List of 100 best universities in the United States

Top 100 universities in the United States ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 597M citations received by 13.3M academic publications made by 2,496 universities from the United States, the popularity of 98,975 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. Harvard University

#1 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$13,910

2. Stanford University

#2 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$14,402

3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#3 in the World
Acceptance Rate
20%
Receiving Aid
70%
Average Aid
$16,326
Enrollment
50,278

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#4 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Net Price
$30,958
Receiving Aid
100%
Average Aid
$32,562

5. University of California - Berkeley

#5 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Receiving Aid
61%
Average Aid
$21,406
Enrollment
45,036

6. University of California - Los Angeles

#6 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Receiving Aid
56%
Average Aid
$17,592
Enrollment
46,116

7. University of Washington - Seattle

#8 in the World
Acceptance Rate
53%
Receiving Aid
54%
Average Aid
$15,895
Enrollment
52,434

8. Columbia University

#9 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$12,411

9. Cornell University

#10 in the World
Acceptance Rate
9%
Average SAT
1505
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$24,262

10. Yale University

#12 in the World
Acceptance Rate
5%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$20,605

11. University of Pennsylvania

#13 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1525
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$14,578

12. Johns Hopkins University

#14 in the World
Acceptance Rate
8%
Net Price
$20,680
Receiving Aid
71%
Average Aid
$45,373

13. University of Wisconsin - Madison

#16 in the World
Acceptance Rate
60%
Average SAT
1410
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
64%

14. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#17 in the World
Acceptance Rate
73%
Average SAT
1400
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
82%

15. University of Chicago

#19 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1545
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$33,727

16. Princeton University

#20 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Average SAT
1515
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$20,908

17. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

#22 in the World
Acceptance Rate
60%
Average SAT
1415
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
85%

18. Duke University

#23 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1513
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$27,297

19. Pennsylvania State University

#24 in the World
Acceptance Rate
55%
Receiving Aid
73%
Average Aid
$8,719
Enrollment
40,363

20. Ohio State University

#25 in the World
Acceptance Rate
57%
Average SAT
1345
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
83%

21. University of Texas at Austin

#26 in the World
Acceptance Rate
29%
Average SAT
1365
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
71%

22. Northwestern University

#27 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$29,999

23. New York University

#28 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1510
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$50,991

24. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#29 in the World
Acceptance Rate
20%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
60%

25. University of California-San Diego

#30 in the World
Acceptance Rate
34%
Receiving Aid
54%
Average Aid
$18,083
Enrollment
41,885

26. University of Southern California

#31 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1475
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$26,021

27. University of Florida

#33 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Average SAT
1385
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
94%

28. University of California - Davis

#34 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Receiving Aid
65%
Average Aid
$17,628
Enrollment
40,050

29. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

#35 in the World
Acceptance Rate
68%
Average SAT
1355
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
69%

30. University of Maryland - College Park

#36 in the World
Acceptance Rate
52%
Average SAT
1420
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
68%

31. University of Arizona

#37 in the World
Acceptance Rate
87%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
95%

32. University of Pittsburgh

#39 in the World
Acceptance Rate
67%
Average SAT
1360
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
78%

33. Purdue University

#40 in the World
Acceptance Rate
69%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
73%

34. Michigan State University

#41 in the World
Acceptance Rate
83%
Average SAT
1210
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
72%

35. Texas A&M University - College Station

#42 in the World
Acceptance Rate
64%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
78%

36. Washington University in St Louis

#43 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$28,298

37. Carnegie Mellon University

#44 in the World
Acceptance Rate
14%
Average SAT
1520
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$37,450

38. University of California - San Francisco

#47 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Enrollment
3,165
Male:Female
35:65
Founded
1864

39. Boston University

#49 in the World
Acceptance Rate
19%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$25,852

40. Indiana University - Bloomington

#50 in the World
Acceptance Rate
85%
Average SAT
1270
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
79%

41. California Institute of Technology

#51 in the World
Acceptance Rate
4%
Net Price
$30,162
Receiving Aid
67%
Average Aid
$47,556

42. University of Virginia

#52 in the World
Acceptance Rate
21%
Average SAT
1440
Average ACT
34
Receiving Aid
63%

43. University of California - Irvine

#56 in the World
Acceptance Rate
29%
Receiving Aid
79%
Average Aid
$16,868
Enrollment
36,505

44. University of Utah

#57 in the World
Acceptance Rate
95%
Average SAT
1285
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
89%

45. University of Colorado Boulder

#60 in the World
Acceptance Rate
80%
Average SAT
1280
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
65%

46. Arizona State University - Tempe

#63 in the World
Acceptance Rate
88%
Receiving Aid
92%
Average Aid
$12,201
Enrollment
77,881

47. University of Rochester

#65 in the World
Acceptance Rate
41%
Average SAT
1445
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$40,125

48. Georgia Institute of Technology

#67 in the World
Acceptance Rate
16%
Average SAT
1405
Average ACT
32
Receiving Aid
72%

49. University of Iowa

#70 in the World
Acceptance Rate
86%
Average SAT
1240
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
87%

50. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

#71 in the World
Acceptance Rate
47%
Average SAT
1355
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
74%

51. Vanderbilt University

#74 in the World
Acceptance Rate
7%
Average SAT
1525
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$27,553

52. Brown University

#78 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1515
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$25,028

53. University of Georgia

#81 in the World
Acceptance Rate
40%
Average SAT
1360
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
94%

54. Emory University

#83 in the World
Acceptance Rate
13%
Average SAT
1480
Average ACT
33
Net Price
$28,367

55. University of California - Santa Barbara

#85 in the World
Acceptance Rate
29%
Receiving Aid
58%
Average Aid
$18,107
Enrollment
26,124

56. Iowa State University

#90 in the World
Acceptance Rate
91%
Average SAT
1207
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
93%

57. University of Massachusetts - Amherst

#91 in the World
Acceptance Rate
66%
Average SAT
1355
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
88%

58. Tufts University

#95 in the World
Acceptance Rate
11%
Average SAT
1495
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$31,630

59. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

#97 in the World
Acceptance Rate
56%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
72%

60. University of Miami

#101 in the World
Acceptance Rate
28%
Average SAT
1380
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$34,492

61. University of Kentucky

#104 in the World
Acceptance Rate
94%
Average SAT
1207
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
94%

62. University of Illinois at Chicago

#105 in the World
Acceptance Rate
79%
Average SAT
1195
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
81%

63. Case Western Reserve University

#111 in the World
Acceptance Rate
30%
Average SAT
1470
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$38,166

64. University of Missouri - Columbia

#113 in the World
Acceptance Rate
77%
Average SAT
1240
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
91%

65. University of Kansas

#115 in the World
Acceptance Rate
92%
Average SAT
1210
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
86%

66. Georgetown University

#119 in the World
Acceptance Rate
12%
Average SAT
1480
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$23,049

67. Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#121 in the World
Acceptance Rate
90%
Average SAT
1185
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
84%

68. Oregon State University

#123 in the World
Acceptance Rate
89%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
93%

69. University of Connecticut

#125 in the World
Acceptance Rate
56%
Average SAT
1330
Average ACT
30
Receiving Aid
82%

70. University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#128 in the World
Acceptance Rate
81%
Average SAT
1205
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
97%

71. George Washington University

#133 in the World
Acceptance Rate
50%
Average SAT
1400
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$31,240

72. Florida State University

#136 in the World
Acceptance Rate
37%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
96%

73. University of South Florida

#140 in the World
Acceptance Rate
49%
Average SAT
1235
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
99%

74. Dartmouth College

#146 in the World
Acceptance Rate
6%
Average SAT
1500
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$24,078

75. University of Notre Dame

#148 in the World
Acceptance Rate
15%
Average SAT
1480
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$30,513

76. University of New Mexico

#154 in the World
Acceptance Rate
97%
Average ACT
23
Receiving Aid
98%
Average Aid
$7,531

77. University of Tennessee - Knoxville

#155 in the World
Acceptance Rate
75%
Average SAT
1255
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
92%

78. Washington State University

#157 in the World
Acceptance Rate
86%
Receiving Aid
90%
Average Aid
$9,993
Enrollment
29,843

79. Rice University

#158 in the World
Acceptance Rate
9%
Average SAT
1530
Average ACT
35
Net Price
$18,521

81. Temple University

#169 in the World
Acceptance Rate
72%
Receiving Aid
91%
Average Aid
$11,292
Enrollment
35,626

82. University of Cincinnati

#173 in the World
Acceptance Rate
85%
Average SAT
1250
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
85%

83. University of Oregon

#176 in the World
Acceptance Rate
93%
Receiving Aid
88%
Average Aid
$13,590
Enrollment
22,257

84. University of California - Santa Cruz

#177 in the World
Acceptance Rate
59%
Receiving Aid
63%
Average Aid
$19,199
Enrollment
19,841

85. University at Buffalo

#183 in the World
Acceptance Rate
70%
Average SAT
1270
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
84%

86. Northeastern University

#190 in the World
Acceptance Rate
18%
Average SAT
1490
Average ACT
34
Net Price
$38,927

87. University of Alabama at Birmingham

#194 in the World
Acceptance Rate
89%
Average SAT
1281
Average ACT
27
Receiving Aid
97%

88. University of South Carolina - Columbia

#195 in the World
Acceptance Rate
62%
Average SAT
1255
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
95%

89. Brigham Young University - Provo

#196 in the World
Acceptance Rate
59%
Average SAT
1330
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$13,432

90. Wayne State University

#197 in the World
Acceptance Rate
63%
Average SAT
1145
Average ACT
25
Receiving Aid
99%

91. University of Delaware

#206 in the World
Acceptance Rate
72%
Average SAT
1248
Average ACT
29
Receiving Aid
90%

92. Stony Brook University

#212 in the World
Acceptance Rate
48%
Average SAT
1390
Average ACT
31
Receiving Aid
82%

93. University of California - Riverside

#215 in the World
Acceptance Rate
65%
Receiving Aid
82%
Average Aid
$18,676
Enrollment
26,847

94. University of Oklahoma - Norman

#218 in the World
Acceptance Rate
85%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
100%

95. University of Houston

#219 in the World
Acceptance Rate
66%
Average SAT
1235
Average ACT
26
Receiving Aid
85%

96. George Mason University

#231 in the World
Acceptance Rate
91%
Average SAT
1245
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
79%

97. Drexel University

#233 in the World
Acceptance Rate
83%
Average SAT
1310
Average ACT
29
Net Price
$26,076

98. Tulane University of Louisiana

#235 in the World
Acceptance Rate
10%
Average SAT
1435
Average ACT
32
Net Price
$45,048

100. University of Central Florida

#238 in the World
Acceptance Rate
36%
Average SAT
1260
Average ACT
28
Receiving Aid
94%

The best cities to study in the United States based on the number of universities and their ranks are Cambridge, Stanford, Ann Arbor, and Berkeley.

Average cost of living for students in the United States is $813 + $196-1399 for rent (depends on where to live: dormitory, renting with a roommate or solo).