The top 50 colleges in the US include two types of institutions—public and private. So before applying to any of these colleges, it’s important to know your preferred type. Decide on a course you want to pursue among the ones that they offer. While getting admission to these institutions can be challenging, it’s not impossible, as they offer an array of majors, undergraduate, doctoral, and master’s programs, across multiple disciplines.

50. The University of Utah – Salt Lake City, UT

The Utah public system’s flagship research university offers close to 100 courses in exercise science, communications, psychology research, etc., across its 18 colleges and schools.

49. Villanova University – Villanova, PA

Founded in 1842, Villanova University is the oldest catholic research university. It is a private institute that offers over 60 bachelor’s programs. The average 4-year and 6-year graduation rates here are 89.3% and 92.1%, respectively.

48. Ohio State University – Columbus, OH

It is one of the largest public research universities in the country that offer over 200 majors in fields such as engineering, data analytics, business, and dance. An exciting thing about the university is the diversity of students and staff.

47. Lafayette College – Easton, PA

It is a private liberal arts school offering about 40 undergraduate programs and about 50 majors across four academic divisions, including natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities. Students have an option to customize a course of their choice or do a dual major.

46. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering – Needham, MA

This specialized private college ensures a 1 to 8 faculty-to-student ratio. The university, founded in 1997, is small but was largely funded by the inoperative F. W. Olin Foundation. Admission here is pretty competitive, as the acceptance rate is 16%.

45. Washington and Lee University – Lexington, VA

Home to the famous Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics, it has been a top private liberal arts university since 1749. Popular majors to opt for here are economics, accounting, mathematics, and political science.

44. Harvey Mudd College – Claremont, CA

This private college is well-known for its engineering, science, and mathematics undergraduate programs. It is one of the best liberal arts colleges in the US that are alma maters to some of the highest paying graduates in the country.

43. Tulane University – New Orleans, LA

Tulane University, established in 1834 as a Medical College, is one of the top-ranked private research institutions, placed among the top 2% in the country for research. The university houses several schools and campuses.

42. Babson College – Wellesley, MA

It is an excellent private educational institute with a 6-year graduation rate of 92%. The primary focus of Babson College is on business education, and it provides a hands-on entrepreneurial experience to its students.

41. Hamilton College – Clinton, NY

This has been a coeducational college since 1978 and is known for its economics and international relations courses. It offers students a holistic liberal arts education. They have an open curriculum and provide 44 majors, among which students can choose based on their skills and interests.

40. Davidson College – Davidson, NC

In 1837, this private liberal arts college was established. It has churned out about 23 Rhodes scholars and houses 21 sports at the NCAA Division I level. It offers 31 majors and allows its students the opportunity to design a course that they wish to study.

39. The United States Naval Academy – Annapolis, MD

It is a public institution established in 1845 and is one of the top 50 colleges in the US.   The United States Naval Academy is the country’s second-oldest service academy. They only have an 8.5% acceptance rate. The college charges no annual fee. 

38. College of William & Mary – Williamsburg, VA

It is America’s second-oldest higher educational institute, operational since 1693. It is a Public Ivy college. At this college, you can find over 45 undergraduate programs. They have an acceptance rate of 38%. 

37. Claremont McKenna College – Claremont, CA

Claremont McKenna, one of the top 50 colleges in the US, is a small, private institute that offers programs like quantitative economics and econometrics. It has an acceptance rate of 10%, guaranteeing the students a rich, intimate liberal arts experience.

36. Swarthmore College – Swarthmore, PA

This private university, associated with the University of Pennsylvania, offers students an elite liberal arts education and is one of the top 50 colleges in the US, having received several prizes and grants for their research.

35. Bowdoin College – Brunswick, ME

Mathematics, economics, and government and legal studies are some of the top programs extended by Bowdoin College. This small private institute has a 9% acceptance rate and offers more than 40 majors across its 23 departments.

34. Wellesley College – Wellesley, MA

Established in 1870, it is the country’s largest women’s private liberal art college that takes immense pride in its close-knit community. Getting admission here can be challenging, as it has a 22% acceptance rate.

33. The United States Military Academy – West Point, NY

This public institute is a national landmark, housing several historical sites. It offers its cadets 36 majors across fields and prepares them to be a part of the United States Army. Also, education here is free. 

32. Pomona College – Claremont, CA

Pomona is one of the country’s top private liberal arts universities, and it has one of the lowest acceptance rates. It admits about 7.4% of applicants on average each year. The student body is a little more than 3400.

31. Williams College – Claremont, MA
Established in 1793, this institution, with over 50 areas of study, receives about 10,000 applications per year. This is one of the top 50 colleges in the US, endorsing a close-knit community and small class sizes.

30. Amherst College – Hampshire County, MA
The institution, being part of the Five College Consortium, is quite selective with its admission, accepting only 11% of its applicants. But the students enjoy a competitive academic environment with multiple student organizations in place.

29. University of Notre Dame – Notre Dame, IN

It is one of the best catholic universities in the US to study in. It promotes a unique voice in higher education, focussing on moral orientation, and offers one undergraduate and 20 postgraduate programs.

28. University of Virginia – Charlottesville, VA

This historically renowned public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It boasts nationally ranked schools and programs, thus admitting only those students who depict exceptional academic potential. 

27. Tufts University – Medford, MA

Founded in 1852, it is a private institute that has an acceptance rate of 15%. It is renowned for its innovative research and educational programs. The university is known to rank consistently among the top 30 in the country.

26. University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, NC
This public college is a research university that provides 60 PhDs and 160 master’s degrees. You can find programs in fields like media and journalism, public health, pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, business, and law. 

25. Dartmouth College – Hanover, NH
This Ivy League university is a private institution with a rich history. One among the top 50 colleges in the US, it is known for its rigorous academics and small class sizes. Dartmouth offers 56 major programs. Social sciences, mathematics and statistics, psychology, and visual and performing arts, among a few others, are popular majors here.

24. Vanderbilt University – Nashville, TN
Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt is an internationally recognized research university. It has 70 undergraduate programs in education and human development, music, engineering, and liberal arts and sciences. Vanderbilt also offers several professional degrees and graduate degrees. Its most popular majors are social sciences and economics. 

23. Georgetown University – Georgetown, WA
Founded in 1789, it is one of the top 50 colleges in the US. It offers 56 undergraduate courses. This research university embodies its founding principles in the diversity of the staff, faculty, and students.  

22. Washington University in St Louis – St. Louis, MO
Also recognized as WashU or WUSTL, it is one of the best colleges in the US. WashU is known for its excellent academic programs, like experimental psychology, computer science, and anthropology, and vibrant student life.

21. Rice University – Houston, TX
Established in 1912, this university offers many popular majors such as mechanical engineering, cognitive science, biochemistry, economics, and computer and information sciences. Sports management is another field for which this university is well known.

20. Emory University   – Atlanta, GA

This is one of the top 50 colleges in the US   and has a 1 to 9 faculty to student ratio. Emory is an internationally recognized university known for its professional schools, liberal arts college, and leading health care systems. 

19. California Institute of Technology – Pasadena, CA

It has a number of world-class facilities like the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (owned by NASA), the Caltech Seismological Laboratory, and the International Observatory Network. Besides, it gives students a number of opportunities to study music, the visual arts, and theater.

18. Boston College – Chestnut Hill, MA

The college is known for its competitive admission process. It assesses a student’s grades, extracurricular activities, ability to write, and recommendation letters. In terms of majors, students can choose from 58 subjects. They can choose from subjects like human-centered engineering to theology and more.

17. Brown University – Providence, RI

It has been a pathbreaking institution since its inception in 1764. Brown University is a favorite for students looking to major in English language and literature, economics and econometrics, and development studies.

16. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, MI

The University of Michigan is one of the country’s foremost research universities. At the undergraduate level, they provide over 250 degree programs. Its graduate school has 20 certificate programs and 40 master’s programs.

15. Carnegie Mellon University – Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon has only been around since the 1900s. This private college currently has more than 14,000 students and is regarded as the birthplace of innovation. The graduates from Carnegie Mellon are sought after for their unparalleled problem-solving skills and talent.

14. Northwestern University – Evanston, IL

A renowned teaching and research university, Northwestern University is one of the best colleges in the US. Its journalism and music programs are highly regarded. The university’s Medill School of Journalism is one of the top-ranked journalism schools in the country.

13. Johns Hopkins University – Baltimore, MD
It offers an extensive range of online, part-time, full-time, and in-person undergraduate programs. The university also has a broad catalog of PhDs and master’s degrees. Biomedical engineering is a highly sought-after program at the university.

12. Duke University – Durham, NC
Duke University is a private college offering majors in 53 fields. It is the country’s seventh-wealthiest private university and is one of the top-ranked colleges. The majority of students studying here live on the campus and make the most of Duke’s world-class sports facilities.

11. Cornell University – Ithaca, NY
Founded in 1865, Cornell offers 122 minors and 80 undergraduate majors. Its faculty have been Nobel laureates and Pulitzer Prize winners. Some popular programs are hotel management, engineering, and architecture.

10. University of Chicago – Chicago, IL

Established in 1856, it is one among the best colleges in the US, which receives about 35,000 applications per year. As one of the top-ranked universities, it almost always bags a top ten position in various international and national rankings. 

9. University of Pennsylvania – Philadelphia, PA

The University of Pennsylvania has been a cornerstone of excellent learning since 1740. The various student groups have a lot to offer to students. The Social Planning and Events Committee is an extremely well-known student group. They are known for bringing many famous speakers on campus.

8. Princeton University – Princeton, NJ
Princeton is one of the top-ranked colleges   in the US, offering world-class education since 1746. The university is highly regarded for its highly accomplished faculty and outstanding research capabilities. Graduates from Princeton are known to earn a pretty high salary.

7. Columbia University – New York City, NY

Columbia University is an Ivy League member. It is well-known for its College of Dental Medicine and the School of Journalism. It also has three undergraduate schools: Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of General Studies.

6. Yale University – New Haven, CT
Established in 1701, this private research institution is a member of The Ivy League. Besides being known as an elite university globally, Yale is known for its outstanding drama and music programs. Some popular majors include social sciences, biological and biomedical sciences, history, and engineering.

5. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) – California, LA

Graduates from this university hold an enviable position, as they are regarded as the most employable students globally. UCLA ranks high in the top 10 world universities for Electrical and electronic engineering, Geography, Linguistics, Psychology, English language and literature, Communication and media studies, and many other fields.

4. University of California, Berkeley (UCB) – Berkeley, CA

The University of California, Berkeley (UCB) is a public research institute that was founded in 1868. It’s the flagship institution of the University of California’s ten campuses. UCB offers over 100 graduate programs in various fields like Business Administration, Art, Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences, Architecture, Journalism, Education, etc.

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) – Cambridge, MA

Founded in 1861, MIT is ranked among one of the top 50 colleges in the US. It offers majors in physics, mathematics, mechanical engineering, and computer science, among many other subjects. The institute mainly focuses on technological and scientific research.

2. Stanford University – Stanford, CA

This private institution has an acceptance rate of about 5%. It offers many options in terms of student organizations. A popular one is the Stanford Solar Car Project, wherein students get to build and race a solar-powered car.

1. Harvard University – Cambridge, MA

Established in 1636, Harvard ranks high among the top 50 colleges in the US.   It is renowned for its academic pedigree, reputation, and influence as a leading university throughout the world. It offers both undergraduate and master’s programs.