Cornell in the New York suburbia college town of Ithaca. There are roughly 15,000 undergraduate students enrolled in total, and they attend classes on a 4,000-acre campus. Although financial aid is available, the tuition and fees at Cornell, which follows a semester-based academic calendar, are more than $55,000 for both in-state and out-of-state students.
Seven colleges and seven graduate divisions, including highly regarded business and hospitality programs, make up Cornell University. The university is well known for having a strong global network, which is helped in part by having two satellite campuses in New York City and Education City, Qatar.
A member of the Ivy League, Cornell University has connections to some of the greatest academic minds of the 20th century. The school is renowned for its Botanic Gardens and a sizable portfolio of university-owned and -operated land in New York City in addition to its strong academic traditions. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a judge on the Supreme Court, Bill Nye, a television personality, and Christopher Reeve, the first actor to portray Superman, are notable alumni.
Acceptance Rate
11%
SAT Range
1400-1540
ACT Range
32-35
Student/Faculty Ratio
13:1
Total Enrollments
23,620
Total Cost
$78,992
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$27,522
Website
www.cornell.edu
Location
300 Day HallIthaca, NY 14853
7. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA)
The University of Pennsylvania is a private academic institution with about 25,000 undergraduate students currently enrolled. It was established in downtown Philadelphia in 1740. One of only nine universities to be chartered in that era, the institution was initially founded by Benjamin Franklin prior to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Penn is one of the top universities in the country, and its annual tuition and fees come to more than $55,000.
A walled-in student housing complex is part of the university's historic gothic campus, which is situated in an urban area a few blocks from Rittenhouse Square and just north of the Schuylkill River. The current student-faculty ratio is 6:1, one of the lowest ratios for a top university in the country. Classes follow a semester-based academic calendar.
Internationally renowned institutions such as the Annenberg School for Communication, the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology, and the Wharton School of Business are located at the University of Pennsylvania. Academic alliances between UPenn and institutions around the world include King's College London, the University of Barcelona, and even the University of Queensland in Australia. Students at UPenn have the option of joining a variety of social clubs, including the renowned Penn Glee Club, or working at the student-run newspaper The Daily Pennsylvanian. Former US President Donald Trump, author Noam Chomsky, and I.M. Pei, the architect of the Louvre Pyramid, are notable alumni.
Acceptance Rate
9%
SAT Range
1460-1570
ACT Range
33-35
Student/Faculty Ratio
18:1
Total Enrollments
26,552
Total Cost
$81,110
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$24,167
Website
www.upenn.edu
Location
34th & Spruce StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104-6303
8. University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
207 degree programs are offered by the University of Chicago. It is a sizable, private, four-year university that is not for profit. 3,308 Master's degrees, 1,527 Bachelor's degrees, 659 Doctoral degrees, and 323 Certificates were awarded to 5,817 graduates in 2020.
Acceptance Rate
7%
SAT Range
1500-1570
ACT Range
34-35
Student/Faculty Ratio
12:1
Total Enrollments
17,834
Total Cost
$81,531
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$36,584
Website
www.uchicago.edu
Location
5801 S Ellis AveChicago, IL 60637
9. Brown University (Providence, RI)
In the city of Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University was established in 1764 as a private Ivy League school. There are roughly 9,000 undergraduates enrolled in total, and they all attend classes on the school's 140-acre campus. Although Brown is one of the most expensive universities in the nation and operates on a trimester system, many students receive financial aid.
Brown has a distinguished academic record and runs the Ivy League engineering program with the longest history. The university is renowned for its distinctive curriculum, which did away with traditional grading scales and core class requirements, allowing students to select their own path to graduation without taking general education courses.
The nearby Rhode Island School of Design is located just west of the Brown campus and is one of several educational institutions in Providence. The ability to register for classes at both RISD and Brown allows students to take up to four classes at each institution. The school is home to the Joukowsky Institute for Archeology and the Ancient World, which offers classes in Egyptology, Mesopotamia, and Assyriology along with its robust writing and international affairs programs. Ted Turner, a businessman known for his interests in media and buffalo, as well as John Krasinski and Andrew Yang, are notable alumni.
Acceptance Rate
8%
SAT Range
1440-1560
ACT Range
33-35
Student/Faculty Ratio
12:1
Total Enrollments
9,948
Total Cost
$80,448
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$27,659
Website
www.brown.edu
Location
One Prospect StreetProvidence, RI 02912
10. Amherst College (Amherst, MA)
The 36 degree programs offered by Amherst College. A small, private, four-year university located in a significant suburb. 2020 saw the graduation of 453 students, who received 453 Bachelor's degrees.
Acceptance Rate
12%
SAT Range
1430-1560
ACT Range
32-35
Student/Faculty Ratio
7:1
Total Enrollments
1,745
Total Cost
$79,600
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$18,832
Website
www.amherst.edu
Location
Boltwood AvenueAmherst, MA 01002-5000
Top 10 Best Community Colleges in the U.S
1. Emory University-Oxford College (Oxford, GA)
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| Emory University-Oxford College |
Oxford College at Emory University offers only one degree program. It is a very small, private, two-year, non-profit college located in a sizable suburb. 508 students received their diplomas in 2020, and 508 of them were awarded associate's degrees.
Acceptance Rate
24%
SAT Range
1350-1520
ACT Range
30-34
Student/Faculty Ratio
10:1
Total Enrollments
947
Total Cost
$72,884
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$33,973
Website
www.oxford.emory.edu
Location
801 Emory StreetOxford, GA 30054
2. Monteclaro Escuela de Hoteleria y Artes Culinarias (Rio Grande, PR)
Two degree programs are available from Monteclaro Escuela de Hoteleria y Artes Culinarias. It is a very small, private, two-year, non-profit college located in a sizable suburb.
Student/Faculty Ratio
1:1
Total Enrollments
12
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$9,248
Website
www.monteclaro.edu
Location
Carr. 955 Km. 4.8 Barrio PalmerRio Grande, PR 00745-0000
3. American Academy of Dramatic Arts (New York)
There are two degree programs offered by the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. It is a very small, private, two-year college that is not for profit. 2020 saw the graduation of 145 students, 121 of whom received Associate's degrees and 24 Certificates.
Acceptance Rate
58%
SAT Range
-
ACT Range
-
Student/Faculty Ratio
16:1
Total Enrollments
159
Total Cost
$61,509
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$51,257
Website
www.aada.edu
Location
120 Madison AveNew York, NY 10016
4. Louisiana Culinary Institute (Baton Rouge, LA)
Two degree programs are available from Louisiana Culinary Institute. It is a very small, private, two-year, for-profit college located in a sizable suburb. 40 students graduated in 2020, and 40 of them received Associate's degrees.
Acceptance Rate
23%
Student/Faculty Ratio
19:1
Total Enrollments
114
Total Cost
$17,575
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$23,139
Website
www.lci.edu
Location
10550 Airline HwyBaton Rouge, LA 70816
5. Rosedale Technical College (Pittsburgh, PA)
Rosedale Technical College provides 12 different degree options. It is a very small, private, two-year, non-profit college located in a sizable suburb. 2020 saw the graduation of 183 students, 146 of whom received Associate's degrees and 37 Certificates.
Acceptance Rate
55%
SAT Range
-
ACT Range
-
Student/Faculty Ratio
14:1
Total Enrollments
385
Total Cost
$17,355
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$19,732
Website
www.rosedaletech.org
Location
215 Beecham Drive, Suite 2Pittsburgh, PA 15205-9791
6. Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de Manati (Manati, PR)
There are 11 degree programs available at Instituto Tecnologico de Puerto Rico-Recinto de Manati. A sizable suburb is home to this small, public, two-year college. 152 students received Associate's degrees at graduation in 2020.
Acceptance Rate
88%
SAT Range
-
ACT Range
-
Student/Faculty Ratio
10:1
Total Enrollments
452
Total Cost
$3,400
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$2,552
Website
itec.pr
Location
State Road 2 Km.47.3Manati, PR 00674-1091
7. Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing (Falls Church, VA)
Two degree programs are available from Standard Healthcare Services-College of Nursing. It is a very small, private, two-year, for-profit college located in a sizable suburb. 2020 saw the graduation of 213 students, 162 of whom received certificates and 51 of whom received associate's degrees.
Acceptance Rate
51%
Student/Faculty Ratio
55:1
Total Enrollments
441
Total Cost
-
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$26,241
Website
www.standardcollege.edu
Location
7704 Leesburg Pike, Suite 1000Falls Church, VA 22043
8. Baptist Health College Little Rock (Little Rock, AR)
There are 11 degree programs available at Baptist Health College Little Rock. It's a very small, private, two-year, non-profit university in a sizable city. 2020 saw the graduation of 395 students, 269 of whom received Associate's degrees and 126 Certificates.
Acceptance Rate
50%
ACT Range
18-22
Student/Faculty Ratio
13:1
Total Enrollments
661
Total Cost
$14,275
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$23,540
Website
www.bhclr.edu
Location
11900 COLONEL GLENN RD STE 1000Little Rock, AR 72210-2827
9. Eastern Virginia Career College (Fredericksburg, VA)
Seven degree programs are offered by Eastern Virginia Career College. In a large suburb, there is a very small, private, for-profit college. With 130 graduates in 2020, 92 associate's degrees and 38 certificates were awarded.
Acceptance Rate
56%
Student/Faculty Ratio
27:1
Total Enrollments
190
Website
www.evcc.edu
Location
10304 Spotsylvania Ave, Suite 400Fredericksburg, VA 22408
10. SABER College (Miami, FL)
One degree program is available from SABER College. It is a very small, private, two-year college that is not for profit. 17 students graduated in 2020, and 17 of them received Associate's degrees.
Acceptance Rate
100%
Student/Faculty Ratio
14:1
Total Enrollments
41
Net Average Cost of Attendance
$17,566
Website
sabercollege.edu
Location
3990 W Flagler St., Ste 103Miami, FL 33134
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