U.S. News Best Colleges 2027
Snapshot 2026-09-23. U.S. News Best Colleges 2027: MIT No. 1, Princeton No. 2, Harvard No. 3. Yale No. 4; Caltech and Stanford tied No. 5. Earnings by Major added.

Snapshot 2026-09-23. U.S. News & World Report released the 42nd edition of Best Colleges 2027 on 22 September 2026, covering nearly 1,700 institutions. Among roughly 427 National Universities cards, all 378 with an official rank appear below. MIT scored 100 and took No. 1 for the first time, ending Princeton’s 15-year streak; Princeton is No. 2 (99), Harvard No. 3 (96), Yale No. 4, and Caltech tied with Stanford at No. 5. Global research rankings: Global Universities 2026.

Roster size and score bands
The live National Universities directory lists about 427 schools. This article includes all 378 with an official rank (highest rank number 376; ties share a #). Unranked schools are omitted. Public 209, private 169. Top states by count: CA (33), NY (28), PA (25), TX (23), MA (16). Scores are the live card totals (100 scale):
| Score band | Schools |
|---|---|
| 90–100 | 13 |
| 80–89 | 15 |
| 70–79 | 40 |
| 60–69 | 52 |
| 50–59 | 86 |
| 40–49 | 108 |
| 33–39 | 64 |
Ranks, ties, scores and control are copied from the live cards. The tables list all 378 ranked schools by official #:
National Universities #1–#100
| # | School | State | Score | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | 100 | Private |
| 2 | Princeton University | NJ | 99 | Private |
| 3 | Harvard University | MA | 96 | Private |
| 4 | Yale University | CT | 95 | Private |
| 5 (tie) | California Institute of Technology | CA | 94 | Private |
| 5 (tie) | Stanford University | CA | 94 | Private |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | 93 | Private |
| 8 | Duke University | NC | 92 | Private |
| 9 (tie) | Johns Hopkins University | MD | 91 | Private |
| 9 (tie) | Northwestern University | IL | 91 | Private |
| 9 (tie) | University of Chicago | IL | 91 | Private |
| 12 (tie) | Columbia University | NY | 90 | Private |
| 12 (tie) | Dartmouth College | NH | 90 | Private |
| 14 (tie) | Carnegie Mellon University | PA | 88 | Private |
| 14 (tie) | Cornell University | NY | 88 | Private |
| 16 (tie) | Brown University | RI | 87 | Private |
| 16 (tie) | Rice University | TX | 87 | Private |
| 16 (tie) | Vanderbilt University | TN | 87 | Private |
| 16 (tie) | Washington University in St. Louis | MO | 87 | Private |
| 20 (tie) | University of California, Berkeley | CA | 86 | Public |
| 20 (tie) | University of California, Los Angeles | CA | 86 | Public |
| 20 (tie) | University of Notre Dame | IN | 86 | Private |
| 23 (tie) | Emory University | GA | 85 | Private |
| 23 (tie) | Georgetown University | DC | 85 | Private |
| 25 | University of Michigan--Ann Arbor | MI | 84 | Public |
| 26 | University of Virginia | VA | 83 | Public |
| 27 (tie) | University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill | NC | 81 | Public |
| 27 (tie) | University of Southern California | CA | 81 | Private |
| 29 (tie) | Georgia Institute of Technology | GA | 79 | Public |
| 29 (tie) | University of California San Diego | CA | 79 | Public |
| 31 (tie) | Boston College | MA | 78 | Private |
| 31 (tie) | New York University | NY | 78 | Private |
| 31 (tie) | Tufts University | MA | 78 | Private |
| 34 (tie) | Boston University | MA | 77 | Private |
| 34 (tie) | The University of Texas--Austin | TX | 77 | Public |
| 34 (tie) | University of California, Davis | CA | 77 | Public |
| 34 (tie) | University of California, Irvine | CA | 77 | Public |
| 34 (tie) | University of Florida | FL | 77 | Public |
| 34 (tie) | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | 77 | Public |
| 34 (tie) | University of Wisconsin--Madison | WI | 77 | Public |
| 34 (tie) | Wake Forest University | NC | 77 | Private |
| 42 (tie) | Northeastern University | MA | 75 | Private |
| 42 (tie) | Villanova University | PA | 75 | Private |
| 44 (tie) | Case Western Reserve University | OH | 74 | Private |
| 44 (tie) | Lehigh University | PA | 74 | Private |
| 44 (tie) | Rutgers University--New Brunswick | NJ | 74 | Public |
| 44 (tie) | The Ohio State University | OH | 74 | Public |
| 44 (tie) | University of California, Santa Barbara | CA | 74 | Public |
| 49 (tie) | University of Maryland, College Park | MD | 73 | Public |
| 49 (tie) | University of Rochester | NY | 73 | Private |
| 49 (tie) | University of Washington | WA | 73 | Public |
| 52 (tie) | University of Georgia | GA | 72 | Public |
| 52 (tie) | Virginia Tech | VA | 72 | Public |
| 52 (tie) | William & Mary | VA | 72 | Public |
| 55 (tie) | Purdue University--Main Campus | IN | 71 | Public |
| 55 (tie) | Santa Clara University | CA | 71 | Private |
| 55 (tie) | The Pennsylvania State University--University Park | PA | 71 | Public |
| 55 (tie) | University of Miami | FL | 71 | Private |
| 59 (tie) | Brandeis University | MA | 70 | Private |
| 59 (tie) | Florida State University | FL | 70 | Public |
| 59 (tie) | George Washington University | DC | 70 | Private |
| 59 (tie) | Stevens Institute of Technology | NJ | 70 | Private |
| 59 (tie) | Stony Brook University--SUNY | NY | 70 | Public |
| 59 (tie) | Texas A&M University | TX | 70 | Public |
| 59 (tie) | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | 70 | Private |
| 59 (tie) | University of Massachusetts--Amherst | MA | 70 | Public |
| 59 (tie) | University of Minnesota--Twin Cities | MN | 70 | Public |
| 59 (tie) | University of Pittsburgh | PA | 70 | Public |
| 69 (tie) | Michigan State University | MI | 69 | Public |
| 69 (tie) | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | NY | 69 | Private |
| 69 (tie) | University of California, Merced | CA | 69 | Public |
| 72 | Syracuse University | NY | 68 | Private |
| 73 (tie) | Binghamton University--SUNY | NY | 67 | Public |
| 73 (tie) | Howard University | DC | 67 | Private |
| 73 (tie) | Indiana University--Bloomington | IN | 67 | Public |
| 73 (tie) | North Carolina State University | NC | 67 | Public |
| 73 (tie) | Rutgers University--Newark | NJ | 67 | Public |
| 73 (tie) | University of Connecticut | CT | 67 | Public |
| 73 (tie) | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | MA | 67 | Private |
| 80 (tie) | Clemson University | SC | 66 | Public |
| 80 (tie) | Colorado School of Mines | CO | 66 | Public |
| 80 (tie) | Drexel University | PA | 66 | Private |
| 80 (tie) | Pepperdine University | CA | 66 | Private |
| 80 (tie) | University of California, Riverside | CA | 66 | Public |
| 85 (tie) | Fordham University | NY | 65 | Private |
| 85 (tie) | New Jersey Institute of Technology | NJ | 65 | Public |
| 85 (tie) | Southern Methodist University | TX | 65 | Private |
| 85 (tie) | University at Buffalo--SUNY | NY | 65 | Public |
| 85 (tie) | University of Delaware | DE | 65 | Public |
| 90 (tie) | Baylor University | TX | 64 | Private |
| 90 (tie) | Gonzaga University | WA | 64 | Private |
| 90 (tie) | Marquette University | WI | 64 | Private |
| 90 (tie) | Texas Christian University | TX | 64 | Private |
| 90 (tie) | Yeshiva University | NY | 64 | Private |
| 95 (tie) | American University | DC | 63 | Private |
| 95 (tie) | Rochester Institute of Technology | NY | 63 | Private |
| 95 (tie) | Rutgers University--Camden | NJ | 63 | Public |
| 95 (tie) | University of Illinois Chicago | IL | 63 | Public |
| 95 (tie) | University of Missouri | MO | 63 | Public |
| 100 (tie) | Auburn University | AL | 62 | Public |
| 100 (tie) | Chapman University | CA | 62 | Private |
| 100 (tie) | Creighton University | NE | 62 | Private |
| 100 (tie) | Elon University | NC | 62 | Private |
| 100 (tie) | Florida International University | FL | 62 | Public |
| 100 (tie) | Saint Louis University | MO | 62 | Private |
| 100 (tie) | University of Iowa | IA | 62 | Public |
| 100 (tie) | University of San Diego | CA | 62 | Private |
| 100 (tie) | University of South Florida | FL | 62 | Public |
National Universities #101–#200
| # | School | State | Score | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 109 (tie) | Fairfield University | CT | 61 | Private |
| 109 (tie) | Loyola Marymount University | CA | 61 | Private |
| 109 (tie) | Temple University | PA | 61 | Public |
| 109 (tie) | University of California, Santa Cruz | CA | 61 | Public |
| 109 (tie) | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | 61 | Public |
| 109 (tie) | University of New Hampshire | NH | 61 | Public |
| 109 (tie) | University of Tennessee--Knoxville | TN | 61 | Public |
| 116 (tie) | Brigham Young University | UT | 60 | Private |
| 116 (tie) | Iowa State University of Science and Technology | IA | 60 | Public |
| 116 (tie) | The University of Oklahoma | OK | 60 | Public |
| 116 (tie) | University of Oregon | OR | 60 | Public |
| 116 (tie) | University of San Francisco | CA | 60 | Private |
| 121 (tie) | Arizona State University | AZ | 59 | Public |
| 121 (tie) | George Mason University | VA | 59 | Public |
| 121 (tie) | Illinois Institute of Technology | IL | 59 | Private |
| 121 (tie) | Loyola University Chicago | IL | 59 | Private |
| 121 (tie) | The University of Texas--Dallas | TX | 59 | Public |
| 121 (tie) | University at Albany--SUNY | NY | 59 | Public |
| 121 (tie) | University of Arizona | AZ | 59 | Public |
| 121 (tie) | University of Central Florida | FL | 59 | Public |
| 121 (tie) | University of Dayton | OH | 59 | Private |
| 121 (tie) | University of Denver | CO | 59 | Private |
| 121 (tie) | University of South Carolina | SC | 59 | Public |
| 121 (tie) | University of the Pacific | CA | 59 | Private |
| 133 (tie) | Clark University | MA | 58 | Private |
| 133 (tie) | Miami University--Oxford | OH | 58 | Public |
| 133 (tie) | Thomas Jefferson University | PA | 58 | Private |
| 133 (tie) | University of Vermont | VT | 58 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | California State University, Long Beach | CA | 57 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | Clarkson University | NY | 57 | Private |
| 137 (tie) | James Madison University | VA | 57 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | Saint Joseph's University | PA | 57 | Private |
| 137 (tie) | San Diego State University | CA | 57 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | San Jose State University | CA | 57 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | St. John's University | NY | 57 | Private |
| 137 (tie) | University of Alabama at Birmingham | AL | 57 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | University of Houston | TX | 57 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | University of Maryland Baltimore County | MD | 57 | Public |
| 137 (tie) | University of Scranton | PA | 57 | Private |
| 148 (tie) | California State University--Los Angeles | CA | 56 | Public |
| 148 (tie) | Mercer University | GA | 56 | Private |
| 148 (tie) | The Catholic University of America | DC | 56 | Private |
| 148 (tie) | University of Kansas | KS | 56 | Public |
| 148 (tie) | University of Kentucky | KY | 56 | Public |
| 148 (tie) | University of Massachusetts--Lowell | MA | 56 | Public |
| 148 (tie) | University of Rhode Island | RI | 56 | Public |
| 148 (tie) | University of Tulsa | OK | 56 | Private |
| 156 (tie) | California State University--Fullerton | CA | 55 | Public |
| 156 (tie) | CUNY--City College | NY | 55 | Public |
| 156 (tie) | Duquesne University | PA | 55 | Private |
| 156 (tie) | Florida A&M University | FL | 55 | Public |
| 156 (tie) | Kansas State University | KS | 55 | Public |
| 156 (tie) | Montclair State University | NJ | 55 | Public |
| 156 (tie) | Oregon State University | OR | 55 | Public |
| 156 (tie) | Quinnipiac University | CT | 55 | Private |
| 156 (tie) | Seton Hall University | NJ | 55 | Private |
| 156 (tie) | The University of Alabama | AL | 55 | Public |
| 156 (tie) | University of Portland | OR | 55 | Private |
| 156 (tie) | University of St. Thomas | MN | 55 | Private |
| 156 (tie) | Virginia Commonwealth University | VA | 55 | Public |
| 169 (tie) | Bradley University | IL | 54 | Private |
| 169 (tie) | Butler University | IN | 54 | Private |
| 169 (tie) | Colorado State University | CO | 54 | Public |
| 169 (tie) | DePaul University | IL | 54 | Private |
| 169 (tie) | Michigan Technological University | MI | 54 | Public |
| 169 (tie) | Monmouth University | NJ | 54 | Private |
| 169 (tie) | Simmons University | MA | 54 | Private |
| 169 (tie) | Touro University | NY | 54 | Private |
| 169 (tie) | University of Nebraska -- Lincoln | NE | 54 | Public |
| 169 (tie) | University of North Carolina at Charlotte | NC | 54 | Public |
| 179 (tie) | CUNY--Hunter College | NY | 53 | Public |
| 179 (tie) | Gallaudet University | DC | 53 | Private |
| 179 (tie) | Seattle University | WA | 53 | Private |
| 179 (tie) | University of Cincinnati | OH | 53 | Public |
| 179 (tie) | University of Louisville | KY | 53 | Public |
| 179 (tie) | University of Mississippi | MS | 53 | Public |
| 179 (tie) | University of Utah | UT | 53 | Public |
| 186 (tie) | California Lutheran University | CA | 52 | Private |
| 186 (tie) | Texas Tech University | TX | 52 | Public |
| 186 (tie) | University of Detroit Mercy | MI | 52 | Private |
| 186 (tie) | University of Hawaii at Manoa | HI | 52 | Public |
| 186 (tie) | Wayne State University | MI | 52 | Public |
| 191 (tie) | Adelphi University | NY | 51 | Private |
| 191 (tie) | Drake University | IA | 51 | Private |
| 191 (tie) | Florida Atlantic University | FL | 51 | Public |
| 191 (tie) | Georgia State University | GA | 51 | Public |
| 191 (tie) | Hofstra University | NY | 51 | Private |
| 191 (tie) | Missouri University of Science and Technology | MO | 51 | Public |
| 191 (tie) | Oklahoma State University | OK | 51 | Public |
| 191 (tie) | Rowan University | NJ | 51 | Public |
| 191 (tie) | Samford University | AL | 51 | Private |
| 191 (tie) | University of Arkansas | AR | 51 | Public |
| 191 (tie) | Washington State University | WA | 51 | Public |
National Universities #201–#300
| # | School | State | Score | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 202 (tie) | East Carolina University | NC | 50 | Public |
| 202 (tie) | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | LA | 50 | Public |
| 202 (tie) | Ohio University | OH | 50 | Public |
| 202 (tie) | Sacred Heart University | CT | 50 | Private |
| 202 (tie) | University of Massachusetts--Boston | MA | 50 | Public |
| 208 (tie) | Belmont University | TN | 49 | Private |
| 208 (tie) | California State University--Fresno | CA | 49 | Public |
| 208 (tie) | California State University--Sacramento | CA | 49 | Public |
| 208 (tie) | Mississippi State University | MS | 49 | Public |
| 208 (tie) | University of Idaho | ID | 49 | Public |
| 208 (tie) | University of La Verne | CA | 49 | Private |
| 208 (tie) | University of North Carolina--Greensboro | NC | 49 | Public |
| 208 (tie) | University of North Texas | TX | 49 | Public |
| 208 (tie) | Willamette University | OR | 49 | Private |
| 208 (tie) | Xavier University | OH | 49 | Private |
| 219 (tie) | Gannon University | PA | 48 | Private |
| 219 (tie) | Illinois State University | IL | 48 | Public |
| 219 (tie) | Indiana University Indianapolis | IN | 48 | Public |
| 219 (tie) | New York Institute of Technology | NY | 48 | Private |
| 219 (tie) | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University | NC | 48 | Public |
| 219 (tie) | Robert Morris University | PA | 48 | Private |
| 219 (tie) | University of Nevada--Reno | NV | 48 | Public |
| 219 (tie) | University of North Carolina--Wilmington | NC | 48 | Public |
| 227 (tie) | Ball State University | IN | 47 | Public |
| 227 (tie) | Russell Sage College | NY | 47 | Private |
| 227 (tie) | San Francisco State University | CA | 47 | Public |
| 227 (tie) | The New School | NY | 47 | Private |
| 227 (tie) | The University of Texas--San Antonio | TX | 47 | Public |
| 227 (tie) | University of Michigan--Dearborn | MI | 47 | Public |
| 227 (tie) | University of North Dakota | ND | 47 | Public |
| 227 (tie) | West Chester University of Pennsylvania | PA | 47 | Public |
| 227 (tie) | West Virginia University | WV | 47 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | Bethel University | MN | 46 | Private |
| 236 (tie) | Chatham University | PA | 46 | Private |
| 236 (tie) | Florida Institute of Technology | FL | 46 | Private |
| 236 (tie) | Kent State University | OH | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | North Dakota State University | ND | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | Pacific University | OR | 46 | Private |
| 236 (tie) | Portland State University | OR | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | PA | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | Stetson University | FL | 46 | Private |
| 236 (tie) | The University of Texas--Arlington | TX | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | University of Colorado Denver | CO | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | University of Nevada--Las Vegas | NV | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | University of New Mexico | NM | 46 | Public |
| 236 (tie) | University of North Florida | FL | 46 | Public |
| 250 (tie) | D'Youville University | NY | 45 | Private |
| 250 (tie) | La Salle University | PA | 45 | Private |
| 250 (tie) | Lipscomb University | TN | 45 | Private |
| 250 (tie) | New Mexico State University | NM | 45 | Public |
| 250 (tie) | Nova Southeastern University | FL | 45 | Private |
| 250 (tie) | Oakland City University | IN | 45 | Private |
| 250 (tie) | Pace University | NY | 45 | Private |
| 250 (tie) | South Dakota State University | SD | 45 | Public |
| 250 (tie) | The University of Texas--Rio Grande Valley | TX | 45 | Public |
| 250 (tie) | University of Massachusetts Dartmouth | MA | 45 | Public |
| 250 (tie) | University of Missouri--Kansas City | MO | 45 | Public |
| 250 (tie) | University of Wyoming | WY | 45 | Public |
| 262 (tie) | Albizu University | PR | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | Andrews University | MI | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | Aurora University | IL | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | Central Michigan University | MI | 44 | Public |
| 262 (tie) | DeSales University | PA | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | George Fox University | OR | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | Seattle Pacific University | WA | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | Suffolk University | MA | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | The University of Texas--El Paso | TX | 44 | Public |
| 262 (tie) | University of Alabama at Huntsville | AL | 44 | Public |
| 262 (tie) | University of Maine | ME | 44 | Public |
| 262 (tie) | University of New England | ME | 44 | Private |
| 262 (tie) | University of South Dakota | SD | 44 | Public |
| 262 (tie) | Western New England University | MA | 44 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | Bowling Green State University | OH | 43 | Public |
| 276 (tie) | California Baptist University | CA | 43 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | Harding University | AR | 43 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | Marian University | IN | 43 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | Marymount University | VA | 43 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | Northern Arizona University | AZ | 43 | Public |
| 276 (tie) | Regis University | CO | 43 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | University of Missouri--St. Louis | MO | 43 | Public |
| 276 (tie) | University of New Haven | CT | 43 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | University of St. Francis | IL | 43 | Private |
| 276 (tie) | Western Michigan University | MI | 43 | Public |
| 276 (tie) | Widener University | PA | 43 | Private |
| 288 (tie) | Arcadia University | PA | 42 | Private |
| 288 (tie) | Biola University | CA | 42 | Private |
| 288 (tie) | Shenandoah University | VA | 42 | Private |
| 288 (tie) | Southern Illinois University--Carbondale | IL | 42 | Public |
| 288 (tie) | Texas State University | TX | 42 | Public |
| 288 (tie) | University of Hartford | CT | 42 | Private |
| 288 (tie) | University of Indianapolis | IN | 42 | Private |
| 288 (tie) | University of Memphis | TN | 42 | Public |
| 288 (tie) | University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee | WI | 42 | Public |
| 288 (tie) | Utah State University | UT | 42 | Public |
| 288 (tie) | Wichita State University | KS | 42 | Public |
| 299 (tie) | Azusa Pacific University | CA | 41 | Private |
| 299 (tie) | Boise State University | ID | 41 | Public |
| 299 (tie) | Concordia University Wisconsin | WI | 41 | Private |
| 299 (tie) | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | MN | 41 | Private |
| 299 (tie) | Southern Connecticut State University | CT | 41 | Public |
| 299 (tie) | Tennessee Tech University | TN | 41 | Public |
| 299 (tie) | The University of Toledo | OH | 41 | Public |
| 299 (tie) | University of Nebraska Omaha | NE | 41 | Public |
| 299 (tie) | Utica University | NY | 41 | Private |
National Universities #301–#376
| # | School | State | Score | Control |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 308 (tie) | Abilene Christian University | TX | 40 | Private |
| 308 (tie) | Maryville University of St. Louis | MO | 40 | Private |
| 308 (tie) | Montana State University | MT | 40 | Public |
| 308 (tie) | North Carolina Central University | NC | 40 | Public |
| 308 (tie) | Northern Illinois University | IL | 40 | Public |
| 308 (tie) | Oakland University | MI | 40 | Public |
| 308 (tie) | University of Southern Mississippi | MS | 40 | Public |
| 308 (tie) | University of the Incarnate Word | TX | 40 | Private |
| 308 (tie) | Wilkes University | PA | 40 | Private |
| 317 (tie) | Augusta University | GA | 39 | Public |
| 317 (tie) | Emory & Henry University | VA | 39 | Private |
| 317 (tie) | Ferris State University | MI | 39 | Public |
| 317 (tie) | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | PA | 39 | Public |
| 317 (tie) | Kean University | NJ | 39 | Public |
| 317 (tie) | Marshall University | WV | 39 | Public |
| 317 (tie) | Morgan State University | MD | 39 | Public |
| 317 (tie) | Prairie View A&M University | TX | 39 | Public |
| 317 (tie) | University of Mary | ND | 39 | Private |
| 317 (tie) | Xavier University of Louisiana | LA | 39 | Private |
| 328 (tie) | East Tennessee State University | TN | 38 | Public |
| 328 (tie) | Georgia Southern University | GA | 38 | Public |
| 328 (tie) | Old Dominion University | VA | 38 | Public |
| 328 (tie) | The University of North Texas--Dallas | TX | 38 | Public |
| 332 (tie) | Clark Atlanta University | GA | 37 | Private |
| 332 (tie) | Jacksonville University | FL | 37 | Private |
| 332 (tie) | Mercy University | NY | 37 | Private |
| 332 (tie) | Point Park University | PA | 37 | Private |
| 332 (tie) | Texas A & M University-Kingsville | TX | 37 | Public |
| 332 (tie) | Texas Woman's University | TX | 37 | Public |
| 332 (tie) | University of Baltimore | MD | 37 | Public |
| 332 (tie) | University of Findlay | OH | 37 | Private |
| 332 (tie) | University of Lynchburg | VA | 37 | Private |
| 332 (tie) | University of South Alabama | AL | 37 | Public |
| 342 (tie) | Campbell University | NC | 36 | Private |
| 342 (tie) | Cleveland State University | OH | 36 | Public |
| 342 (tie) | Concordia University Irvine | CA | 36 | Private |
| 342 (tie) | Daemen University | NY | 36 | Private |
| 342 (tie) | Kennesaw State University | GA | 36 | Public |
| 342 (tie) | Lincoln Memorial University | TN | 36 | Private |
| 342 (tie) | Mississippi Christian University | MS | 36 | Private |
| 342 (tie) | Missouri State University | MO | 36 | Public |
| 342 (tie) | The University of Akron | OH | 36 | Public |
| 342 (tie) | The University of Texas at Tyler | TX | 36 | Public |
| 342 (tie) | University of Northern Colorado | CO | 36 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | Arkansas State University | AR | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | Jacksonville State University | AL | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | Pennsylvania Western University | PA | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | Plymouth State University | NH | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | IL | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | Trevecca Nazarene University | TN | 35 | Private |
| 353 (tie) | University of Houston--Clear Lake | TX | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | LA | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | University of Michigan--Flint | MI | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | University of Puerto Rico--Rio Piedras | PR | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | University of West Georgia | GA | 35 | Public |
| 353 (tie) | Youngstown State University | OH | 35 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | Eastern Washington University | WA | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | Gardner-Webb University | NC | 34 | Private |
| 365 (tie) | Indiana State University | IN | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | Jackson State University | MS | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | Liberty University | VA | 34 | Private |
| 365 (tie) | Northern Kentucky University | KY | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | Troy University | AL | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | University of Central Arkansas | AR | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | University of Louisiana at Monroe | LA | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | University of Montana | MT | 34 | Public |
| 365 (tie) | William Carey University | MS | 34 | Private |
| 376 (tie) | Barry University | FL | 33 | Private |
| 376 (tie) | Belhaven University | MS | 33 | Private |
| 376 (tie) | Concordia University--St. Paul | MN | 33 | Private |
| 376 (tie) | Tennessee State University | TN | 33 | Public |
| 376 (tie) | University of Arkansas--Little Rock | AR | 33 | Public |
| 376 (tie) | University of Bridgeport | CT | 33 | Private |
Methodology: Earnings by Major
The 2027 edition adds Earnings by Major from the Education Department’s College Scorecard, comparing earnings about four years after graduation within majors for employed federal-aid bachelor’s recipients. The Washington Post reports the factor at about 5% of the overall score, replacing Graduate Indebtedness. Carnegie Classification shifts moved roughly 20% of schools into new peer groups, so year-to-year rank jumps are not always comparable.
National Liberal Arts Colleges
Williams College remains No. 1; Amherst is No. 2; Bowdoin, Claremont McKenna, Pomona and Swarthmore share No. 3:
| # | Liberal Arts College |
|---|---|
| 1 | Williams College |
| 2 | Amherst College |
| 3 (tie) | Bowdoin College |
| 3 (tie) | Claremont McKenna College |
| 3 (tie) | Pomona College |
| 3 (tie) | Swarthmore College |
| 7 | United States Naval Academy |
| 8 | Harvey Mudd College |
| 9 | United States Military Academy at West Point |
| 10 | Wellesley College |
Top Public National Universities
UC Berkeley and UCLA share No. 1 among publics; Michigan is No. 3. UNC Chapel Hill leads the new Best Value for In-State Students list:
| # | Top Public National University |
|---|---|
| 1 (tie) | University of California, Berkeley |
| 1 (tie) | University of California, Los Angeles |
| 3 | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor |
| 4 | University of Virginia |
| 5 | University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill |
| 6 (tie) | Georgia Institute of Technology |
| 6 (tie) | University of California San Diego |
| 8 (tie) | University of California, Davis |
| 8 (tie) | University of California, Irvine |
| 8 (tie) | University of Florida |
HBCUs
Spelman College remains No. 1, Howard No. 2, Tuskegee No. 3:
| # | HBCU |
|---|---|
| 1 | Spelman College |
| 2 | Howard University |
| 3 | Tuskegee University |
| 4 | Morehouse College |
| 5 | North Carolina A&T State University |
| 6 (tie) | Florida A&M University |
| 6 (tie) | Hampton University |
| 8 | Morgan State University |
| 9 | Xavier University of Louisiana |
| 10 | Claflin University |
Chinese universities: China Universities 2026.
How this list is ranked
Snapshot 2026-09-23. The main table copies U.S. News 2027 Best Colleges · National Universities (released 22 September 2026). This is a U.S. undergraduate ranking, not QS/THE global research tables. Global: Global Universities 2026. China: China Universities 2026.
| Source | Snapshot / Release | Scope | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. News press room | 2026-09-22 | 42nd edition; ~1,700 schools; MIT No. 1; Earnings by Major | Primary |
| National Universities live page | 2026-09-23 | Official #, ties, scores, control; full ranked roster (378) | Primary |
| Washington Post | 2026-09-22 | Independent check; earnings factor ~5% | Secondary |
| Liberal Arts / Top Public / HBCU | 2026-09-23 | Category lists only | Auxiliary |
互动体验:拖拽排位《U.S. News Best Colleges Tier List 2027》
U.S. News Best Colleges Tier List 2027
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