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The annual U.S. News Best Colleges rankings were released today, with top-ranked schools staying mostly steady from last edition as the methodology was largely unchanged. The top 10 National Universities – schools that are often research-oriented and offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees – stayed relative similar, with minor fluctuations.
There was one new entrant to the top 10: the University of Chicago, which rose from a tie at No. 11 to No. 6. California Institute of Technology was the only school to fall out of the top 10 this edition. The selective California university switched spots with UChicago – going from a tie at No. 6 to No. 11.
Here’s a look at the top-ranked schools in their respective categories in the 2026 Best Colleges rankings.
National Universities:
National Liberal Arts Colleges:
The vast majority of schools U.S. News surveyed continued to report data: 79% of the more than 1,700 ranked institutions returned their statistical information in the spring and summer of 2025, compared to about 78.1% last year. This includes 99 of the top 100 ranked National Universities and 97 of the top 100 National Liberal Arts Colleges.
Data Integrity Issues: Columbia University acknowledged that in 2021 it misreported two rankings metrics (class size and number of faculty with terminal degrees) to U.S. News, but has not addressed allegations that it misreported three other rankings metrics. US News said is continuing to evaluate Columbia’s inclusion in the 2026 rankings.
Methodology Concerns: Critics pounce on murky metrics—why prioritize faculty funding over graduate mentorship? Alumni networks over real-time industry partnerships? There’s ongoing debate about whether the rankings focus on the right factors.
General Criticisms: The Best Colleges rankings have raised controversy, and they have been denounced by several education experts. Detractors argue that they rely on self-reported, sometimes fraudulent data by the institutions, encourage gamesmanship by institutions looking to improve their rank.
Commercial Aspects: The rankings have received much criticism over the years based on the formula they use to rank the various colleges and the fact that many institutions paying licensing fees to promote their respective rank.
Despite the criticisms, after a chorus of criticism, the publication’s latest rankings place more weight on whether colleges help students get ahead, suggesting US News has tried to address some concerns by adjusting their methodology.
The rankings remain influential despite the ongoing debates, with many institutions and students still paying close attention to their annual release each fall.
After some shake-up over the last few years, this Best Colleges’ edition had no changes to rankings factors and weights.
However, there were slight calculation tweaks. For instance, the minimum number of students required for a cohort was increased from 20 to 25, which meant retention and graduation rates are now based on a more representative group. Additionally, with many schools remaining test-optional, SAT and ACT scores were removed as a ranking factor in the Regional Colleges North and Regional Universities North categories – both had fewer than 10 schools reporting scores.
Learn more about how the rankings are calculated here.
The University of Pennsylvania rose three spots to a four-way tie at No. 7 with Duke University in North Carolina, Johns Hopkins University in Maryland and Northwestern University in Illinois.
There was more year-to-year movement, however, lower on the rankings list.
Texas Christian University joined the top 100, rising by eight spots to a five-way tie at No. 97 alongside Florida International University, Fordham University in New York, Rutgers University—Camden in New Jersey and the University of Colorado Boulder.
Other schools fell in the rankings, including California State University, Long Beach and the University of Arizona, who are now part of a five-way tie at No. 127 – down from a 12-way tie at No. 109.
The rankings of National Liberal Arts Colleges, schools that emphasize undergraduate education and award half or more of their degrees in arts and sciences fields, also saw little year-over-year movement at the very top. Williams College and Amherst College retained the same spots as in the prior edition of the rankings: No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
However, there was a new entrant to the top 10. Harvey Mudd College in California rose two spots to a three-way tie at No. 1.
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A former reporter and bureau chief for broadcast outlets and magazines, Truman Lewis has covered presidential campaigns, state politics and stories ranging from organized crime to environmental protection. Write to him at trumanlewis@consumeraffairs.com
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