Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find, well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

50 Best Colleges and Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024

BEST FOR UNDERGRADS COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

By James Barham

Published: Jan 7, 2021
Updated: Oct 16, 2023

We rank the best colleges or universities in the US based on the academic influence of the schools’ faculty and alumni. For undergraduate rankings, our unique perspective allows you to see smaller colleges that proportionally outperform larger universities when size advantages are reduced.

Top 10 US Colleges and Universities for Undergrads

Harvard University
University of California, Berkeley
Columbia University
University of Chicago
Stanford University
Yale University
Princeton University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania

Hampshire College 75%
Illinois Institute of Technology 66%
Yeshiva University 63%
Reed College 44%
University of Rochester 41%
Brandeis University 39%
Bryn Mawr College 39%
Oberlin College 34%
Case Western Reserve University 30%
University of Virginia 21%

University of California, Berkeley 19 to 1
University of California, Los Angeles 18 to 1
University of Virginia 15 to 1
Hampshire College 12 to 1
Georgetown University 11 to 1
Case Western Reserve University 11 to 1
University of Michigan 11 to 1
Brandeis University 10 to 1
Tufts University 10 to 1
Illinois Institute of Technology 10 to 1

Columbia University $63,530
Tufts University $63,000
Vassar College $62,870
Reed College $62,730
Brown University $62,304
University of Chicago $62,241
Wesleyan University $62,049
University of Pennsylvania $61,710
University of Southern California $61,503
Haverford College $61,210

Claremont McKenna College $64,288
University of Chicago $62,640
Vassar College $61,940
Wesleyan University $61,449
Brown University $60,944
University of Southern California $60,446
Williams College $59,728
Dartmouth College $58,953
Johns Hopkins University $58,720
University of Notre Dame $58,190

Claremont McKenna College
Harvey Mudd College
Hampshire College
Pomona College
Haverford College
Reed College
Bowdoin College
Illinois Institute of Technology
Yeshiva University
Barnard College

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4%
Stanford University 4%
Harvard University 4%
Columbia University 4%
California Institute of Technology 4%
Princeton University 4%
Yale University 5%
University of Pennsylvania 6%
Dartmouth College 6%
University of Chicago 6%

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3 to 1
California Institute of Technology 3 to 1
Stanford University 4 to 1
Yale University 4 to 1
Princeton University 4 to 1
Harvard University 5 to 1
Carnegie Mellon University 5 to 1
University of Chicago 5 to 1
Columbia University 6 to 1
Duke University 6 to 1

University of California, Los Angeles $11,442
University of California, Berkeley $11,442
University of Virginia $16,547
University of Michigan $16,865
Yeshiva University $47,500
Illinois Institute of Technology $50,490
Hampshire College $52,738
Rice University $52,895
Case Western Reserve University $54,532
Emory University $55,468

University of California, Los Angeles $11,442
University of California, Berkeley $11,442
University of Virginia $17,674
University of Michigan $24,902
Illinois Institute of Technology $29,052
Cornell University $29,500
Oberlin College $29,692
Yeshiva University $34,800
New York University $35,982
University of Pennsylvania $38,732

Key Takeaways

Earning a bachelor’s degree from one of the best colleges or universities in the US will give you an advantage over other candidates in an extremely competitive job market.
When choosing which college or university you want to attend, it is important to know what academic program you are interested in and if you want to study at a research university or a liberal arts college.
Attending one of the schools on our list will ensure that you will be taught by some of the most influential professors in the world.

Table of Contents

Every fall, more than 2 million high-school graduates will enroll in colleges and universities across the United States. With nearly 3,000 4-year schools to choose from, finding the best college for your educational, personal, and professional goals may be challenging. The purpose of this ranking is to help you manage this challenge. We offer a new perspective of the best colleges and universities for earning a bachelor’s degree.

Our ranking of the best colleges and universities is based on the academic impact of the schools’ faculty and alumni. We believe that schools with histories of hiring and developing influential faculty, and nurturing students who become influential in their fields of study, are schools that demonstrate key indicators of academic excellence.

Featured Programs

Attention Undergrads!

Choosing the right college for an undergraduate degree is one of the toughest decisions a student makes. Where you attend college can have a lasting impact on both your professional and personal life.

Many undergraduate students choose a college based on emotions, a limited set of criteria, and sometimes, just gut feeling. Although this does not preclude students from their academic success, making a such crucial decision should be done under a higher level of scrutiny.

How to Choose the College for You

When scouting for colleges, it’s important for prospective students to consider a range of factors, like the size, location, cost, campus safety, quality of academic programs, the choice of degree programs or majors, college rankings, and other personal factors. Here are some other things to consider when you choose your college.

Accreditation: Accreditation is a quality assurance process through which a school has been vetted by an officially licensed organization, and its curriculum has been reviewed and verified to meet the basic academic standards for higher education.

Accreditation is assessed by private and nongovernmental accrediting agencies created specifically to review education programs and institutions. These agencies are recognized and reviewed by the United States Department of Education (USDE) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Most schools provide this information on their website. A university or college can be nationally or regionally accredited. Within an institution, specific departments, programs, or schools can also have their sub-accreditation. This is to guarantee that your degree is recognized by employers and other institutions of higher education.

The Type of College: The National Association for College Admission Counseling lists the most popular types of colleges. Here are some that you should get to know to help you narrow down your college search.

Community and Junior Colleges: These are colleges that offer the first two years of liberal arts education or vocational training. After completing, you will earn an associate’s degree. Either you can look for a job after this or continue to a four-year institution.
Liberal Arts Colleges: Classes are generally smaller since liberal arts colleges are smaller than universities. This means, more personal attention is given to students by their college professors. Students are exposed to a general sampling of classes instead of focusing only on a specific career path. They can also choose an area of in-depth study as their course “major”.
Universities: These are large institutions that include colleges that are focused on preparing for a specific career, like education or nursing. Universities are made up of a wide range of academic colleges; and generally have large class sizes.
Women’s Colleges: These are the types of colleges where women are given the chance to enjoy a learning community where they are in the majority. Women colleges also have a larger number of female faculty and administrators. They also produce a high number of science majors.
Technical Institutes and Professional Schools: These schools enroll students who already have a career path of their choice. The curriculum is purely focused on preparing students for their respective careers. Career options usually offered at these types of colleges are in fine arts, music, technical sciences, and engineering.

Geographic Location: Do you live in a quaint and quiet neighborhood or a big city? Does a campus party sound fun to you or just a distraction? How about regional culture? Or the weather? Most importantly, can you afford to study out-of-state, especially in bigger and more expensive cities?

The school’s geographic location plays a big part in your college experience. Even if you have the best school but you hate the location, enduring four long years of college (or more) could be a challenge. If you’re looking at colleges in a specific city, make sure that you like it there. The best move is to schedule a trip to get the feel for the city.

How do we determine the best colleges and universities for undergraduates?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call “Concentrated Influence”. Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers – faculty and alums – and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.

Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, will score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.

If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to the schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

We’ve identified a total of 1,392 colleges and universities in the US that meet our criteria. Of those, 637 are public institutions and 755 are private institutions. This list focuses on schools that offer bachelor’s degrees, and includes both public and private colleges and universities. In order to be included in this list of best colleges, a school needs to a regionally accredited nonprofit college or university.

If you would like to see this ranking without school size considered, visit our best universities in the US ranking.

50 Best US Colleges & Universities 2023

#1
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena , CA
#1 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #1 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #1 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #14 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
4%
Graduation
93%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1555/35
What is California Institute of Technology known for?

California Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Physics
Chemistry
Computer Science
Earth Sciences
Biology
Mathematics
Engineering
Economics
History
Business

Most Influential Alumni

Donald Knuth
Linus Pauling
John McCarthy
William Shockley
Kip Thorne
Benoit Mandelbrot
Ivan Sutherland
Vernon L. Smith
David Bohm
L. Sprague de Camp
Robert C. Merton
Serge Lang
Compare school
#2
Harvard University
Cambridge , MA
#1 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #1 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #1 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #1 Best Universities in the World 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
4%
Graduation
97%
Student body
24K
Median SAT/ACT
1520/34
What is Harvard University known for?

Harvard University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Philosophy
Law
Biology
Political Science
Literature
Business
Economics
Psychology
Medical
Education

Most Influential Alumni

Jacques Derrida
William James
Noam Chomsky
Charles Sanders Peirce
Norbert Wiener
Norbert Wiener
Daniel Dennett
Marvin Minsky
T. S. Eliot
Hilary Putnam
Paul Samuelson
Paul Samuelson
Compare school
#3
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge , MA
#3 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #3 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #3 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #3 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
4%
Graduation
96%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1545/35
What is Massachusetts Institute of Technology known for?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Computer Science
Engineering
Economics
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Earth Sciences
Business
Communications
Biology

Most Influential Alumni

Noam Chomsky
Richard Feynman
Claude Shannon
Paul Krugman
Joseph Stiglitz
Richard Stallman
Ben Bernanke
William Shockley
George Lakoff
Vannevar Bush
Murray Gell-Mann
Lawrence Summers
Compare school
#4
Stanford University
Stanford , CA
#2 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #2 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #3 Best Universities in the World 2024 #4 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
4%
Graduation
96%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1495/33
What is Stanford University known for?

Stanford University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Computer Science
Engineering
Psychology
Biology
Business
Chemistry
Law
Education
Medical
Mathematics

Most Influential Alumni

Allen Newell
Vint Cerf
Douglas Hofstadter
Hans Moravec
Sandra Day O'Connor
Rodney Brooks
John Harsanyi
Gérard Debreu
Anthony Kennedy
Garrett Hardin
Ron Rivest
Stuart J. Russell
Compare school
#5
Princeton University
Princeton , NJ
#5 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #5 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #6 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #7 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
4%
Graduation
98%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1510/33
What is Princeton University known for?

Princeton University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Mathematics
Philosophy
Physics
Religious Studies
Computer Science
Political Science
Economics
History
Literature
Engineering

Most Influential Alumni

Richard Feynman
Marvin Minsky
John Rawls
Alonzo Church
Edward Witten
Robert Mueller
Allen Newell
John McCarthy
Robert Nozick
John Bardeen
Gary Becker
Jerry Fodor
Compare school
#6
University of Chicago
Chicago , IL
#4 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #6 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #6 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #7 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
6%
Graduation
96%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1535/34
What is University of Chicago known for?

University of Chicago’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Sociology
Anthropology
Economics
Philosophy
Religious Studies
Criminal Justice
Social Work
Mathematics
Political Science
Psychology

Most Influential Alumni

Milton Friedman
Herbert A. Simon
Paul Samuelson
Richard Rorty
Joseph Stiglitz
James Watson
Martin Gardner
George Lakoff
Thomas Sowell
Gary Becker
John B. Watson
James M. Buchanan
Compare school
#7
Yale University
New Haven , CT
#4 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #6 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #6 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #7 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
5%
Graduation
97%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1520/34
What is Yale University known for?

Yale University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Law
Religious Studies
Nursing
Political Science
Literature
History
Medical
Biology
Anthropology
Philosophy

Most Influential Alumni

Richard Rorty
Judith Butler
Harold Bloom
Murray Gell-Mann
Josiah Willard Gibbs
Alvin Plantinga
Thorstein Veblen
Fredric Jameson
Alan Dershowitz
Lawrence Lessig
Grace Hopper
Grace Hopper
Compare school
#8
Columbia University
New York , NY
#3 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #5 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #5 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #5 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$64K
Acceptance
4%
Graduation
97%
Student body
26K
Median SAT/ACT
1515/34
What is Columbia University known for?

Columbia University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Social Work
Nursing
Literature
Political Science
Business
Education
History
Medical
Communications
Law

Most Influential Alumni

Milton Friedman
Murray Rothbard
Herbert Marcuse
Stephen Jay Gould
Kenneth Arrow
Carl Rogers
B. R. Ambedkar
Isaac Asimov
Robert Nozick
Margaret Mead
Thomas Sowell
Jerry Fodor
Compare school
#9
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh , PA
#9 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #9 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #12 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #22 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
14%
Graduation
93%
Student body
16K
Median SAT/ACT
1510/34
What is Carnegie Mellon University known for?

Carnegie Mellon University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Computer Science
Engineering
Economics
Business
Chemistry
Mathematics
Psychology
Education
Physics
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Allen Newell
Ivan Sutherland
James Gosling
Oliver E. Williamson
Raoul Bott
Henry Giroux
Edward Feigenbaum
Edward C. Prescott
John Forbes Nash Jr.
Shafi Goldwasser
Kurt Vonnegut
Robert H. Dennard
Compare school
#10
Reed College
Portland , OR
#3 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #5 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #10 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #18 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
44%
Graduation
73%
Student body
1K
What is Reed College known for?

Reed College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Anthropology
Psychology
Philosophy
Mathematics
Literature
Economics
Physics
Sociology
Computer Science
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Gary Snyder
Dell Hymes
Eleanor Rosch
Harry Harlow
Raymond Smullyan
Howard Rheingold
Richard Wolin
John Taylor Gatto
Barbara Ehrenreich
John Haugeland
Robert Morris
Robert Frager
Compare school
#11
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore , MD
#10 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #11 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #13 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #14 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
8%
Graduation
95%
Student body
27K
Median SAT/ACT
1515/35
What is Johns Hopkins University known for?

Johns Hopkins University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Medical
Nursing
Biology
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Education
History
Anthropology
Economics

Most Influential Alumni

John Dewey
G. Stanley Hall
Thorstein Veblen
John Archibald Wheeler
John Mauchly
Thomas Hunt Morgan
Rachel Carson
Joseph Jastrow
Robert Fogel
Gertrude Stein
Richard E. Bellman
John R. Commons
Compare school
#12
Georgetown University
Washington , DC
#2 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #11 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #12 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #16 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
12%
Graduation
95%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1465/33
What is Georgetown University known for?

Georgetown University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Law
Nursing
Political Science
Criminal Justice
Religious Studies
Education
Business
Communications
Economics
Medical

Most Influential Alumni

J. Edgar Hoover
Antonin Scalia
Paul Manafort
George Tenet
Abdullah II of Jordan
Allen Tate
Steven Novella
Wang Yi
Jan Karski
Susan Hockfield
Solomon H. Snyder
Jerome Powell
Compare school
#13
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia , PA
#3 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #9 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #10 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #12 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
6%
Graduation
96%
Student body
28K
Median SAT/ACT
1515/34
What is University of Pennsylvania known for?

University of Pennsylvania’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Business
Social Work
Nursing
Communications
Engineering
Medical
Anthropology
Psychology
Sociology
Education

Most Influential Alumni

Noam Chomsky
Hilary Putnam
Ezra Pound
Martin Seligman
John Backus
James McKeen Cattell
Lawrence Lessig
Eric S. Raymond
Paul R. Ehrlich
I. M. Pei
J. Presper Eckert
Asa Gray
Compare school
#14
Duke University
Durham , NC
#1 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #1 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees #1 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online #11 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
6%
Graduation
96%
Student body
14K
Median SAT/ACT
1520/34
What is Duke University known for?

Duke University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Religious Studies
Nursing
Literature
Psychology
Philosophy
Political Science
Education
Law
Sociology
Anthropology

Most Influential Alumni

Jerome Bruner
Fred Brooks
Ken Wilber
Charlie Rose
John W. Campbell
Dan Ariely
Paul Farmer
David G. Bromley
Russell Kirk
Michael Tomasello
Peter J. Denning
Charles H. Townes
Compare school
#15
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore , PA
#1 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #3 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #15 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #1 Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
8%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1467/32
What is Swarthmore College known for?

Swarthmore College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Economics
Philosophy
Psychology
Sociology
Political Science
Physics
Mathematics
Computer Science
Literature
History

Most Influential Alumni

David Baltimore
Robert D. Putnam
Carol Gilligan
John Hopfield
Ted Nelson
Clark Kerr
Edward C. Prescott
Andries van Dam
Alice Paul
Michael Hardt
Ben Brantley
David Gale
Compare school
#16
Northwestern University
Evanston , IL
#14 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #15 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #15 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #16 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
7%
Graduation
95%
Student body
20K
Median SAT/ACT
1490/34
What is Northwestern University known for?

Northwestern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Business
Communications
Sociology
Law
Economics
Anthropology
Chemistry
Philosophy
Education
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Stephen Colbert
George Stigler
John Paul Stevens
Saul Bellow
Aaron Director
Robert Hanssen
J. Gordon Melton
Charles W. Morris
Alston Scott Householder
Walter Dill Scott
Rudolph Rummel
Virginia Satir
Compare school
#17
Cornell University
Ithaca , NY
#10 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #10 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #11 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #15 Top 15 Best Online Colleges for Transfer Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
94%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1470/33
What is Cornell University known for?

Cornell University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Biology
Literature
Physics
Engineering
Psychology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Philosophy
History
Anthropology

Most Influential Alumni

Norbert Wiener
Harold Bloom
Abraham Maslow
Thomas Nagel
Thomas Pynchon
Sheldon Glashow
Francis Fukuyama
Anthony Fauci
Leonard Susskind
Steven Weinberg
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Frank Knight
Compare school
#18
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley , CA
#1 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #1 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2024 #1 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2024 #1 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
14%
Graduation
93%
Student body
43K
Median SAT/ACT
1420/32
What is University of California, Berkeley known for?

University of California, Berkeley’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Chemistry
Earth Sciences
Mathematics
Biology
Physics
Computer Science
Psychology
Communications
Anthropology
Engineering

Most Influential Alumni

Daniel Kahneman
John Kenneth Galbraith
Timothy Leary
Shing-Tung Yau
Ken Thompson
Niklaus Wirth
Theodosius Dobzhansky
Douglas Engelbart
Betty Friedan
George Dantzig
Octavio Paz
David Bohm
Compare school
#19
Brown University
Providence , RI
#17 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #18 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #18 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #24 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
6%
Graduation
96%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1500/34
What is Brown University known for?

Brown University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Mathematics
History
Education
Computer Science
Economics
Political Science
Philosophy
Engineering
Sociology

Most Influential Alumni

Peter Norvig
Janet Yellen
John Tukey
Aaron Beck
Andy Hertzfeld
Richard Holbrooke
Jacob M. Appel
S. T. Joshi
Randy Pausch
Lester Frank Ward
Jeffrey Eugenides
David Kelley
Compare school
#20
Rice University
Houston , TX
#18 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #19 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #24 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #1 Best Private Colleges in Texas 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
92%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1515/35
What is Rice University known for?

Rice University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Chemistry
Engineering
Mathematics
Physics
Computer Science
Economics
Philosophy
Business
History
Education

Most Influential Alumni

Herman Daly
Robert Woodrow Wilson
Joyce Carol Oates
Dennis Sullivan
Robert Curl
George Mackey
William Sims Bainbridge
Matthew Sands
Thomas W. Malone
John Morgan
David Eagleman
Henry M. Morris
Compare school
#21
Amherst College
Amherst , MA
#4 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #6 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #20 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
92%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1495/33
What is Amherst College known for?

Amherst College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Economics
Literature
Law
Political Science
Sociology
Chemistry
History
Religious Studies
Computer Science
Physics

Most Influential Alumni

Joseph Stiglitz
Talcott Parsons
Stephen Cole Kleene
Carl Woese
Daniel Goleman
John Bates Clark
Edmund Phelps
John J. McCloy
Henry Ward Beecher
B. Alan Wallace
John C. Reynolds
David Suzuki
Compare school
#22
Dartmouth College
Hanover , NH
#19 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #21 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #23 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #1 Best Grad Schools in New Hampshire 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
6%
Graduation
94%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1500/33
What is Dartmouth College known for?

Dartmouth College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Business
Literature
Computer Science
Political Science
Medical
History
Earth Sciences
Economics
Religious Studies
Mathematics

Most Influential Alumni

Joseph Campbell
Robert Frost
Dr. Seuss
Stuart Kauffman
Daniel Webster
Robert Reich
C. Everett Koop
Jaegwon Kim
Vincent Canby
Michael Gazzaniga
Robert Christgau
Edward Norton Lorenz
Compare school
#23
Yeshiva University
New York , NY
#2 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #20 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #22 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #1 Best Small Colleges in New York 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$48K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
80%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1275/27
What is Yeshiva University known for?

Yeshiva University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Religious Studies
Law
Social Work
Philosophy
Mathematics
Physics
Education
Psychology
Medical
History

Most Influential Alumni

Hillel Furstenberg
John Taylor Gatto
Paul Gottfried
Joseph Halpern
Herman Wouk
Saul Lieberman
Henry Abramson
Norman Lamm
David Rosenhan
Howard Dean
Shlomo Riskin
Samuel J. Danishefsky
Compare school
#24
Williams College
Williamstown , MA
#5 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #7 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #23 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
What is Williams College known for?

Williams College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Economics
Political Science
History
Physics
Religious Studies
Chemistry
Anthropology
Philosophy
Sociology

Most Influential Alumni

G. Stanley Hall
Elia Kazan
Richard Helms
James C. Scott
Max Eastman
Bernard Bailyn
Robert F. Engle
Walter Kaufmann
William Cullen Bryant
James MacGregor Burns
Telford Taylor
Walker Evans
Compare school
#25
Brandeis University
Waltham , MA
#21 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #24 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #5 Best Colleges in Massachusetts 2024 #5 Best Grad Schools in Massachusetts 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
88%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
What is Brandeis University known for?

Brandeis University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Sociology
Philosophy
Mathematics
Psychology
Physics
Political Science
History
Economics
Literature
Computer Science

Most Influential Alumni

Edward Witten
Angela Davis
Leslie Lamport
Michael Walzer
Patricia Hill Collins
Thomas Friedman
Abbie Hoffman
Michael Sandel
Avital Ronell
Elaine Showalter
Roderick MacKinnon
Christina Hoff Sommers
Compare school
#26
Haverford College
Haverford , PA
#15 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #16 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #25 50 Best Private Colleges and Universities for Undergrads 2024 #2 Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
18%
Graduation
90%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1440/33
What is Haverford College known for?

Haverford College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Mathematics
Literature
Religious Studies
Physics
Philosophy
Chemistry
Economics
Anthropology
History
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Fredric Jameson
Warren Sturgis McCulloch
Dave Barry
Juan Williams
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Jonathan Z. Smith
James Clifford
George Marsden
Mark Geragos
Curtis Callan
Theodore William Richards
Maxfield Parrish
Compare school
#27
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor , MI
#2 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #2 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2024 #2 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2024 #2 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
20%
Graduation
94%
Student body
44K
Median SAT/ACT
1430/32
What is University of Michigan known for?

University of Michigan’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Sociology
Psychology
Engineering
Medical
Anthropology
Computer Science
Education
Mathematics
Law
History

Most Influential Alumni

Claude Shannon
Alvin Plantinga
Arthur Miller
George Dantzig
Edgar F. Codd
Hans-Hermann Hoppe
Stephen Smale
Jonas Salk
John Henry Holland
Amos Tversky
Urie Bronfenbrenner
Marshall Sahlins
Compare school
#28
New York University
New York , NY
#8 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #9 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #12 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #13 Best Universities in the World 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
87%
Student body
49K
Median SAT/ACT
1455/32
What is New York University known for?

New York University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Law
Nursing
Social Work
Philosophy
Communications
Mathematics
Business
Economics
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Erich Fromm
Robert Mueller
Martha Nussbaum
John Archibald Wheeler
Glenn Greenwald
Howard Zinn
Eric Kandel
Jonas Salk
Peter Lax
Louis Nirenberg
Paul Ekman
Alvin Toffler
Compare school
#29
Tufts University
Medford , MA
#24 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #4 Best Colleges in Massachusetts 2024 #4 Best Grad Schools in Massachusetts 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
94%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1455/33
What is Tufts University known for?

Tufts University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Medical
Political Science
Economics
Business
Law
Education
Biology
Philosophy
Physics
Engineering

Most Influential Alumni

Norbert Wiener
Vannevar Bush
Eugene Fama
Ram Dass
Jamie Dimon
Gordon S. Wood
Roderick MacKinnon
Paul Offit
Peter Navarro
David Autor
Richard N. Goodwin
John Ciardi
Compare school
#30
Wesleyan University
Middletown , CT
#2 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #4 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Connecticut 2024 #1 Best Small Colleges in Connecticut 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
19%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
What is Wesleyan University known for?

Wesleyan University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Philosophy
Literature
Psychology
History
Political Science
Economics
Religious Studies
Sociology
Physics
Anthropology

Most Influential Alumni

Daniel Dennett
Joss Whedon
Edward Thorndike
Ram Dass
John Perry Barlow
Adolf Grünbaum
David McClelland
Robert Stalnaker
Elliot Aronson
H. Eugene Stanley
Shelly Kagan
Robert Ludlum
Compare school
#31
University of Rochester
Rochester , NY
#21 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #25 50 Best Research Universities Ranked for Undergrads in 2024 #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #4 Best Colleges in New York 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
41%
Graduation
86%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1420/32
What is University of Rochester known for?

University of Rochester’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Physics
Economics
Biology
Computer Science
Chemistry
Medical
Nursing
Anthropology
Mathematics
Psychology

Most Influential Alumni

Richard Thaler
Richard Thaler
Bob Ludwig
J. C. R. Licklider
Janet Maslin
Bruce Schneier
Steven Chu
Arthur Kornberg
Masatoshi Koshiba
John C. Slater
David Sloan Wilson
Donna Strickland
University of Rochester’s Online Degrees
BSN in RN to BSN

Required Credits: 128
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
Compare school
#32
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont , CA
#16 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #3 Best Small Colleges in California 2024 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2024 #9 Best Private Colleges in California 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
10%
Graduation
94%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1530/34
What is Harvey Mudd College known for?

Harvey Mudd College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Mathematics
Computer Science
Chemistry
Physics
Engineering
Biology
Sociology
Economics
Political Science
Religious Studies

Most Influential Alumni

Robert Freitas
Donald D. Chamberlin
John Haugeland
Arif Zaman
Stanley G. Love
Patri Friedman
Scott E. Fraser
George Nelson
Sharon R. Long
F. Michael Christ
Scott Pace
Bruce Jay Nelson
Compare school
#33
Washington University in St. Louis
Saint Louis , MO
#22 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Research Universities in Missouri 2024 #1 Best Grad Schools in Missouri 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
93%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1520/34
What is Washington University in St. Louis known for?

Washington University in St. Louis’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Biology
Medical
Chemistry
Engineering
Business
Law
Anthropology
Political Science
Economics
Social Work

Most Influential Alumni

Tennessee Williams
J. C. R. Licklider
Phyllis Schlafly
Daniel Nathans
Charles Eames
Marilyn vos Savant
Edwin G. Krebs
Michael Isikoff
İhsan Doğramacı
William E. Moerner
William E. Moerner
Clyde Cowan
Washington University in St. Louis’s Online Degrees
BS in Integrated Studies

Degree Concentrations
Humanities
Social Science

Required Credits: 120
Completion Time: None Reported
Format: Online
Compare school
#34
Vanderbilt University
Nashville , TN
#1 Best Colleges in Tennessee 2024 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 2024 #1 Best Grad Schools in Tennessee 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
7%
Graduation
93%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1520/34
What is Vanderbilt University known for?

Vanderbilt University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Nursing
Medical
Law
Philosophy
Education
Business
Religious Studies
Economics
Political Science
Psychology

Most Influential Alumni

Herman Daly
James Patterson
Allen Tate
Cleanth Brooks
Robert Penn Warren
John Crowe Ransom
David Brinkley
John Seigenthaler
John Ridley Stroop
Norman Shumway
Steven E. Jones
Michelle Alexander
Compare school
#35
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr , PA
#17 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #20 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #3 Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2024 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Pennsylvania 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
87%
Student body
1K
What is Bryn Mawr College known for?

Bryn Mawr College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Anthropology
Literature
Philosophy
Mathematics
Sociology
History
Chemistry
Biology
Earth Sciences
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

John D. Caputo
A. S. Byatt
Marianne Moore
Drew Gilpin Faust
Elaine Showalter
Martha Gellhorn
H.D.
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Emily Greene Balch
Kathy Boudin
Olga Taussky-Todd
Alice Rivlin
Compare school
#36
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland , OH
#1 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024 #2 Best Grad Schools in Ohio 2024 #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #2 Best Research Universities in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
30%
Graduation
84%
Student body
9K
Median SAT/ACT
1430/32
What is Case Western Reserve University known for?

Case Western Reserve University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Computer Science
Nursing
Medical
Biology
Mathematics
Engineering
Physics
Social Work
Chemistry
Anthropology

Most Influential Alumni

Donald Knuth
Richard Thaler
Paul Berg
Edward C. Prescott
David Gorski
Donald A. Glaser
Paul Lauterbur
William Glasser
Ferid Murad
John D. Mayer
Alistair Cockburn
Terry Sejnowski
Compare school
#37
Wellesley College
Wellesley , MA
#8 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #9 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts 2024 #3 Best Small Colleges in Massachusetts 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$61K
Acceptance
16%
Graduation
92%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1435/32
What is Wellesley College known for?

Wellesley College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Sociology
Philosophy
Literature
Political Science
Physics
Economics
Education
History
Psychology
Biology

Most Influential Alumni

Hillary Clinton
Diane Sawyer
Annie Jump Cannon
Ayesha Jalal
Mary Lefkowitz
Cokie Roberts
Bing Xin
Nergis Mavalvala
Nergis Mavalvala
Susan Estrich
Judith Martin
Emily Greene Balch
Compare school
#38
Pomona College
Claremont , CA
#16 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #18 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #2 Best Small Colleges in California 2024 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
7%
Graduation
93%
Student body
2K
What is Pomona College known for?

Pomona College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Religious Studies
Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Sociology
Anthropology
Mathematics
Earth Sciences
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Jennifer Doudna
Roy E. Disney
Rosemary Radford Ruether
Louis Menand
Roger Revelle
James Turrell
Norris Bradbury
Rick Strassman
Twyla Tharp
Paul Fussell
William Irwin Thompson
George C. Wolfe
Compare school
#39
Barnard College
New York , NY
#10 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #11 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #2 Best Small Colleges in New York 2024 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New York 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
93%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1434/32
What is Barnard College known for?

Barnard College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Anthropology
Education
Sociology
Economics
Philosophy
Political Science
History
Psychology
Religious Studies

Most Influential Alumni

Margaret Mead
Anna Schwartz
Jeane Kirkpatrick
Zora Neale Hurston
Rebecca Goldstein
Ellen Willis
Judith Jarvis Thomson
Carol Dweck
Jean Houston
Twyla Tharp
Edwidge Danticat
Cassandra Clare
Compare school
#40
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame , IN
#3 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #20 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Indiana 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$59K
Acceptance
15%
Graduation
96%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1475/33
What is University of Notre Dame known for?

University of Notre Dame’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Religious Studies
Philosophy
Law
History
Business
Political Science
Education
Mathematics
Engineering
Literature

Most Influential Alumni

Jacques Maritain
Orson Scott Card
E. Jerome McCarthy
Saskia Sassen
Brian McHale
Condoleezza Rice
Jon Barwise
Peter Suber
Eric F. Wieschaus
Joe Montana
Matthew Fox
Robert Seamans
Compare school
#41
University of Southern California
Los Angeles , CA
#13 50 Best Private Grad Schools 2024 #18 50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #19 Best Universities in the US Ranked for Prospective Students in 2024 #2 Best Private Colleges in California 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
92%
Student body
38K
Median SAT/ACT
1435/32
What is University of Southern California known for?

University of Southern California’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Social Work
Engineering
Business
Communications
Criminal Justice
Medical
Education
Computer Science
Law
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Frank Gehry
Neil Armstrong
Jim Lovell
Jack L. Warner
John Mearsheimer
Boris Podolsky
Michael D. Griffin
O. J. Simpson
Thom Mayne
Richard Perle
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Christine Blasey Ford
Compare school
#42
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago , IL
#8 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #1 Best Small Colleges in Illinois 2024 #3 Best Private Colleges in Illinois 2024 #5 Best Colleges in Illinois 2024
Other Rankings
- #5 Best Research Universities in Illinois 2024
- #5 Best Grad Schools Illinois 2024
Tuition + fees
$50K
Acceptance
66%
Graduation
71%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1295/29
What is Illinois Institute of Technology known for?

Illinois Institute of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Engineering
Economics
Physics
Mathematics
Computer Science
Chemistry
Business
Social Work
Law
Political Science

Most Influential Alumni

Munir Ahmad Khan
Jack Dongarra
Jack Steinberger
Helmut Jahn
Sidney Coleman
Watts Humphrey
Virgil Abloh
Kevin Roche
Dorothy Thompson
Grote Reber
Samuel Karlin
Martin C. Jischke
Compare school
#43
Hampshire College
Amherst , MA
#2 Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship #8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Massachusetts 2024 #8 Best Small Colleges in Massachusetts 2024
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
62%
Student body
<1K
What is Hampshire College known for?

Hampshire College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Physics
Computer Science
Psychology
Sociology
Anthropology
Mathematics
Communications
History
Philosophy

Most Influential Alumni

Lee Smolin
Gary Marcus
Jon Krakauer
Alan Edelman
George Bonanno
Ken Burns
David Shulkin
Naomi Wallace
Tom Hull
Benjamin Mako Hill
Heather Boushey
Ellis Henican
Compare school
#44
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles , CA
#3 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #3 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2024 #3 50 Best Public Grad Schools 2024 #3 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
92%
Student body
46K
What is University of California, Los Angeles known for?

University of California, Los Angeles’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Nursing
Social Work
Medical
History
Chemistry
Sociology
Anthropology
Earth Sciences
Mathematics
Philosophy

Most Influential Alumni

Hilary Putnam
Vint Cerf
Vint Cerf
Elinor Ostrom
Judea Pearl
Glenn T. Seaborg
Barry Boehm
Stanley Cavell
William F. Sharpe
Edward O. Thorp
John Ehrlichman
Stephen Krashen
Compare school
#45
University of Virginia
Charlottesville , VA
#4 50 Best Public Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #5 Best Value Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #9 Most Affordable Colleges and Universities in the U.S. 2024 #10 Top Schools that Offer Free Master's Degrees Online
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$20K
Acceptance
21%
Graduation
94%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
What is University of Virginia known for?

University of Virginia’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Law
Political Science
History
Philosophy
Education
Literature
Psychology
Anthropology
Economics
Communications

Most Influential Alumni

Ronald Coase
Edgar Allan Poe
Robert Mueller
John Backus
Tom Regan
William Faulkner
Georgia O'Keeffe
Francis Collins
Katie Couric
Anselm Strauss
Ferid Murad
Allen Tate
Compare school
#46
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont , CA
#4 Best Small Colleges in California 2024 #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2024 #10 Best Private Colleges in California 2024 #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earning Business Degrees in 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$58K
Acceptance
11%
Graduation
93%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
What is Claremont McKenna College known for?

Claremont McKenna College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Economics
Political Science
Literature
Business
Philosophy
Sociology
Religious Studies
Psychology
Mathematics
Computer Science

Most Influential Alumni

Tibor Machan
Robin Williams
Craig A. Evans
Don Daglow
Orley Ashenfelter
George S. Day
Ronald J. Pestritto
Philip Clayton
Thomas B. Coburn
Patrick T. Riley
Beck A. Taylor
John King
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#47
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie , NY
#14 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #15 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #3 Best Small Colleges in New York 2024 #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in New York 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
20%
Graduation
93%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1440/33
What is Vassar College known for?

Vassar College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Computer Science
Education
Sociology
Anthropology
Physics
Philosophy
History
Psychology
Communications

Most Influential Alumni

Grace Hopper
Ruth Benedict
Neil Strauss
Edith Clarke
Elizabeth Bishop
Henry Seely White
Ellen Swallow Richards
Philip Kitcher
Edna St. Vincent Millay
Maria Mitchell
Greg Rucka
Mary McCarthy
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#48
Oberlin College
Oberlin , OH
#9 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #10 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #1 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
82%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1315/30
What is Oberlin College known for?

Oberlin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Philosophy
Literature
Political Science
Education
Religious Studies
Sociology
Psychology
History
Biology
Physics

Most Influential Alumni

Willard Van Orman Quine
George Herbert Mead
Rollo May
Kenneth Waltz
Robert Andrews Millikan
Sinclair Lewis
Lucy Stone
John Wesley Powell
Douglas T. Ross
Elisha Gray
J. Hillis Miller
Roger Wolcott Sperry
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#49
Emory University
Atlanta , GA
#4 50 Best Christian Colleges and Universities 2024 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Georgia 2024 #1 Best Private Colleges in Georgia 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
90%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1455/32
What is Emory University known for?

Emory University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Religious Studies
Literature
Nursing
Medical
Anthropology
Law
Philosophy
History
Business
Psychology

Most Influential Alumni

Newt Gingrich
David Brinkley
C. Vann Woodward
Jeffrey Burton Russell
Carl Hiaasen
Mikhail Epstein
Walter Wink
Timothy Tyson
Ernie Harwell
Tressie McMillan Cottom
Dumas Malone
Peter Buck
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#50
Bowdoin College
Brunswick , ME
#21 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #24 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #1 Best Private Colleges in Maine 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$58K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
What is Bowdoin College known for?

Bowdoin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Literature
Economics
History
Education
Political Science
Biology
Mathematics
Earth Sciences
Sociology
Psychology

Most Influential Alumni

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Nathaniel Hawthorne
William Easterly
Stephen A. Douglas
Robert Peary
Arnold Rampersad
Edwin Hall
Edward J. McCluskey
Oliver Otis Howard
Melville Fuller
Charles Otis Whitman
Alfred Kinsey
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Find the Best Colleges and Unviersities in Your Discipline of Choice

The Best Undergraduate Colleges and Universities by disciplines

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you. If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).
Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships, but also more pleasurable walks across campus. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degress you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no disctinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whehter you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.
Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands balancing work and life, or becuase the online colleges afford them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are aynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.
The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

You know by now that the best colleges and universities in the US offer a stellar education and the chance to edge out competition in the job market upon graduation.

But if attending a liberal arts school that is close to home is also important to you, check out our Complete List of Colleges and Universities by State.

Check out the College Admissions Process Guide for additional tips on finding, applying to, and getting into the college of your choice.

See our Resources Guide for much more on studying, starting your job search, and more.

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