What is the #1 college in the US?

US News and World Report’s college rankings try to determine the top colleges in the country every year. This year’s rankings place Harvard and Princeton at the top of the list of national universities.

But remember: When viewing any list of college rankings, no school is #1 for everyone! The US News and World Report college rankings prioritize schools with a big reputation and high-scoring students, but they leave out the strengths of specific majors, college social activities, and many other things that will determine the kind of school that’s right for you.

To find colleges that have exactly what you’re looking for, you’ll have to do a little more research than looking at rankings. Go on a school’s website, talk to a college counselor, or go on a college visit to see it for yourself!

The US News and World Report Top 25 Colleges

What national universities made the grade? Check out the top 25 colleges according to the US News and World Report rankings. Schools with the same number indicates there was a tie among multiple schools.

1. Harvard University
1. Princeton University
3. Yale University
4. California Institute of Technology
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
4. Stanford University
4. University of Pennsylvania
8. Columbia University
8. University of Chicago
10. Duke University
11. Dartmouth College
12. Northwestern University
12. Washington University in St. Louis
14. Johns Hopkins University
15. Brown University
16. Cornell University
17. Emory University
17. Rice University
17. Vanderbilt University
20. University of Notre Dame
21. University of California – Berkeley
22. Carnegie Mellon University
23. Georgetown University
24. University of California – Los Angeles
24. University of Virginia

How Colleges Are Ranked

How does the US News and World Report come up with these college rankings?

The rankings are determined by a lot of different factors, but one of the main contributions to the college rankings is the opinions of high-ranking officials at peer colleges, like university presidents and deans of admissions.

Other important factors in the college rankings include graduation rate, information about admitted students (like their average test scores and high school class rank) and faculty information (like the average salary of professors and class size). A college’s financial resources and alumni donation rate also are  considered in the college rankings.

One of the new features of the 2010 US News and World Report college rankings is the inclusion of both the SAT and the ACT scores of admitted students in the data. In previous years, US News and World Report  considered only the test at each school that the majority of students submitted. The inclusion of both scores indicates that more students are using the ACT than ever before, so consider both options when picking the test that best highlights your skills.

Related Posts

1. 2011 US News & World Report College Rankings: The Top 25 Schools in the Country
2. Average ACT Scores at Top Schools
3. Princeton Review College Rankings Released
4. College Rankings: How Useful Are They?
5. How Many Times Should You Take the SAT?

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