208 best universities in the United States in 2026
Ranking based on the average of the three main global rankings: Shanghai (ARWU), Times Higher Education and QS.
Harvard University
Average rank: #2
No. 1Harvard University
A prestigious Ivy League private university and global leader in law, medicine, business, and sciences, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
No. 2Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Private Massachusetts university, global leader in engineering and technology.
No. 3Stanford University
Private California university, global leader in engineering and computer science.
No. 4California Institute of Technology
Global leader in science and engineering based in California.
No. 5University of Chicago
Ivy League university leading in economics, law, and medicine.
No. 6Princeton University
Ivy League university, global leader in humanities and social sciences.
No. 7Yale University
Ivy League leader in law, medicine, and liberal arts.
No. 8University of California, Berkeley
Public California university, global leader in engineering and sciences.
No. 9University of Pennsylvania
Ivy League university leading in medicine, law, and business.
No. 10Columbia University
Private New York university leading in journalism, law, and medicine.
No. 11Cornell University
Ivy League university renowned for agriculture, veterinary medicine, and law.
No. 12University of California, Los Angeles
Public California university, leader in medicine, law, and film.
No. 13Johns Hopkins University
Private Maryland university, global leader in medicine, public health, and engineering.
No. 14University of California, San Francisco
Public California university, specialized in medicine and biomedical research.
No. 15University of Michigan
Public Michigan university leading in medicine, engineering, and law.
No. 16Duke University
Private North Carolina university leading in medicine, law, and engineering.
No. 17University of California, San Diego
Public California university, leader in medicine, engineering, and sciences.
No. 18Rockefeller University
Private New York university, global leader in biomedical research.
No. 19New York University
Private New York university leading in arts, law, and medicine.
No. 20Washington University in St. Louis
Private Missouri university leading in medicine, law, and social sciences.
No. 21University of Wisconsin-Madison
Public Wisconsin university, leader in agriculture, engineering, and medicine.
No. 22The University of Texas at Austin
Public Texas university leading in engineering, computer science, and business.
No. 23Northwestern University
Ivy League university renowned for journalism, medicine, and engineering.
No. 24University of Washington
Public research university, leader in technology and medicine.