Princeton Back On Top
Princeton University tops this year's U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of the nation's universities, followed quickly by its Ivy League brethren Harvard and Yale, which were tied for No. 2.
Princeton tied for No. 1 with Harvard in 1997, and again with Harvard and Yale in 1998. Last year, Princeton tied with Yale at No. 4.
The new rankings are included in the magazine's 14th annual publication of "America's Best Colleges," which goes on sale Friday.
Besides the rankings for "national universities," the magazine also ranks such things as liberal arts colleges, regional schools, and programs in specific subjects such as engineering schools. It offers admissions tips and guides for obtaining student loans.
The magazine ranks schools based on several criteria, including academic reputation, financial resources, alumni donations, how students are selected, and what percentage of students end up graduating.
Following the top three, the list includes last year's No. 1 school, the California Institute of Technology, now at No. 4, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at No. 5.
Other top schools include Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania tied at No. 6; Duke University at No. 8; Dartmouth College at No. 9; and Columbia University, the University of Chicago and Cornell University tied at No. 10.
- 1. Princeton University, New Jersey
2. Harvard University, Massachusetts
3. Yale University, Connecticut
4. California Institute of Technology
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
6. Stanford University, California
6. University of Pennsylvania
8. Duke University, North Carolina
9. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
10. Columbia University, New York
10. Cornell University, New York
10. University of Chicago, Illinois
13. Northwestern University, Illinois
13. Rice University, Texas
15. Brown University, Rhode Island
15. Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
15. Washington University in St. Louis
18. Emory University, Georgia
19. University of Notre Dame, Indiana
20. * University of California-Berkeley
20. * University of Virginia
22. Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
23. Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
25. * University of California-Los Angeles
25. * University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
25. * University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
* indicates public university
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