50 Best Graduate Schools Ranked for Prospective Students in 2023

BEST FOR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS GRADUATE SCHOOLS

Grad school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession. The best grad schools offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking.

10 Best Grad Schools in the US

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  1. Harvard University
  2. University of California, Berkeley
  3. Columbia University
  4. University of Chicago
  5. Stanford University
  6. Yale University
  7. Princeton University
  8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  9. University of Michigan
  10. University of Pennsylvania
  1. University of Utah 95%
  2. Arizona State University 88%
  3. University of Arizona 87%
  4. University of Iowa 86%
  5. Michigan State University 83%
  6. University of Minnesota 73%
  7. Purdue University 69%
  8. University of Pittsburgh 67%
  9. University of Wisconsin–Madison 60%
  10. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 60%
  1. University of Washington 20 to 1
  2. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 20 to 1
  3. University of California, Davis 20 to 1
  4. University of California, Berkeley 19 to 1
  5. University of California, San Diego 19 to 1
  6. University of California, Los Angeles 18 to 1
  7. University of California, Irvine 18 to 1
  8. University of California, Santa Barbara 18 to 1
  9. Arizona State University 18 to 1
  10. University of Texas at Austin 17 to 1
  1. Columbia University $63,530
  2. Tufts University $63,000
  3. Brown University $62,304
  4. University of Chicago $62,241
  5. University of Pennsylvania $61,710
  6. University of Southern California $61,503
  7. Cornell University $61,015
  8. Dartmouth College $60,870
  9. Northwestern University $60,768
  10. Duke University $60,244
  1. University of Chicago $62,640
  2. Brown University $60,944
  3. University of Southern California $60,446
  4. Dartmouth College $58,953
  5. Johns Hopkins University $58,720
  6. Boston University $58,560
  7. Duke University $57,900
  8. Washington University in St. Louis $57,750
  9. California Institute of Technology $56,364
  10. Northwestern University $56,067
  1. Arizona State University
  2. Rice University
  3. University of California, Davis
  4. Vanderbilt University
  5. George Washington University
  6. University of Utah
  7. Michigan State University
  8. University of California, Irvine
  9. Tufts University
  10. Syracuse University
  1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4%
  2. Stanford University 4%
  3. Harvard University 4%
  4. Columbia University 4%
  5. California Institute of Technology 4%
  6. Princeton University 4%
  7. Yale University 5%
  8. University of Pennsylvania 6%
  9. Dartmouth College 6%
  10. University of Chicago 6%
  1. California Institute of Technology 3 to 1
  2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 3 to 1
  3. Stanford University 4 to 1
  4. Yale University 4 to 1
  5. Princeton University 4 to 1
  6. Harvard University 5 to 1
  7. Carnegie Mellon University 5 to 1
  8. University of Chicago 5 to 1
  9. Columbia University 6 to 1
  10. Duke University 6 to 1
  1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $7,019
  2. University of Utah $7,749
  3. University of Iowa $8,356
  4. University of Maryland, College Park $9,000
  5. University of Wisconsin–Madison $9,273
  6. Purdue University $9,718
  7. Arizona State University $10,710
  8. University of Washington $10,927
  9. University of Arizona $10,990
  10. University of California, Los Angeles $11,442
  1. University of Utah $6,970
  2. Purdue University $9,718
  3. University of Iowa $10,432
  4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $10,552
  5. University of Wisconsin–Madison $10,728
  6. University of California, Los Angeles $11,442
  7. University of California, Berkeley $11,442
  8. University of California, Irvine $11,442
  9. University of California, Santa Barbara $11,442
  10. University of California, Davis $11,442

Key Takeaways

  • A degree from one of the best graduate schools will help to set grads apart from the competition in the job market today.
  • Graduate students will develop a deep knowledge of their major through advanced research.
  • Graduates of one of our ranked graduate degree programs will continue to develop their expertise beyond the knowledge they gained in their undergraduate studies.

Featured Programs

How can you choose the best grad school for you?

A good answer to this question looks to your personal and professional goals. Certain professions will require you to earn an advanced degree. In other cases, an advanced degree can make you eligible for leadership roles and higher pay. For instance, the best graduate schools for education can improve your earnings as a teacher, make you eligible for tenure, or help you meet the basic threshold for continued employment. On the other hand, the best graduate schools for business can simply make you a more competitive candidate for job openings and management roles.

The best grad school for you should have a stellar reputation and employ highly influential professors across the board and especially in your area of study. Indeed, much exciting academic work these days is cross-disciplinary, and for such work to flourish it helps to be at a school that is strong across discipines. The following list is composed of graduate schools, both private and public. We’ve identified 1,682 graduate schools in the US. In order to be included in this list of best graduate schools must be fully accredited non-profit institutions that offer advanced degrees and put a premium on research.

Best Grad Schools 2022
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50 Best Grad Schools in the US

  1. #1

    Harvard University

    Cambridge , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $56K

    Acceptance

    4%

    Graduation

    97%

    Student body

    24K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1520/34

  2. #2

    Stanford University

    Stanford , CA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $56K

    Acceptance

    4%

    Graduation

    96%

    Student body

    13K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1495/33

  3. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $56K

    Acceptance

    4%

    Graduation

    96%

    Student body

    13K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1545/35

  4. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $14K

    Acceptance

    14%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    43K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1420/32

  5. #5

    Columbia University

    New York , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $64K

    Acceptance

    4%

    Graduation

    97%

    Student body

    26K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1515/34

  6. #6

    Yale University

    New Haven , CT
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    5%

    Graduation

    97%

    Student body

    14K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1520/34

  7. #7

    Princeton University

    Princeton , NJ
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $56K

    Acceptance

    4%

    Graduation

    98%

    Student body

    7K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1510/33

  8. #8

    University of Chicago

    Chicago , IL
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    6%

    Graduation

    96%

    Student body

    13K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1535/34

  9. #9

    New York University

    New York , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $57K

    Acceptance

    13%

    Graduation

    87%

    Student body

    49K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1455/32

  10. #10

    Cornell University

    Ithaca , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    9%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    25K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1470/33

  11. #11

    University of Michigan

    Ann Arbor , MI
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $17K

    Acceptance

    20%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    44K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1430/32

  12. #12

    University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia , PA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    6%

    Graduation

    96%

    Student body

    28K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1515/34

  13. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $13K

    Acceptance

    11%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    46K

  14. #14

    Johns Hopkins University

    Baltimore , MD
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    8%

    Graduation

    95%

    Student body

    27K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1515/35

  15. #15

    Northwestern University

    Evanston , IL
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    7%

    Graduation

    95%

    Student body

    20K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1490/34

  16. #16

    Duke University

    Durham , NC
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    6%

    Graduation

    96%

    Student body

    14K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1520/34

  17. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    13%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    38K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1435/32

  18. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    4%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1555/35

  19. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    53%

    Graduation

    84%

    Student body

    44K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1326/30

  20. #21

    Boston University

    Boston , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    19%

    Graduation

    89%

    Student body

    32K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1405/32

  21. #22

    Carnegie Mellon University

    Pittsburgh , PA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    14%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    16K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1510/34

  22. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    29%

    Graduation

    88%

    Student body

    45K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1340/29

  23. #24

    Brown University

    Providence , RI
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    6%

    Graduation

    96%

    Student body

    9K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1500/34

  24. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Acceptance

    60%

    Graduation

    89%

    Student body

    38K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1360/29

  25. #26

    University of Minnesota

    Minneapolis , MN
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $15K

    Acceptance

    73%

    Graduation

    84%

    Student body

    42K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1350/28

  26. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    50%

    Graduation

    84%

    Student body

    20K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1360/31

  27. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $18K

    Acceptance

    60%

    Graduation

    85%

    Student body

    55K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1330/30

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    Most Influential Alumni

  28. #29

    University of Virginia

    Charlottesville , VA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $20K

    Acceptance

    21%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    25K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1415/32

  29. #30

    Georgetown University

    Washington , DC
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    12%

    Graduation

    95%

    Student body

    14K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1465/33

  30. #31

    Purdue University

    West Lafayette , IN
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    69%

    Graduation

    83%

    Student body

    44K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1295/29

  31. #34

    University of Arizona

    Tucson , AZ
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    87%

    Graduation

    64%

    Student body

    40K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1220/25

  32. #35

    Rice University

    Houston , TX
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $53K

    Acceptance

    9%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    8K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1515/35

  33. #36

    University of Iowa

    Iowa City , IA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Acceptance

    86%

    Graduation

    74%

    Student body

    26K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1210/25

  34. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Acceptance

    20%

    Graduation

    90%

    Student body

    25K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1385/30

  35. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    13%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    13K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1520/34

  36. #41

    Dartmouth College

    Hanover , NH
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    6%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    6K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1500/33

  37. #42

    Syracuse University

    Syracuse , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $58K

    Acceptance

    59%

    Graduation

    82%

    Student body

    22K

  38. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $11K

    Acceptance

    88%

    Graduation

    66%

    Student body

    73K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1210/24

Earn a Master’s Degree Close to Home

You know now that a master’s degree from one of the best graduate degree schools can give you a leg up in this competitive job market.

But, did you know that you can get a top-notch master’s degree at a school that is also close to home? If that interests you, check out our list of the best colleges and universities in each state.

Resources for Prospective Grad Students

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

Photo Credit: Harvard University’s Harvard Yard, By Mancala English Wikipedia, Public Domain.