University rankings of the US News & World Report

Northeastern University finished just outside the top 50, tied with Florida State, the University of Minnesota and William & Mary for 54th place. For the second year in a row, Princeton University was the top-ranked university.

Brown University slipped four spots from last year (9th place). Dartmouth College improved three spots from last year (15th place). Boston College improved two spots, Tufts University improved three spots and Boston University improved two spots, the magazine said.

In a statement, the magazine said it evaluated more than 1,500 universities based on 17 criteria for academic quality. This year's rankings continue to focus on “social mobility and post-graduation success,” the statement said.

More than half of the ranking depends on how successfully a university enrolls and graduates students of all backgrounds with manageable debt burdens, as well as on the income of graduates.

“By considering factors such as social mobility and success after graduation, we aim to help students choose schools that will not only provide them with a quality education but also prepare them for a successful and fulfilling future,” said LaMont Jones, senior education editor at U.S. News.

The rankings came under criticism for putting prestige above educational quality, which led some universities not to participate.

New England schools also fared well in the magazine's ranking of the country's best liberal arts schools.

Williams College topped the list, while Amherst College came in second. Bowdoin College tied for fifth with Pomona College, Wellesley College tied for seventh, Smith College tied for 14th with Wesleyan University, Middlebury College tied for 19th with Washington and Lee University, Colby College tied for 25th, Bates College tied for 26th with Macalester College, College of the Holy Cross tied for 28th, and Mount Holyoke College tied for 34th with Occidental College.

“With the rising cost of higher education, it is more important than ever that students and their families have access to the information provided by U.S. News Best Colleges,” Eric Gertler, executive chairman and CEO of U.S. News, said in the statement.

National Ranking of Best Colleges and Universities 2025

1. Princeton University [N.J.]

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology [Mass.]

3. Harvard University [Mass.]

4. Stanford University [Cali.]

5. Yale University [Conn.]

6. California Institute of Technology [Cali]

6. Duke University [N.C.]

6. Johns Hopkins University [Md.]

6. Northwestern University [Ill.]

10. University of Pennsylvania [Pa.]

11. Cornell University [N.Y.]

11. University of Chicago [Ill.]

13. Brown University [R.I.]

13. Columbia University [N.Y.]

15. Dartmouth College [N.H.’

15. University of California, Los Angeles [Cali.]

17. University of California, Berkeley [Cali.]

18. Rice University [Tex.]

18. University of Notre Dame [Ind.]

18. Vanderbilt University [Tenn.]

21. Carnegie Mellon University [Pa.]

21. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor [Mich.]

21. Washington University in St. Louis [Mo.]

24. Emory University [Ga.]

24. Georgetown University [D.C.]

24. University of Virginia [Va.]

27. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill [N.C.]

27. University of Southern California [Cali.]

29. University of California, San Diego [Cali.]

30. New York University [N.Y.]

30. University of Texas, Austin [Tex.]

30. University of Florida [Fla.]

33. Georgia Institute of Technology [Ga.]

33. University of California, Davis [Cali.]

33. University of California, Irvine [Cali.]

33. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign [Ill.]

37. Boston College [Mass.]

37. Tufts University [Mass.]

39. University of California, Santa Barbara [Cali.]

39. University of Wisconsin, Madison [Wisc.]

41. Boston University [Mass.]

41. Rutgers University, New Brunswick [N.J.]

41. Ohio State University [O.H,]

44. University of Maryland, College Park [Md.]

44. University of Rochester [N.Y.]

46. ​​Lehigh University [Pa.]

46. ​​Purdue University, Main Campus [Ind.]

46. ​​University of Georgia [Ga.]

46. ​​University of Washington [Wash.]

46. ​​Wake Forest University [N.C.]

The Best National Liberal Arts Colleges 2025 (including ties)

1. Williams College [Mass.]

2. Amherst College [Mass.]

3. Swarthmore College [Pa.]

4. United States Naval Academy [Md.]

5. Bowdoin College [M.E.]

5. Pomona College [Cali.]

7. Wellesley College [Mass.]

8. Carleton College [Minn.]

8. Claremont McKenna College [Cali.]

8. U.S. Air Force Academy [Col.]

8. United States Military Academy at West Point [N.Y.]

12. Harvey Mudd College [Cali.]

12. Vassar College [N.Y.]

14. Barnard College [N.Y.]

14. Davidson College [N.C.]

14. Hamilton College [N.Y.]

14. Smith College [Mass.]

14. Wesleyan University [Conn.]

19. Grinnell College [Ia.]

19. Middlebury College [Vt.]

19. Washington and Lee University [Va.]

22. Colgate University [N.Y.]

22. University of Richmond [Va.]

24. Haverford College [Pa.]

25. Colby College [M.E.]

26. Bates College [M.E.]

26. Macalester College [Minn.]

28. College of the Holy Cross [Mass.]

29. Bryn Mawr College [Pa.]

29. Colorado College [Colo.]

31. Bucknell University [Pa.]

31. Franklin & Marshall College [Pa.]

31. Lafayette College [Pa.]

34. Mount Holyoke College [Mass.]

34. Occidental College [Cali.]

36. Denison University [O.H.]

36. Pitzer College [Cali]

36. Skidmore College [N.Y.]

36. Trinity College [Conn.]

40. Berea College [Ky.]

40. Spelman College [Ga.]

40. Trinity University [Tex.]

40. Union College [N.Y.]

44. Scripps College [Cali.]

45. Dickinson College [Pa.]

45. Furman University [S.C.]

45. Kenyon College [O.H.]

45. Soka University of America [Cali.]

45. The University of the South [Tenn.]

50. DePauw University [Ind.]

50. Hillsdale College [Mich.]

50. St. Olaf College [Minn.]

Travis Andersen can be reached at [email protected].