2023 Best Colleges & Universities

Top 100 Consensus Ranked Schools for 2023

MIT – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – ranks among the most elite schools that was founded in the 1860s. Its campus along the Charles River serves more than 33,000 students studying for academic degrees, primarily in the areas of STEM, engineering technology, and mathematics (STEM). MIT collaborates with more than 800 companies in support of its 60+ labs and research centers and carries on a legendary rivalry with Cal Tech in Pasadena CA.

Stanford University is a private higher learning institution that was established as a junior college in 1885. Located near Silicon Valley, Stanford University is among the globe’s finest universities. The school’s 8,000+ acre campus is one of the largest and serves more than 17,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. With the high graduate salary for most students, student debt is nothing to worry about!

Yale University, was established in the early 1700s in New Haven CT and is the third oldest in the nation. The school’s historic Gothic-style campus serves more than 12,000 students and operated as the only institution of higher learning in Connecticut until 1823. Yale, as an Ivy League school, is considered most selective in admissions.

Princeton University was established in the 1740s as the College of NJ. About 8,450 attend this Ivy League university that is located between New York City and Philadelphia. Princeton’s academic faculty have included Albert Einstein, Woodrow Wilson, Toni Morrison, and Ben Bernanke, among others.

Williams College is recognized to be a private liberal arts school in western Massachusetts that was established in 1793. US News and World Report has ranked Williams College as the top undergraduate higher learning institution three times. Williams is a space-grant school with a rural campus that serves about two thousand students.

Harvard University was founded in the 17^th Century and is recognized as the oldest higher learning institution in the country. This Ivy League and space-grant school’s Harvard Yard campus is across the Charles River from Boston and home to nearly 20,000 students. Harvard has more than 20 million items in its 79 libraries – the largest of its kind.

Vanderbilt University is considered an elite private higher learning institution that was founded as Central University in 1873 but renamed to honor Cornelius Vanderbilt. The Nashville campus of this space-grant school is home to about 14,000 students and covers 300+ acres.

Cornell University is a private school that operates as a sea-, space- and sun-grant institution of higher learning and is one of the very few private schools that is considered a land-grant university. Cornell maintains three campuses in NYC, Ithaca (Upstate NY), and Qatar that serve more than 25,400 students.

Claremont McKenna College was established in the mid-1940s as a liberal arts college. This small, private school is a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium and was first an all-male school. CMC’s suburban campus is home to more than 1,300 students.

Dartmouth College is a private academic research institution that was founded in 1769, making it among the oldest in the nation. The college’s rural campus serves more than 6,550 students. Dartmouth’s alumni include 170 members of the US Congress.

Brown University is a private space-grant school that was established in 1764. Brown was the first school to allow students of all religions. The city campus of Brown University serves more than 10,250 students each year and is located among Colonial-era buildings listed with the federal government.

The University of Notre Dame operates as a research institution founded in 1842 near South Bend, IN. The university remains affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross and serves about 12,450 students. Norte Dame is ranked among the country’s best schools.

Duke University was established in 1838 by Quakers and Methodists and is currently recognized among the most elite universities in the nation. More than 16,500 students attend classes on the university’s large city campus. Duke University is the alma mater of Richard Nixon as well as more than one-dozen billionaires.

Rice University is a private school that was founded in 1912 by William Marsh Rice. Its emphasis is on research that offers students an impressive 6 to 1 student to faculty ratio. The Houston campus is home to more than 7,150 undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Founded in 1740 by Ben Franklin in Philadelphia PA, the University of Pennsylvania now operates as an Ivy League university with more than 22,350 students. The Wharton Business School at UPENN is recognized to be among the best in the nation.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public school that was founded as a teacher’s college in 1919. UCLA holds the record for the most application in 2021 – 168,000 for undergraduates. This land-grant school serves more than 45,550 students.

Amherst College, recognized as a private school in Western Massachusetts and is a member school of the Five College Consortium in Pioneer Valley. Amherst, a highly selective college, was established in 1821 as an all-male institution but became coeducational in the mid-1970s.

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) was established in the 1890s as Throop University. The school’s midsize city campus is home to more than 2,250 students who primarily study science and engineering. Caltech’s graduates go on to earn a doctorate more than any other school.

Columbia University was established as King’s College in the 1750s and is one of the nation’s Colonial Colleges. This Ivy League university is recognized among the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in the world. The NYC campus is home to more than 33,000 students.

Bowdoin College was founded in 1784 in Brunswick, which at that time was still part of Massachusetts. At that time, it was the easternmost academic institution in the country.  This private, space-grant school’s suburban campus serves more than 1,750 students. The school is named for a former Massachusetts governor.

Pomona College was founded in 1887 to rival liberal arts schools established in New England. This small school’s suburban campus serves approximately 1,700 students. Pomona is often recognized to be among the most elite liberal arts school in the western US.

Washington University in St. Louis operates as a multi-campus academic institution that was founded in 1853. This private space-grant school is home to more than 15,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Washington University in St. Louis often ranks among the most elite US schools.

Wellesley College was established as an all-women’s seminary in 1870. This elite college in Massachusetts serves approximately 2,150 students and is a member of the Seven Sisters College Consortium. This space-grant college is home to a Botanic Garden and the Davis Museum.

Swarthmore College was established in the 1860s as a private college. The college’s suburban campus, which is south of Philadelphia, serves more than 1,550 students. Swarthmore College is a member school, along with Haverford and Bryn Mawr, of the Tri-College Consortium.

The University of California, Berkeley is a land-grant university that was founded in 1868 on the east bay of San Francisco. The school’s enrollment exceeds 45,000 students. UC Berkeley is ranked among the best schools on the planet, with more award-winning faculty and researchers than any other public school.

The University of Chicago was founded in the Windy City, Chicago IL, in 1890. This private research school also operates as a space-grant academic institution, with a student enrollment that is nearly 11,000. The university maintains international facilities in London, Hong Kong, and Paris, among others.

The University of Michigan is a research higher learning institution that was founded in 1817, two decades before Michigan became a state. The campus in Ann Arbor and its regional campuses serve more than 48,000 students. Part of the main campus is a registered US Historic District.

Northwestern University was founded in 1851 (before Illinois became a state) and is recognized as Illinois’s oldest academic institution. This space-grant research school is home to more than 21,850 students each year. The school’s endowment is ranked among the largest in the country.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill operates as a public research academic institution that was founded in 1789 for men only. The school became coeducation nearly a century later.  Recognized among the oldest schools and Public Ivy, UNC is home to more than 30,050 students.

Middlebury College, was founded by Congregationalists as a liberal arts school in 1800. The college, which is known for its progressive teaching methods, holds the distinction of being the first operating academic institution in Vermont. The college’s rural campus covers more than 300 acres and is home to more than 2,500 students each year.

Wesleyan University was founded in the 1830s as a men’s school. Wesleyan was founded by the Methodists but is now a secular academic institution. This space-grant higher learning institution serves more than 3,000 students. Wesleyan is a member school of the Little Three – with Williams College and Amherst College.

Hamilton College was founded in the 18th century in central Upstate New York. This small, exclusive higher learning institution is home to approximately 1,800 undergraduate students. Hamilton College is often ranked among the top liberal arts school and has been recognized by Forbes as a best-value education.

The University of Southern California was founded as a private academic institution that was founded in 1880. This private school operates as a space- and sea-grant institution of higher learning with a student enrollment that nears 50,000 students.

The University of California, Davis is a Public Ivy academic institution that was founded in 1905. The Davis campus, which is the state system’s most northernmost campus, serves more than 31,050 students each year. Several graduate degrees offered by UC Davis rank among the most distinguished available.

Georgetown University was established in 1789 by a Jesuit Priest and is the oldest Catholic academic institution in the nation. The university’s four campuses in the nation’s capital are home to more than 18,850 undergraduate and postgraduate students. The main campus runs alongside the Potomac River, which overlooks the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The University of Virginia (UVA) was chartered in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. The Charlottesville campus is the flagship school of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This public academic institution also operates as a sea- and space-grant school with a student enrollment that exceeds 25,000.

The University of Virginia (UVA) was chartered in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. The Charlottesville campus is the flagship school of the Commonwealth of Virginia. This public academic institution also operates as a sea- and space-grant school with a student enrollment that exceeds 25,000.

Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore MD, operates as a private academic institution that was established in 1876. JHU ranks among the most prestigious universities in the world. JHU’s Baltimore campus is home to more than 27,000 students each year. Johns Hopkins University is organized into ten schools, including three number one-ranked schools – graduate nursing, public health, and engineering.

Founded by the Quakers in 1833, Haverford College is one of the most selective and elite small liberal arts colleges in the US, with just 1300 students and an 8:1 student:faculty ratio. Haverford partners with Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore as the Tri-College Consortium.

Carnegie Mellon University is a private academic institution that was founded in 1900 as a technical school by Andrew Carnegie. This private space-grant school is home to more than 15,600 undergraduate and postgraduate students yearly. IN addition to the main Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon maintains various academic locations on six continents.

Emory University was founded in the 1830s as an academic research institution by the United Methodist Church. The school serves more than 15,500 students, which includes the largest healthcare system in the Peachtree State. Emory is considered a highly selective institution of higher education.

Washington and Lee University was founded as Augusta Academy in 1749. W&L now operates as a private school that is home to more than 2,200 students and sits alongside the Virginia Military Institution in Shenandoah Valley. The university is about 180 miles from Washington, DC.

The University of Wisconsin was founded in 1848 as a land-grant academic institution of higher learning. This space-grant school is also the state’s flagship campus. The campus on the shores of Lake Mendota serves approximately 48,000 students each year. UW also maintains an arboretum a few miles from campus.

The University of Illinois (UIUC) was established as a land-grant industrial school in 1867. UIUC also operates as a sea- and space-grant academic institution with a student enrollment that exceeds 55,500 students. Its large student body makes it one of the largest public colleges or universities in the United States.

The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) was founded as a public research school in 1885 and is now a member of the state’s university system. More than 35,250 students attend classes offered by the Atlanta-based space-grant institution of higher learning.

Bates College was established as a liberal arts college in the mid-1850s in Lewiston, ME. Bates offers programming with WashU in St Louis, Columbia, and Dartmouth. The few local campuses operated by Bates College serve approximately 1,800 students yearly.

Harvey Mudd College, a small elite college in Claremont, was founded in 1955. The college is highly selective and serves less than 1,000 students each year on its suburban campus in California. The school offers baccalaureate degrees in math, physics, chemistry, computer science, biology, and engineering.

The University of California, San Diego was founded in 1960 as a public research academic institution. UC San Diego operates as a land-, sea- and space-grant school with a student enrollment that exceeds 42,650 undergraduate and graduate students. The San Diego campus at the University of California is ranked among the top institutions of higher education in the United States.

Wake Forest University was established as a private academic institution that was historically a Baptist university. WFU now operates as a nonsectarian school with a mid-city-sized campus in North Campus that is home to nearly 8,800 students each year. Notable alumni include Maya Angelou and several elite athletes.

California State University, Dominguez Hills, was founded as South Bay State College in the early 1960s. The university is a member school of the CSU system and holds the distinction of having the largest African American student enrollment of all CSU members schools.

Davidson College was founded by the Presbyterian Church in 1837. This private school requires students to adhere to a strict honor code. The college’s suburban campus serves about two thousand students. The student-to-faculty ratio for this school is an impressive 9 to 1.

The University of California, Irvine was chartered in the mid-1960s in southern California. The university’s campus covers more than 1,500 acres and serves more than 35,100 students. UC Irvine is recognized to be a public Ivy league academic institution.

Colby College was founded in 1813 as a theological institution. This private school’s rural campus in Waterville serves a couple of thousands of undergraduate students each year. The campus, which covers more than 700 acres, overlooks the Kennebec River Valley.

Carleton College, founded in the 1860s as a college in Northfield, Minnesota, has ranked among the top teacher’s schools by US News and World Report. The space-grant college’s small-town campus covers more than 1,000 acres and serves more than 2,100 students. Carleton College also maintains an arboretum of more than 800 acres.

The University of Washington is an academic research institution that was established in the 1860s, making the University of Washington one of the oldest in the western US. The university maintains multiple campuses in Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma that serve nearly 50,000 students.

The University of California, Santa Barbara is a land-grant academic institution that was founded in the 1890s as Anna Black School. This public school is now a member of the UC system and a land- and space-grant university with a student body that exceeds 25,200 each year. US Santa Barbara is the UC system’s 3rdoldest institution of higher education.

Boston College is a multi-campus, Roman Catholic academic institution that was founded in 1863. This private research school serves nearly 15,000 students. Notable alumni include Rhodes, Goldwater, and Fulbright scholars, plus a US Secretary of State.

Vassar College, located an hour or so from NYC, was founded in 1861 as an all-female college. This college was the second to offer women academic degrees in the nation. The school’s suburban Poughkeepsie campus is home to nearly 2,500 students at the undergraduate level.

The University of Texas is a Public Ivy academic institution of higher education that was established in 1883. This space-grant research university serves more than 50,900 students on its large-city campus. UT Austin is home to the Presidential Library of Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Goshen College is a small Mennonite school in Indiana. While Goshen is particularly known for their service learning and international study abroad programs, Goshen also offers excellent bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in nursing and business.

Tufts University was founded as a private academic institution in 1852. Tufts operates campuses in the greater Boston area and another internationally in France. This research school serves more than 11,600 undergraduate and postgraduate students, most on its Medford campus, which is about five miles from Boston proper.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) is a public, academic institution that operates as a senior military college as well as a sea-, Land- and space-grant higher learning institution. The college-town campus is now home to more than 36,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students each year.

The University of Northern Iowa is a public academic facility that was founded as a teacher’s college in the 1870s. It now operates as a space-grant institution of higher learning. UNI’s urban campus in Cedar Falls is home to nearly 11,000 students.

Colgate University, located in upstate New York, is a small academic institution that was founded in the 1840s as Madison University. This highly selective admissions school has a student enrollment that nears 3,000 students yearly. Colgate University is considered both a Little Ivy and Hidden Ivy.

The largest of the renowned Seven Sisters, Smith College set the standard for women’s education, with a progressive curriculum and a history of political activism. Today, students still come to Smith for the exceptional quality and networking opportunities that define a Seven Sisters education.

Known for the Culver Public Policy Center, Simpson University is one of the top liberal arts colleges in the Midwest.  Simpson has also been ranked among the best colleges for undergraduate teaching and as a best value.

Lehigh University was founded in the 1860s and now operates as a private research higher learning institution. The school’s 7,000 students attend classes offered by Lehigh’s five colleges/schools offering programs in engineering, arts/sciences, business, education, and health. Lehigh University’s student-to-faculty ratio is an impressive nine to one.

One of the most famous universities in the world, New York University is a deep and abiding part of life in Greenwich Village and the city of New York. With countless Nobel Prize winners, Pulitzer prize winners, and MacArthur fellows among their ranks, NYU’s reputation is incredible.

Barnard College was established as a college for women in 1889. This space-grant school is a member of the Seven Sisters Consortium and a private space-grant college with a student enrollment that exceeds 2,500 students yearly. Barnard College is one of Columbia University’s undergraduate colleges.

Purdue University was founded by John Purdue in the late 1860s. Purdue is a sea-, land- and space-grant university with a combined student enrollment of more than 49,100 students. Purdue has the ninth-largest student enrollment of foreign learners.

Brigham Young University was established by the LDS Church in 1875. This private research, a space-grant academic institution, is home to a student enrollment that exceeds 33,400 students. Students attending Brigham Young University are required to comply with BYU’s strict honor code.

William & Mary was founded as the Royal College in 1693. This research facility also operates as a space-grant and sea-grant institution of higher learning with a student enrollment of nearly 9,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students. Distinguished alumni for this 2nd oldest school in the nation include three US presidents.

The College of the Ozarks was established in 1906 as a private college by the Presbyterian Church. The college’s Point Lookout campus covers more than 1,000 rural acres that serve more than 1,450 students each year. Students pay no tuition and work for the college in return.

California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo was founded in 1901 and is recognized as part of the Golden State’s CSU system. This space grant institution in San Luis Obispo is home to more than 22,100 students each year. Two years after opening, California Polytechnic State University became a coeducation school.

The College of the Holy Cross was founded in the 1840s as a Jesuit school and is recognized as New England’s oldest Catholic College. More than 3,000 undergraduate students attend classes offered by the school – located about forty miles from Boston.

Bryn Mawr College operates as a women’s college in eastern Pennsylvania that was established in the 1880s. The private school serves more than 1,700 students and is a member of the elite group of the Seven Sister Colleges. Bryn Mawr holds the distinction of being the first all-women’s school to award a doctorate academic degree.

Texas A & M University was founded in the 1870s as a land-grant and military college. The College Station campus covers more than 5,000 acres and serves more than 72,700 students each year. TAMU is home to the GHW Bush Presidential Library and Museum.

Lafayette College was founded as a liberal arts college in 1828. The school’s main campus (and a satellite campus in New York City) is home to more than 2,500 undergraduate students each year. Lafayette College is recognized and honored to be a Little Ivy and a Hidden Ivy.

California State University, Channel Islands is a member school of the CSU system that was established in 2020. The rural campus in Camarillo serves approximately 7,000 students each year. CSU Channel Islands is recognized as a Hispanic-servicing institution of higher learning – the only four-year HIS in Ventura County.

Grinnell College was established by the United Church of Christ in the 1840s. The rural campus for this private liberal arts school covers more than 100 acres and serves more than 1,600 students yearly. Many areas within the campus of Grinnell are listed as Historic Places.

Illinois Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, IN. Less famous than its neighbor, Illinois State University, IWU is known as a top regional college and one of the best undergraduate institutions in the Midwest.

The University of Richmond was founded as Dumlora Academy in 1830. The private university’s campus in Richmond is home to approximately 4,000 students each year. The University of Richmond is primarily a residential school that is organized into five colleges/schools.

Tulane University has long been recognized as one of the premier private research institutions in the south, with two of the oldest medical schools and law schools in the nation. Tulane’s reputation for research makes it one of the best choices for future Rhodes scholars and Fulbright scholars.

The flagship of the University System of Maryland, the University of Maryland, College Park is an R1 research university and a Public Ivy. It’s one of the best public institutions in the northeast for students interested in medicine, science, and education.

The youngest member of the famed University of California System, UC Merced began in 2005 as a Hispanic-serving institution dedicated to meeting educational needs in an underserved area. In less than 20 years UCM has risen to an R2 research university and contributes nearly $2 billion to the economy.

With a small student body and 9:1 student:faculty ratio, Bucknell University is known for its exceptional student support. Bucknell is particularly known as one of the best liberal arts colleges for engineering and business.

Northeastern University is a w0rld-class academic research institution that began humbly with evening classes at a local YMCA. The school is known for its innovative cooperative program and its green ecological campus efforts. More than 27,550 students attend classes on its urban campus or online.

The Citadel, which is formerly known as The Military College of South Carolina, was founded in the 1840s in Charleston. The Citadel is a public, sea-grant school that is also a senior military college. The Citadel’s student enrollment nears 3,700 students, with 80% of students studying as cadets.

A top-ranked private research university, the University of Miami is the most selective and competitive of all colleges in Florida. Besides its excellent programs in medicine, business, and law, Miami is especially known for its atmospheric studies program.

As a small institution in Saint Paul, MN, Macalester College is widely ranked as one of the best liberal arts colleges in America. Macalester also wins recognition for its innovative programs and impact on social mobility.

The University of Georgia, established in the 1780s, is a public research academic facility. UGA is the recognized flagship institution of higher learning in Georgia. The University of Georgia operates several campuses in Georgia. More than 40,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students attend classes at this land-, sea- and space-grant school.

One of the best-ranked liberal arts colleges in America, Franklin and Marshall College is known for value and teaching excellence. Students come for F&M’s excellent business, economics, and political science programs.

Years before Minnesota became a state, the University of Minnesota was founded in 1851 as a land-grant school. The University of Minnesota now also operates as a space-grant academic institution. The Twin Cities is ranked among the best colleges in the west and a best-value school. Its campus serves more than 52,000 students every year.

The oldest evangelical college in the US, Taylor University is a small liberal arts college known for its business, education, and media programs. While still primarily undergraduate, Taylor has begun expanding into graduate programs in recent years.

North Carolina State University operates as a public, land-, sea- and space-grant higher learning institution that defines one of the three schools that form the Research Triangle in North Carolina. The Raleigh campus of North Carolina State University serves more than 36,000 students.

California State University, Chico was founded in the 1860s as a branch campus in the northern part of the state’s teacher’s college. The school’s campus in Chico is home to more than 16,500 students. The school is organized in to eleven colleges/schools.

A regional college in Minnesota, Winona State University is known for its excellent healthcare and business programs. Winona State is notable as one of the first colleges to supply each student with a laptop.

Milwaukee School of Engineering is known as one of the best STEM institutions in the Midwest. Founded with a focus on practical application for scientific learning, MSOE remains dedicated to the best, most useful education in healthcare, business, and, of course, engineering.

The oldest of the Seven Sisters, Mount Holyoke College’s reputation is second to none. One of the finest women’s schools in America, Mount Holyoke is well known for its social sciences and study abroad programs.

Since its founding as the first coed, racially integrated college in the nation, Berea College has made its name on innovation, values, and educational excellence. At Berea, all students take part in a work-study program and pay no tuition.