Best universities in the United States 2026

By seeta.bhardwa@…, 15 October, 2025

The top universities in the US 2026

US Rank 2026	WUR Rank 2026	University	Overall	Teaching	Research Environment	Research Quality	Industry	International Outlook
1	2	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	97.7	99.2	95.3	99.6	100	91.9
2	=3	Princeton University	97.2	98.2	97.3	99	98	85.4
=3	=5	Harvard University	97.1	95.9	100	98.9	86.7	88.3
=3	=5	Stanford University	97.1	97.5	97.4	99.5	100	83.9
5	7	California Institute of Technology	96.3	96.4	97.4	96.8	100	87.9
6	9	University of California, Berkeley	94.4	87.3	99	98.9	99.5	83.9
7	10	Yale University	94.1	94.6	94.5	97.2	87.6	81.4
8	14	University of Pennsylvania	90.8	88.1	90.3	96.1	97.9	78.4
9	15	The University of Chicago	90.6	89.6	90.1	96.8	76.4	79.7
10	16	Johns Hopkins University	90.1	84.6	89.9	96.3	100	81.9
=11	=18	Cornell University	89.5	85.9	90.6	95.9	70.3	83.5
=11	=18	University of California, Los Angeles	89.5	86	91.4	95.6	93.5	69.2
13	20	Columbia University	89.4	87.8	87.8	95.9	74.8	83.7
14	23	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	86.9	85.7	87.3	93.8	81.4	65.8
15	24	Carnegie Mellon University	85	72.7	83	99	85.5	84.3
16	25	University of Washington	83.7	77	80	97.6	81.6	70.1
17	28	Duke University	82.9	78.7	74.2	95.4	100	74.2
18	30	Northwestern University	81.9	73.2	76	96.9	96	71
19	=31	New York University	81.6	74.6	78.5	94.3	74.8	74.1
=20	=41	Georgia Institute of Technology	77.1	60.8	75.8	90.4	99.1	81.5
=20	=41	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	77.1	67.9	80.7	85.3	84.4	62.3
22	47	University of California, San Diego	76.6	66.4	63.7	97.1	100	71.3
23	50	University of Texas at Austin	75.8	67.8	76	90.1	82.3	46.2
24	=53	University of Wisconsin-Madison	75	70.3	68.8	88	82.6	62
25	64	University of California, Davis	72.8	63.9	66.4	84.9	86.5	77.1
26	65	Brown University	72.6	70	61	87.4	69.6	69.9
27	67	Washington University in St Louis	72	60.8	56.2	97.5	74.5	73.8
28	72	University of California, Santa Barbara	71.2	50.3	63.2	94.5	92.7	80.2
29	=73	University of Southern California	71.1	59.8	59.6	92.7	74.9	71.5
30	=76	Boston University	70.4	61.2	56.5	91.8	72.4	73.2
31	78	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	70.3	63.8	59.6	91.3	75.9	49.9
32	85	Purdue University West Lafayette	68.8	62.1	66.3	73.8	86.3	75.2
33	88	University of Minnesota	67.5	60.3	59	84.1	99.9	44.7
34	=92	Vanderbilt University	66.7	53.8	48.1	95.6	91.9	60.8
35	97	University of California, Irvine	66.4	47.8	52.8	91.2	98.4	76.3
36	102	Emory University	65.9	53.8	46.2	94.6	82.8	66.4
37	=103	Rice University	65.8	56.7	46.8	88.1	72.9	82.6
38	=105	Michigan State University	65.7	57.1	55.9	82.7	69.9	67.3
=39	=108	Ohio State University (Main campus)	65.4	57.4	51.7	85.7	85.4	58.4
=39	=108	Penn State (Main campus)	65.4	54.8	61.9	80.4	70.8	57.8
41	112	University of Massachusetts	65.3	55	46.6	87.9	88.6	75
42	=116	University of Maryland, College Park	65	50.4	58.3	89.1	69.5	48.9
43	127	University of Rochester	63.6	51.8	44.5	86.3	92	78.1
44	=134	University of Florida	62.9	55.3	56.7	76.2	90.9	48.9
45	=138	University of Arizona	62.6	48.3	52.5	86.1	80.6	53.7
46	=145	Case Western Reserve University	62	51.8	42.2	88.7	74.9	64.6
47	=151	Texas A&M University	61.8	52.5	57.2	73.4	73.5	63.2
48	=156	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campus	61.4	49.2	43.3	92	76.8	49.4
49	159	University of Colorado Boulder	61.3	47.5	51.6	84.1	77.3	53.6
50	=166	University of Virginia (Main campus)	60.7	51.1	41.7	86.6	79	58.3
51	180	Dartmouth College	60	56.3	38.5	81.8	72.8	63.8
52	=181	University of California, Santa Cruz	59.9	38.3	41.7	93.2	75.7	73.5
53	189	Tufts University	59.4	51.3	34.7	88.2	76.6	61.9
54	194	University of Notre Dame	59.1	52.8	45.8	73.5	72.5	69.9
55	=198	Indiana University	58.8	47.1	36.9	87.3	85.3	62.4
=56	201–250	Arizona State University (Tempe)	56.4–58.6	39.6	44.5	84.1	70.7	70.6
=56	201–250	Georgetown University	56.4–58.6	52.2	35.3	82.1	93	53.5
=56	201–250	George Washington University	56.4–58.6	48.5	34.3	84.4	67.8	67.5
=56	201–250	Northeastern University, US	56.4–58.6	38.4	32.4	90.5	69.2	79.6
=56	201–250	University of Illinois Chicago	56.4–58.6	50.1	35.2	80.1	76.1	57.5
=56	201–250	University of Miami	56.4–58.6	47.3	35.5	83.8	83.3	61.6
=56	201–250	University of Utah	56.4–58.6	43.4	39.2	86.5	91.4	41.7
=63	251–300	Boston College	54.3–56.3	45.8	33.1	84	60	59.4
=63	251–300	University of Hawai’i at Mānoa	54.3–56.3	38.9	43	73.7	67.6	74
=63	251–300	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	54.3–56.3	41.9	41.2	77.5	76.7	63.1
=66	301–350	Florida State University	51.6–54.2	39	39.5	73.8	67.3	57.2
=66	301–350	Illinois Institute of Technology	51.6–54.2	41	26.9	77.3	92.4	73.5
=66	301–350	North Carolina State University	51.6–54.2	45.1	43.9	67.6	81.5	61.5
=66	301–350	Rutgers University–New Brunswick	51.6–54.2	45.3	31.4	78.4	69.1	58.6
=66	301–350	Stony Brook University	51.6–54.2	43.4	30.8	78.9	68.3	72.3
=66	301–350	University at Buffalo	51.6–54.2	42.3	34.5	75.4	73.4	71.7
=66	301–350	University of California, Riverside	51.6–54.2	37.4	32.6	79.5	69.8	75.1
=66	301–350	University of Iowa	51.6–54.2	46.8	34.3	74.9	89.9	52.3
=74	351–400	Oregon Health and Science University	49.9–51.5	38.8	20.9	91.6	87.9	34.2
=74	351–400	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	49.9–51.5	33.7	25.1	93.3	73.5	36.2
=74	351–400	University of Connecticut	49.9–51.5	40.6	28.6	73.4	69.1	66.3
=74	351–400	University of Georgia (USA)	49.9–51.5	41.5	38.3	67.4	66.6	51.9
=74	351–400	University of Kansas	49.9–51.5	45.4	29.8	70.7	79.3	56.2
=74	351–400	University of South Florida	49.9–51.5	33.6	35.5	71	99.5	64.5
=80	401–500	Brandeis University	46.2–49.8	37.3	26.1	70	64.5	79.7
=80	401–500	Colorado School of Mines	46.2–49.8	40.9	32.6	63.7	86.7	41.5
=80	401–500	Drexel University	46.2–49.8	42.4	25.5	72.1	74.7	60.6
=80	401–500	Florida International University	46.2–49.8	33.2	32.6	70.7	65.5	49.1
=80	401–500	George Mason University	46.2–49.8	31	28.3	79.8	63.9	60.4
=80	401–500	Iowa State University	46.2–49.8	41.6	36.2	64.7	87	44
=80	401–500	Rush University	46.2–49.8	44.5	16.4	80.6	63.5	30.4
=80	401–500	Saint Louis University	46.2–49.8	43.8	17.7	73.5	64.4	47.5
=80	401–500	Syracuse University	46.2–49.8	35.5	27.9	71.1	64.4	68.7
=80	401–500	Temple University	46.2–49.8	43.2	22.6	79.9	70.8	41.2
=80	401–500	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	46.2–49.8	35.4	31.3	72.4	70.8	52.8
=80	401–500	Tulane University	46.2–49.8	43	23.4	75.8	63.8	50.2
=80	401–500	University of California, Merced	46.2–49.8	31.6	29	86.7	58	47.7
=80	401–500	University of Central Florida	46.2–49.8	29.1	32.8	77.2	74.3	36.8
=80	401–500	University of Delaware	46.2–49.8	36.1	32	68.5	80.4	58.1
=80	401–500	University of Houston	46.2–49.8	33.2	26.2	73	68.8	75.3
=80	401–500	University of Kentucky	46.2–49.8	44	29.6	68.8	71.1	43.6
=80	401–500	University of Oregon	46.2–49.8	34.7	30	75.7	73.8	41.4
=80	401–500	University of South Carolina-Columbia	46.2–49.8	35.9	24	74.8	64.6	56
=80	401–500	University of Texas at Dallas	46.2–49.8	29.2	26.6	76.6	73.8	63.4
=80	401–500	Virginia Commonwealth University	46.2–49.8	38.1	23	81.3	75.3	35.4
=80	401–500	Wake Forest University	46.2–49.8	38	23.2	80.5	92.3	38.7
=80	401–500	Washington State University	46.2–49.8	37.3	33.1	67.8	82.8	56.2
=103	501–600	Colorado State University, Fort Collins	43.6–46.1	35	30.2	68.7	70.7	46.2
=103	501–600	Georgia State University	43.6–46.1	32.9	26.7	67.1	62.5	53.3
=103	501–600	Missouri University of Science and Technology	43.6–46.1	27.9	29.5	64.1	89	75.2
=103	501–600	Mizzou - University of Missouri	43.6–46.1	39.8	26.2	63.6	69.3	52
=103	501–600	New Jersey Institute of Technology	43.6–46.1	27.5	23.3	65.2	68.5	91.9
=103	501–600	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	43.6–46.1	38.9	27.9	58.1	85.1	72.6
=103	501–600	Stevens Institute of Technology	43.6–46.1	27.6	25.2	72.2	67.8	79.2
=103	501–600	The University of Tulsa	43.6–46.1	41.4	17.5	70.6	58.8	60.7
=103	501–600	University of Denver	43.6–46.1	40.2	25.5	63.5	57.2	39.4
=103	501–600	University of Missouri-Kansas City	43.6–46.1	30.3	24.4	75.2	64.3	45.5
=103	501–600	University of Nebraska-Lincoln	43.6–46.1	33.1	31.4	63.9	68.6	59.7
=103	501–600	University of Nebraska Medical Center	43.6–46.1	38.5	17.3	79.4	67.3	40.8
=103	501–600	Wayne State University	43.6–46.1	38.9	22.1	72.1	80.1	42.1
=116	601–800	American University	39.0–43.5	35.7	18.6	63.6	41.6	43.6
=116	601–800	Auburn University	39.0–43.5	36.5	27.9	55.6	71.8	54.6
=116	601–800	Kansas State University	39.0–43.5	35.1	22.9	52.6	68.4	53.2
=116	601–800	Lehigh University	39.0–43.5	33.8	22.7	61.2	67.6	71.2
=116	601–800	Louisiana State University	39.0–43.5	34.1	20.6	60.8	65.7	46.2
=116	601–800	Mississippi State University	39.0–43.5	28.5	21.2	64.8	63.2	50.5
=116	601–800	New Mexico State University (Main campus)	39.0–43.5	26.2	24.5	66.2	56.2	45
=116	601–800	Ohio University (Main campus)	39.0–43.5	33.1	18.9	61.6	59.1	38.7
=116	601–800	Oklahoma State University	39.0–43.5	36.5	21.1	60.9	61.9	55.4
=116	601–800	Rochester Institute of Technology	39.0–43.5	24.2	22.6	65.5	62.3	46.7
=116	601–800	SUNY Binghamton University	39.0–43.5	33.2	26.9	54.7	64.6	44.1
=116	601–800	SUNY University at Albany	39.0–43.5	28.7	27.6	66.4	68.8	57.2
=116	601–800	Texas Tech University	39.0–43.5	31.6	22	57.8	64.4	58.3
=116	601–800	The University of Texas at San Antonio	39.0–43.5	21.9	23.4	75.7	60.9	40.4
=116	601–800	University of Alaska Fairbanks	39.0–43.5	34.8	30.7	53.6	55	67.6
=116	601–800	University of Arkansas	39.0–43.5	28.9	32.5	66.2	67.2	35.1
=116	601–800	University of Maryland, Baltimore County	39.0–43.5	27.5	27.2	61.3	67.6	55.8
=116	601–800	University of Nevada, Las Vegas	39.0–43.5	31	22.9	71.9	52.4	40
=116	601–800	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	39.0–43.5	23.9	24.5	76.2	60.9	41.4
=116	601–800	University of Texas at Arlington	39.0–43.5	25	23	62.2	65.9	56.2
=116	601–800	University of Toledo	39.0–43.5	36.9	18.5	54.6	63.6	56.1
=116	601–800	Worcester Polytechnic Institute	39.0–43.5	32.6	21.4	59.6	67.2	57.6
=138	801–1000	Baylor University	35.5–38.9	43	19.4	53.6	43.2	37.7
=138	801–1000	Clark University	35.5–38.9	27.2	19.3	57.2	44.2	66.8
=138	801–1000	Florida Atlantic University	35.5–38.9	21.9	24.6	53.7	66.3	53.7
=138	801–1000	Northern Illinois University	35.5–38.9	28.6	18.5	53.7	54.8	54.6
=138	801–1000	Old Dominion University	35.5–38.9	27.5	20.7	57.4	57.6	36.1
=138	801–1000	Portland State University	35.5–38.9	22.3	24.5	56.7	55.1	38.3
=138	801–1000	Southern Illinois University Carbondale	35.5–38.9	38.3	26.3	43.7	74.8	41.9
=138	801–1000	The Catholic University of America	35.5–38.9	44.5	20.4	40.5	70.9	48.6
=138	801–1000	The University of Alabama	35.5–38.9	28.6	22.4	59.4	50	39.3
=138	801–1000	University of Rhode Island	35.5–38.9	29.6	23	55	53.2	51.6
=138	801–1000	University of Wyoming	35.5–38.9	36.4	15.3	57.2	54.1	39.6
=138	801–1000	William & Mary	35.5–38.9	39.2	22.6	53.9	45.7	36.9
=150	1001–1200	Central Michigan University	32.1–35.4	30.2	16.8	49.6	47.4	40.7
=150	1001–1200	Clarkson University	32.1–35.4	32.6	18.2	36.8	63.6	65.4
=150	1001–1200	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University	32.1–35.4	33.8	19.8	43.1	46.5	50
=150	1001–1200	Florida Institute of Technology	32.1–35.4	29.4	17.8	45.8	60.5	60.6
=150	1001–1200	Montana State University	32.1–35.4	24.7	21.7	48.7	64.5	36.3
=150	1001–1200	Nova Southeastern University	32.1–35.4	39.4	13.8	41.8	48.9	37.4
=150	1001–1200	San Diego State University	32.1–35.4	22.9	12.8	57.2	57	34.2
=150	1001–1200	South Dakota Mines	32.1–35.4	25.8	21.3	42.9	73.1	51.8
=150	1001–1200	The New School	32.1–35.4	29.9	14.3	43.5	25.7	66.6
=150	1001–1200	University of Memphis	32.1–35.4	30.1	19.3	48.6	62.7	45.8
=150	1001–1200	University of South Dakota	32.1–35.4	36.2	16.9	43.7	38.3	33.3
=150	1001–1200	University of Texas at El Paso	32.1–35.4	28	30.2	41.7	43.7	44.7
=162	1201–1500	Oakland University	27.3–32.0	27.7	16.7	44.5	50.8	38.5
=162	1201–1500	Rowan University	27.3–32.0	29.6	13.2	45.3	40.6	39.8
=162	1201–1500	Texas State University	27.3–32.0	18.9	20.2	48.4	40.6	45.8
=162	1201–1500	University of Nebraska Omaha	27.3–32.0	17.9	16.9	49.8	41.8	36.2
=166	1501+	Adelphi University	10.3–27.2	25.5	7.9	26.2	18.1	35.8
=166	1501+	Georgia Southern University	10.3–27.2	18.3	12.2	37.2	34.7	32.6
=166	1501+	Grand Valley State University	10.3–27.2	21.2	9.4	31.6	28.5	36.1
=166	1501+	Morgan State University	10.3–27.2	19.7	14.3	29.8	23.6	54.7
=166	1501+	Pace University-New York	10.3–27.2	35.5	8.3	24.9	32.1	49.8
=166	1501+	University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	10.3–27.2	18	9.6	45.8	23.7	43.4

Key insights from the 2026 Times Higher Education US College Rankings

There are 171 US universities and colleges are included in the 2026 THE World University Rankings
Almost all states and about 130 cities are represented in the best US universities list.
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.

Choosing a college in the US

The US is a very popular choice for international students. There are more than 4,000 universities in the country for students to choose from including the prestigious Ivy League universities.

For students wishing to study in the US, you can check our our guides on applying to university in the US and on applying for a student visa to study in the US.

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 2026 - US College Rankings

The top universities in the US 2026

Key insights from the 2026 Times Higher Education US College Rankings

Choosing a college in the US

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