U.S. News Best Colleges
Expert advice, rankings and data to help you navigate your education journey and find the best college for you.Expert advice, rankings and data to help you navigate your education journey and find the best college for you.Expert advice, rankings and data to help you navigate your education journey and find the best college for you.
National Universities
Schools in the National Universities category offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master's and Ph.D. programs.
See All the Data With College Compass
See expanded profiles and advanced search for more than 1,800 schools, all entering class stats, including SAT scores and GPAs and financial aid packages given to students by schools.
Liberal Arts Colleges
Liberal Arts Colleges emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study.
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See All Rankings And ListsBest Value Schools
The higher the quality of the program and the lower the cost, the better the deal.
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U.S. News College Compass
Unlock our comprehensive data, rankings and interactive tools to help you and your child choose the right college.
Expanded Profiles
There are more than 500,000 data points available exclusively to College Compass subscribers.
Test Scores
We break down the SAT/ACT scores and high school GPAs for each college's freshman class.
Financial Aid
Discover how many students receive need-based and merit-based scholarships and grants.
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Colleges By State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- D.C.
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Colleges By Metro Area
- Abilene, TX
- Albany, NY
- Asheville, NC
- Athens, GA
- Atlanta, GA
- Augusta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Bend, OR
- Birmingham, AL
- Buffalo, NY
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Greenville, SC
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Ithaca, NY
- Jackson, MS
- Jacksonville, FL
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Lakeland, FL
- Lancaster, PA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lynchburg, VA
- Macon, GA
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Mobile, AL
- Montgomery, AL
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- Orlando, FL
- Pensacola, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Savannah, GA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- St. Louis, MO
- Tampa, FL
- Tyler, TX
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Waco, TX
- Wilmington, DE
- Worcester, MA
- Abilene, TX
- Albany, NY
- Asheville, NC
- Athens, GA
- Atlanta, GA
- Augusta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Baton Rouge, LA
- Bend, OR
- Birmingham, AL
- Buffalo, NY
- Charleston, SC
- Charlotte, NC
- Cleveland, OH
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- Gainesville, FL
- Grand Rapids, MI
- Greensboro, NC
- Greenville, SC
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Ithaca, NY
- Jackson, MS
- Jacksonville, FL
- Kansas City, MO
- Knoxville, TN
- Lakeland, FL
- Lancaster, PA
- Las Vegas, NV
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Lynchburg, VA
- Macon, GA
- Madison, WI
- Memphis, TN
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- Mobile, AL
- Montgomery, AL
- Nashville, TN
- New Orleans, LA
- Orlando, FL
- Pensacola, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Raleigh, NC
- Richmond, VA
- Rochester, NY
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Savannah, GA
- Seattle, WA
- Spokane, WA
- Springfield, MO
- St. Louis, MO
- Tampa, FL
- Tyler, TX
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Waco, TX
- Wilmington, DE
- Worcester, MA
Search U.S. News Best Colleges
Whether you're looking for a small campus in Boston or an engineering program in Albuquerque, we'll help you find the best college for you.
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Choosing The Right College Or University
The rankings provide a good starting point for students trying to compare schools. The four overall rankings – National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities and Regional Colleges – are based on factors that indicate academic quality, such graduation rates and faculty resources.
But the best school for each student, experts say, is one that will most completely meet his or her needs, which go beyond academics. This is why U.S. News offers dozens of more-focused rankings and lists to help prospective undergraduate students compare schools based on the qualities that matter most to them, such as ethnic diversity on campus and percent of students who live in university housing.
Chances are, there’s a ranking or list that's relevant to you. For example, veterans can research the schools that are best-equipped to serve them; students interested in historically Black colleges and universities can explore the HBCU rankings; and international students can learn which schools already have a strong non-U.S. student community on campus.
Affordability is another key consideration for students and their families, so U.S. News created lists of Best Value Schools and schools that award merit aid to the most students. The Paying for College knowledge center offers additional insights and tips about different types of education aid, including grants, loans and scholarships.
In addition to the rankings, prospective students can explore extensive statistical profiles for the more than 1,800 schools in the U.S. News Best Colleges directory. These profiles are packed with information about a school’s cost, financial aid policies, admissions requirements, student body and more. Families can see additional data points by signing up for the U.S. News College Compass.
Together, the rankings and profiles can help students learn about a range of school options – public and private, large and small – throughout the country, some of which they might not have considered before. They are valuable tools that can help you find a college or university that’s right for you.