Best universities in the United States 2025

By seeta.bhardwa@…, 17 February, 2025

Top universities in the US

US Rank 2025	WUR Rank 2025	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	98.1	99.2	96	99.7	100	93.8
2	3	Harvard University	97.7	97.3	99.9	99.3	85.7	90.1
3	4	Princeton University	97.5	98.3	98	98.9	96.9	87.4
4	6	Stanford University	97.2	97.5	97.3	99.6	100	85.1
5	7	California Institute of Technology	96.3	95.2	97.5	97.3	100	89.7
6	8	University of California, Berkeley	94.5	87.2	98.9	99	99.5	86.4
7	10	Yale University	94.1	93.7	95	97.8	86.5	82.3
=8	=14	The University of Chicago	90.9	88.4	90	97.4	86.2	81.1
=8	=14	University of Pennsylvania	90.9	87.1	90.7	96.9	98.3	79.3
10	16	Johns Hopkins University	90.7	83.7	91.3	97.3	100	83.6
=11	=18	Columbia University	89.8	86.4	88.8	96.9	75.9	85.4
=11	=18	University of California, Los Angeles	89.8	84.9	92.1	96.6	89	73.4
13	20	Cornell University	89.2	83.2	91.1	96.8	69.5	85.5
14	22	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	87.7	84.3	88.8	95.4	82.5	68.2
15	24	Carnegie Mellon University	85.7	73.1	85.1	99	85.4	84.2
16	25	University of Washington	83.8	74.6	81.3	98	84.7	72.1
17	27	Duke University	83.4	77.7	75.6	96.2	100	75.5
18	31	Northwestern University	81.4	71.8	75.8	97.8	92.3	69.4
19	33	New York University	80.3	72	76.8	94.3	71.7	75.3
20	34	University of California, San Diego	79.9	64.9	75.8	97.4	100	73.9
21	40	Georgia Institute of Technology	78.3	60	77.7	92.9	99.2	83.4
22	46	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	76.5	66.4	81	84.1	86.7	63.2
23	50	University of Texas at Austin	75.9	66.1	76.3	91.3	82.6	47.2
24	56	University of Wisconsin-Madison	74.8	69.7	70.2	86.3	81.4	63.5
25	58	Brown University	73.8	71.8	60.9	89.4	68.6	71.6
26	62	University of California, Davis	73.5	63.8	67.8	86.1	89.4	75.4
27	67	University of California, Santa Barbara	72.7	49.6	65.5	96.7	96.8	81.9
28	69	Washington University in St Louis	72.2	59.8	56.9	97.5	78.4	74.8
29	70	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	71.6	63.3	62.3	93.3	75.7	50.9
30	72	University of Southern California	71	58.3	60.4	92.8	75	73.2
31	75	Boston University	70.6	60.5	56.2	93.2	71.2	75.3
32	79	Purdue University West Lafayette	69.9	63	68.9	73.8	86.2	77.2
33	84	University of Massachusetts	68	58.6	52.1	87.9	87.4	76
34	87	University of Minnesota	67.8	58.4	59.6	86	99.9	46.2
=35	=90	University of California, Irvine	67.3	48.3	53.2	92.9	97.6	78.1
=35	=90	Vanderbilt University	67.3	53.3	49	95.9	95	63.5
37	98	Emory University	66.3	53.9	46.2	95.3	83.6	67.4
38	100	Penn State (Main campus)	66.2	54.5	62.3	83	70.9	57.6
=39	=112	Rice University	65.4	55.1	46.1	88.4	72.5	85.2
=39	=112	University of Maryland, College Park	65.4	49	57.7	92.1	71.6	49.4
41	116	Ohio State University (Main campus)	65.2	55	51.7	87.6	83.6	58.4
42	122	Michigan State University	64.7	54.9	53.5	83.5	70	69.1
43	127	University of Rochester	63.9	50.8	44.5	87.8	91.6	80.1
44	130	University of Florida	63.6	54.4	56.8	79.1	89.9	50.7
45	136	University of Arizona	62.7	48	52.8	86.3	81	54.5
46	141	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campus	62.3	48.6	45.7	93	76.2	49.8
=47	=143	Texas A&M University	62.2	52.7	57.3	74.3	73.2	64.3
=47	=143	University of Colorado Boulder	62.2	47	52.6	86.6	73.3	56.3
49	159	Case Western Reserve University	61.2	51.1	40.3	88.6	70.9	66.3
50	163	University of Virginia (Main campus)	60.9	49.3	42.2	87.3	85.2	60.1
51	168	Dartmouth College	60.7	56.8	39.4	83.2	75.9	60.5
52	179	Tufts University	59.8	50.7	36.3	89.1	72.7	63.1
53	189	Indiana University	59.3	46.6	38.3	87.4	85	64
=54	=196	University of California, Santa Cruz	58.9	35.3	41.7	93.2	71.9	73.9
=54	=196	University of Notre Dame	58.9	53.2	45.1	72.4	73.9	72.3
=56	201–250	Arizona State University (Tempe)	55.8–58.6	38.5	45.2	84.4	70.9	71.5
=56	201–250	Georgetown University	55.8–58.6	50.4	34.7	83.7	92.3	54.3
=56	201–250	George Washington University	55.8–58.6	48.6	35.1	86.3	67.8	68.3
=56	201–250	Northeastern University, US	55.8–58.6	39.5	32.7	91.9	69.5	82.7
=56	201–250	University of Illinois Chicago	55.8–58.6	49.5	34.9	79.8	77.4	60.1
=56	201–250	University of Miami	55.8–58.6	46.5	34.8	83.6	79.9	65.6
=56	201–250	University of Utah	55.8–58.6	44	39	89	88.5	41.6
=63	251–300	Boston College	53.7–55.7	46.3	32.3	85.3	58.3	60.5
=63	251–300	North Carolina State University	53.7–55.7	44.9	40.7	71.1	79.5	62.4
=63	251–300	Stony Brook University	53.7–55.7	44	31.7	81.4	68	76.4
=63	251–300	University at Buffalo	53.7–55.7	40.9	35.3	75.9	78.2	73.9
=63	251–300	University of California, Riverside	53.7–55.7	37	34.8	83.9	69.8	76.1
=63	251–300	University of Hawai’i at Mānoa	53.7–55.7	40.6	43.4	75.7	67.8	76.7
=63	251–300	University of Iowa	53.7–55.7	46.5	33.2	78	91.5	54.3
=63	251–300	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	53.7–55.7	40.7	40.6	79.7	77.9	65.3
=71	301–350	Florida State University	51.1–53.6	37.3	40.5	76.3	67.3	58
=71	301–350	Oregon Health and Science University	51.1–53.6	39	21.2	91.6	89.4	33.7
=71	301–350	Rutgers University – New Brunswick	51.1–53.6	44.1	29.9	79.2	69.1	61.8
=71	301–350	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	51.1–53.6	37.8	31.8	79.1	71	54.5
=71	301–350	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	51.1–53.6	34.1	25.4	93.6	73.1	36.9
=71	301–350	University of Connecticut	51.1–53.6	41.1	31.5	76	68.6	65
=77	351–400	Drexel University	49.4–51.0	43.4	25.4	72.4	74.7	63.6
=77	351–400	Illinois Institute of Technology	49.4–51.0	41.8	26.7	70.8	92.2	74
=77	351–400	Temple University	49.4–51.0	41.7	23.1	83.2	66.6	42
=77	351–400	University of Delaware	49.4–51.0	35.4	34.1	70.8	84.7	60.8
=77	351–400	University of Georgia (USA)	49.4–51.0	42.2	40.4	69.1	69	43.6
=77	351–400	University of Kansas	49.4–51.0	44	29.7	73	80.2	56.6
=77	351–400	University of South Florida	49.4–51.0	32.2	35.5	73.5	99.5	66.7
=84	401–500	Brandeis University	46.0–49.2	36.5	26.6	72.5	64.8	81.4
=84	401–500	Colorado School of Mines	46.0–49.2	36.1	35.6	63.5	85.4	41.9
=84	401–500	Colorado State University, Fort Collins	46.0–49.2	36.3	31.8	70.7	71.1	45.3
=84	401–500	Florida International University	46.0–49.2	32.1	32.1	74.3	64.5	49.9
=84	401–500	George Mason University	46.0–49.2	28.9	28.8	81.2	62.9	60.5
=84	401–500	Iowa State University	46.0–49.2	39.7	36.1	66.7	88.1	45.2
=84	401–500	Missouri University of Science and Technology	46.0–49.2	29.9	29.2	66.2	90.2	73.9
=84	401–500	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	46.0–49.2	35.6	29.6	60.6	90.4	77.5
=84	401–500	Saint Louis University	46.0–49.2	42.7	17.9	76.9	60.3	42.8
=84	401–500	Stevens Institute of Technology	46.0–49.2	27.2	28	76.1	68.4	82.6
=84	401–500	Syracuse University	46.0–49.2	33.8	30.8	69.5	65.6	54.2
=84	401–500	Tulane University	46.0–49.2	43.2	23.1	74.4	66.1	52.3
=84	401–500	University of California, Merced	46.0–49.2	29	24	86.6	68	51.2
=84	401–500	University of Central Florida	46.0–49.2	31.6	36.9	77.2	77.3	38
=84	401–500	University of Houston	46.0–49.2	32.5	26.8	67.3	68.2	77
=84	401–500	University of Kentucky	46.0–49.2	42.2	29.9	69.3	71.5	45.4
=84	401–500	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	46.0–49.2	33.9	31.5	66.9	66.8	63.6
=84	401–500	University of Oregon	46.0–49.2	32.6	29.6	79	72.6	42.1
=84	401–500	University of South Carolina-Columbia	46.0–49.2	35.5	24.2	76.9	64.5	59.3
=84	401–500	University of Texas at Dallas	46.0–49.2	28.5	26.7	79.4	73	62.9
=84	401–500	Virginia Commonwealth University	46.0–49.2	36.9	23.3	80.6	73.2	35.7
=84	401–500	Wake Forest University	46.0–49.2	38.7	23.2	78	83	39.3
=84	401–500	Washington State University	46.0–49.2	36.9	33.9	69.1	82.1	59.1
=107	501–600	Georgia State University	43.3–45.9	31.3	25.8	71.5	61.9	55.1
=107	501–600	Mizzou - University of Missouri	43.3–45.9	40	25.6	65	69.9	53
=107	501–600	New Jersey Institute of Technology	43.3–45.9	27.8	23.8	65.3	69.4	92.7
=107	501–600	Rush University	43.3–45.9	44	15.4	78.7	61.7	28.7
=107	501–600	SUNY University at Albany	43.3–45.9	28.4	30.1	69	68.4	58.7
=107	501–600	The University of Tulsa	43.3–45.9	37.3	17.6	72.5	63.6	47.5
=107	501–600	University of Arkansas	43.3–45.9	29.4	31.9	68.1	65.4	36.4
=107	501–600	University of Nebraska Medical Center	43.3–45.9	37.4	16.3	78.8	65.9	39.9
=107	501–600	Wayne State University	43.3–45.9	38.5	21.8	72	77.7	41.8
=116	601–800	American University	38.2–43.2	34.8	19	65	40.9	44
=116	601–800	Auburn University	38.2–43.2	35	26.7	56.8	69.9	57.6
=116	601–800	Baylor University	38.2–43.2	40.6	21.6	56.4	45.6	37.9
=116	601–800	Clark University	38.2–43.2	28	19.8	57.4	44.7	69.8
=116	601–800	Florida Atlantic University	38.2–43.2	22.7	22.8	61.1	63.3	55.8
=116	601–800	Kansas State University	38.2–43.2	33.6	22.7	53.4	66.7	54.8
=116	601–800	Lehigh University	38.2–43.2	34.2	23	58.8	67.3	72.3
=116	601–800	Louisiana State University	38.2–43.2	34.3	22.1	65.4	65.5	46.1
=116	601–800	Mississippi State University	38.2–43.2	28.3	20.5	62.2	64	51.3
=116	601–800	Ohio University (Main campus)	38.2–43.2	33	20.2	60.8	56.5	37.3
=116	601–800	Oklahoma State University	38.2–43.2	35	20.2	61.5	60.9	55.9
=116	601–800	Rochester Institute of Technology	38.2–43.2	23	20.8	66.4	61.3	47.7
=116	601–800	SUNY Binghamton University	38.2–43.2	33.4	24.8	56.8	62.5	40.6
=116	601–800	Texas Tech University	38.2–43.2	30.1	21.2	56.4	60.8	58.2
=116	601–800	The Catholic University of America	38.2–43.2	44.6	20.3	42.7	66	49.6
=116	601–800	The University of Texas at San Antonio	38.2–43.2	22.4	24.4	76.6	60.1	41.9
=116	601–800	University of Alaska Fairbanks	38.2–43.2	34	31	55.3	51.9	70.3
=116	601–800	University of Denver	38.2–43.2	37.7	24.7	64.3	55.5	39.8
=116	601–800	University of Maryland, Baltimore County	38.2–43.2	28	25.1	61.1	66.3	55.9
=116	601–800	University of Nevada, Las Vegas	38.2–43.2	28.3	25.7	69.2	51.1	36.8
=116	601–800	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	38.2–43.2	23.3	21.4	79.3	62.3	39.9
=116	601–800	University of Texas at Arlington	38.2–43.2	25.4	23.4	64.8	64.8	56.7
=116	601–800	University of Toledo	38.2–43.2	36.4	17.5	53.3	62.6	56.8
=116	601–800	University of Wyoming	38.2–43.2	35.1	19.4	59.3	53	38.6
=116	601–800	William & Mary	38.2–43.2	40.5	21.9	56.6	43.8	38
=116	601–800	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	38.2–43.2	30	22.5	62.9	66	57.2
=142	801–1000	Florida Institute of Technology	34.5–38.1	31.1	20.2	46.1	63.4	62.1
=142	801–1000	New Mexico State University (Main campus)	34.5–38.1	27.4	23.2	58	56	44.8
=142	801–1000	Northern Illinois University	34.5–38.1	29.7	17.2	56.8	51	62.4
=142	801–1000	Old Dominion University	34.5–38.1	26	20.4	56.6	59.3	37.5
=142	801–1000	Portland State University	34.5–38.1	20.7	24.6	58.2	53.2	34.9
=142	801–1000	Southern Illinois University Carbondale	34.5–38.1	37.1	23.6	43.3	76.7	40.7
=142	801–1000	The University of Alabama	34.5–38.1	27.1	22.1	61.3	46.1	38.9
=142	801–1000	University of Memphis	34.5–38.1	30.7	19.5	50.2	62	37.1
=142	801–1000	University of Rhode Island	34.5–38.1	27.8	21.5	58.1	51.6	52.6
=142	801–1000	University of Texas at El Paso	34.5–38.1	26.6	30.4	44	39.8	45.6
=152	1001–1200	Bowling Green State University	30.7–34.4	23.1	14.3	57.2	39.7	30
=152	1001–1200	Central Michigan University	30.7–34.4	29.1	16.6	50.9	45.6	34.5
=152	1001–1200	Clarkson University	30.7–34.4	32.1	18	38.4	63.7	64.4
=152	1001–1200	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	30.7–34.4	33.6	18.9	38.9	43.2	51.4
=152	1001–1200	Montana State University	30.7–34.4	26	20.8	51.1	61.8	37.5
=152	1001–1200	Oakland University	30.7–34.4	26.2	16.4	47.2	46.8	38.9
=152	1001–1200	Rowan University	30.7–34.4	29	12.7	47.8	38.6	39
=152	1001–1200	San Diego State University	30.7–34.4	22.1	12.4	62.1	56.4	36
=152	1001–1200	South Dakota State University	30.7–34.4	26	17.8	46.9	40.1	37
=152	1001–1200	The New School	30.7–34.4	28.8	14.9	47.2	27.3	61.9
=152	1001–1200	University of South Dakota	30.7–34.4	34.5	16.3	40.2	37.1	31
=163	1201–1500	Nova Southeastern University	25.2–30.6	38.3	13.3	35.2	51	36.8
=163	1201–1500	Texas State University	25.2–30.6	18.3	20.2	48.1	36.6	45.7
=163	1201–1500	University of Nebraska Omaha	25.2–30.6	18.4	15.3	51.8	39.5	36.9
=163	1201–1500	University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	25.2–30.6	18.2	9.3	45.8	19.3	45.5
=163	1201–1500	Western Michigan University	25.2–30.6	26	17.4	41.2	43.5	43.9
=168	1501+	Adelphi University	10.5–25.1	24.1	7.7	28.4	17	32.5
=168	1501+	College of Charleston	10.5–25.1	18	12.6	41.7	32.1	31.8
=168	1501+	Georgia Southern University	10.5–25.1	19.1	11.7	39.6	35.4	33.9
=168	1501+	Grand Valley State University	10.5–25.1	20	9.5	31.4	30.9	37.9
=168	1501+	Loyola Marymount University	10.5–25.1	32.8	11.1	25.9	37.4	36.1
=168	1501+	Morgan State University	10.5–25.1	22.2	14.9	26.7	20.9	57.8
=168	1501+	Pace University-New York	10.5–25.1	34.5	3.1	27.3	28.2	47.3

Key insights from the 2025 Times Higher Education US University Rankings

There are 174 US universities and colleges are included in the 2025 THE World University Rankings
Almost all states and about 130 cities are represented in the best US universities list.
New York is the most-represented state among the best US universities for 2025, with 15 institutions, followed by 14 universities in California, 12 universities in Texas and 10 universities in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) secures the top spot as the best university in the United States.
Harvard University and Princeton University complete the top three.
Public universities show strong representation, with University of California, Berkeley, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) all ranking in the top 20.

The table for the best universities in the US was derived from data collected from the THE World University Rankings. The results are calculated using 18 performance indicators underlying five metrics: research environment, teaching (the learning environment), research quality, industry and international outlook. For more insights and a detailed breakdown of our ranking methodology, visit our methodology page. Use the US university ranking table above to explore the right institution for you.

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Discover the best colleges in the US according to the Times Higher Education’s trusted World University Rankings. This list highlights the which universities in the US excel in teaching, research, and global influence.

The Times Higher Education US college rankings are based on a trusted methodology that evaluates universities across key performance indicators, including academic reputation, teaching quality and international outlook.

This table provides valuable insights to help students, academics, and policymakers navigate the US university ranking landscape

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Top Universities in the US 2025

Top universities in the US

Key insights from the 2025 Times Higher Education US University Rankings

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