How can you tell which college is right for you? How do you know you’re getting the best value for your tuition money? Using data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics and Wintergreen Orchard House from the 2014-15 school year, StartClass — an education site part of the Graphiq network — has ranked the 100 best American universities.
RELATED: Forget the Ivy League — these schools offer the biggest bang for your buck
Colleges are sorted according to their StartClass Rank, which is comprised of the following factors:
Academic Excellence (30 percent): This includes the institution’s four-year graduation rate, full-time retention rate, student-faculty ratio and endowment per student, among other things.
Expert Opinion (20 percent): StartClass compiled the latest college rankings from several publications, such as Forbes and U.S. News.
Admissions Selectivity (18.6 percent): This takes into account the college’s acceptance rate, average ACT and SAT scores as well as the percent of freshmen in the top half of their high school graduating class.
Career Readiness (18.6 percent): This is largely determined by the post-graduation salaries of the school’s alumni.
Financial Affordability (12.9 percent): Determined by the university’s average net price, financial aid and other factors.
It’s important to keep in mind that these data points don’t measure all the many factors that can impact a person’s college experience. Our list aims to show which universities provide the most academic value, and ranks schools based on the quality of their statistical makeup. For students evaluating their collegiate options, this should serve as a helpful starting point.
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100. Smith College
Location: Northampton, Mass.
Tuition: $44,724
Acceptance rate: 42.2 percent
Smith College is a private women’s liberal arts college founded in 1871. It is named after its founder, Sophia Smith, who, at age 65, used her inheritance money to create an institution of higher education for women.
99. DePauw University
Location: Greencastle, Ind.
Tuition: $42,746
Acceptance rate: 56.6 percent
DePauw University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1837. It has Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University.
98. Pepperdine University
Location: Malibu, Calif.
Tuition: $46,692
Acceptance rate: 35.5 percent
Pepperdine University is a private research university founded in 1937. The school has an average ACT score of 27.
97. University of Georgia
Location: Athens, Ga.
Tuition:
In-state: $10,836
Out-of-state: $29,046
Acceptance rate: 55.7 percent
The University of Georgia is a public research university founded in 1785, making it the first state-chartered college in Georgia.
96. Union College
Location: Schenectady, N.Y.
Tuition: $48,384
Acceptance rate: 41.1 percent
Union College is a private liberal arts university founded in 1795. Three well-known fraternities — Kappa Alpha Society, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi — were founded at Union College, earning the school the nickname “The Mother of Fraternities.”
95. George Washington University
Location: Washington, D.C.
Tuition: $48,760
Acceptance rate: 43.8 percent
George Washington University is a private research university founded in 1821. Before 1904, it was called the Columbian College in the District of Columbia.
94. Brigham Young University
Location: Provo, Utah
Tuition: $5,000*
Acceptance rate: 47 percent
Brigham Young University is a private research university that is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school was founded in 1875 by Brigham Young, the former president of the LDS Church.
*Note: BYU charges different tuition fees for LDS and non-LDS students. The tuition listed here represents the price for LDS students for the 2014-15 school year.
93. University of Rochester
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Tuition: $46,960
Acceptance rate: 36.4 percent
The University of Rochester is a private research university founded in 1850. The college is well known for its Eastman School of Music, which was founded in 1921 and is considered among the best music schools in the world.
92. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Location: Needham, Mass.
Tuition: $46,681
Acceptance rate: 12 percent
The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is a private engineering college founded in 1997. Its namesake was an engineer, entrepreneur and professional baseball player who founded the Olin Corporation, a Fortune 1000 company.
91. Boston University
Location: Boston, Mass.
Tuition: $46,664
Acceptance rate: 34.5 percent
Boston University is a private research university founded in 1839. It has historically been affiliated with the United Methodist Church but is now nonsectarian.
90. Skidmore College
Location: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Tuition: $47,464
Acceptance rate: 37.3 percent
Skidmore College is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1903. It was originally a women’s school but began admitting men to its regular undergraduate program in 1971.
89. Babson College
Location: Wellesley, Mass.
Tuition: $45,120
Acceptance rate: 26.3 percent
Babson College is a private business school that was founded in 1919. It was originally created as an all-male institute by Roger W. Babson, a successful entrepreneur and economist in the early 20th century.
88. Wake Forest University
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Tuition: $46,200
Acceptance rate: 34.4 percent
Wake Forest University is a private research university founded in 1834. It was originally called the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute but was renamed Wake Forest College in 1839.
87. Soka University of America
Location: Aliso Viejo, Calif.
Tuition: $30,214
Acceptance rate: 43.5 percent
Soka University of America is a private liberal arts school founded in 2001. It has an average ACT score of 26.
86. University of Washington
Location: Seattle, Wash.
Tuition:
In-state: $12,394
Out-of-state: $33,513
Acceptance rate: 55.2 percent
The University of Washington-Seattle is a public flagship research university founded in 1861. Its median post-graduation salary is $49,900.
85. Centre College
Location: Danville, Ky.
Tuition: $37,100
Acceptance rate: 71.6 percent
Centre College is a private liberal arts school that was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian leaders. It has a relatively low 10:1 student-faculty ratio.
84. Rhodes College
Location: Memphis, Tenn.
Tuition: $41,572
Acceptance rate: 60 percent
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1848. Its most popular majors include biology, political science and business administration.
83. University of California, Davis
Location: Davis, Calif.
Tuition:
In-state: $13,896
Out-of-state: $36,774
Acceptance rate: 40.4 percent
UC Davis is a public research university and one of 10 schools in the University of California system. Founded in 1908, it is the third-oldest of all the UC schools.
82. University of Maryland
Location: College Park, Md.
Tuition:
In-state: $9,427
Out-of-state: $29,720
Acceptance rate: 47.9 percent
The University of Maryland, College Park is a public research university founded in 1856. It is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland.
81. University of California, Irvine
Location: Irvine, Calif.
Tuition:
In-state: $13,179
Out-of-state: $36,057
Acceptance rate: 37.4 percent
UC Irvine is a public research university founded in 1965. The school has a median post-graduation salary of $48,000.
80. St. Olaf College
Location: Northfield, Minn.
Tuition: $41,700
Acceptance rate: 51.3 percent
St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1874. It is named after the Patron Saint Olaf II of Norway and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
79. Occidental College
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Tuition: $47,522
Acceptance rate: 42 percent
Occidental College is a private liberal arts college established in 1887. It was founded by members of the Presbyterian Church and has an average ACT score of 29.
78. University of Texas at Austin
Location: Austin, Texas
Tuition:
In-state: $9,830
Out-of-state: $34,836
Acceptance rate: 39.7 percent
The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university and flagship institution of the University of Texas System. It was founded in 1881 and has over 51,000 total students.
77. Colorado College
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Tuition: $46,410
Acceptance rate: 17.9 percent
Colorado College is a private liberal arts school located near the base of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 and now offers 33 majors.
76. Whitman College
Location: Walla Walla, Wash.
Tuition: $44,800
Acceptance rate: 41 percent
Whitman College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1882. Its student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and its average ACT score is 30.
75. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Location: Madison, Wis.
Tuition:
In-state: $10,410
Out-of-state: $26,660
Acceptance rate: 56.9 percent
74. Scripps College
Location: Claremont, Calif.
Tuition: $47,378
Acceptance rate: 28.4 percent
Scripps College is a private liberal arts women’s college founded in 1926. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges, a liberal arts consortium that also includes undergraduate schools Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College and Pitzer College.
73. College of the Holy Cross
Location: Worcester, Mass.
Tuition: $45,692
Acceptance rate: 43.3 percent
The College of the Holy Cross is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1843. It has a six-year graduation rate of 93 percent.
72. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Location: New York, N.Y.
Tuition: $41,400
Acceptance rate: 15.1 percent
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a private college located in the East Village of Manhattan. Until 2014, the school offered free tuition to all its students, but has recently abandoned its full-scholarship model for the time being.
71. University of California, Santa Barbara
Location: Santa Barbara, Calif.
Tuition:
In-state: $13,865
Out-of-state: $36,743
Acceptance rate: 36.3 percent
UC Santa Barbara is a public research university founded in 1909. It has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and an average ACT score of 28.
70. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location: Champaign, Ill.
Tuition:
In-state: $15,020
Out-of-state: $29,646
Acceptance rate: 59 percent
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university founded in 1867. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system, which consists of three campuses.
69. Oberlin College
Location: Oberlin, Ohio
Tuition: $48,682
Acceptance rate: 32.7 percent
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1833. It is the first college in the U.S. to accept both men and women as students.
68. Bates College
Location: Lewiston, Maine
Tuition: $47,030
Acceptance rate: 25.4 percent
Bates College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1855. Its most popular majors include psychology, economics and history.
67. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Location: Troy, N.Y.
Tuition: $47,908
Acceptance rate: 37.5 percent
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private research university. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest technological university in any English-speaking country.
66. Bryn Mawr College
Location: Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Tuition: $45,540
Acceptance rate: 40.5 percent
Bryn Mawr College is a private women’s liberal arts school founded in 1885. It is one of the Seven Sisters colleges, a loose association of seven historically women’s liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern U.S., including Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College and Wellesley College.
65. Wesleyan University
Location: Middletown, Conn.
Tuition: $48,272
Acceptance rate: 23.9 percent
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831. It is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
64. Bucknell University
Location: Lewisburg, Pa.
Tuition: $48,498
Acceptance rate: 30.7 percent
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1846. It has an average ACT score of 30.
63. University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, Fla.
Tuition:
In-state: $6,313
Out-of-state: $28,591
Acceptance rate: 45.6 percent
The University of Florida is a public research university founded in 1853. It has nearly 50,000 total students and a high student-faculty ratio of 21:1.
62. Case Western Reserve University
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Tuition: $43,158
Acceptance rate: 38.3 percent
Case Western Reserve University is a private school founded in 1826. It was originally located in Hudson, Ohio, then moved to Cleveland in 1882.
61. Macalester College
Location: St. Paul, Minn.
Tuition: $47,195
Acceptance rate: 36.3 percent
Macalester College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1874. Its founder, Rev. Edward Duffield Neill, was a chaplain in the Civil War and established Macalester as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian school.
60. University of Richmond
Location: Richmond, Va.
Tuition: $46,680
Acceptance rate: 31.8 percent
The University of Richmond is a private liberal arts college founded in 1830. Its most popular majors include business administration, leadership studies and psychology.
59. Lehigh University
Location: Bethlehem, Pa.
Tuition: $44,890
Acceptance rate: 34.3 percent
Lehigh University is a private research university founded in 1865. It has an average ACT score of 30.
58. University of California, San Diego
Location: La Jolla, Calif.
Tuition:
In-state: $13,427
Out-of-state: $36,305
Acceptance rate: 33.3 percent
UC San Diego is a public research university founded in 1960. It has a median post-graduation salary of $50,000.
57. Kenyon College
Location: Gambier, Ohio
Tuition: $47,330
Acceptance rate: 25.1 percent
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1824. It is the oldest private college in Ohio.
56. Brandeis University
Location: Waltham, Mass.
Tuition: $47,558
Acceptance rate: 35.2 percent
Brandeis University is a private research university founded in 1948. It was named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
55. United States Air Force Academy
Location: Colorado Springs, Colo.
Tuition: N/A
Acceptance rate: 16.6 percent
The United States Air Force Academy is a military academy for officer cadets of the U.S. Air Force. It was founded in 1954 and is the youngest of the five U.S. service academies.
54. Lafayette College
Location: Easton, Pa.
Tuition: $46,385
Acceptance rate: 29.7 percent
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1826. The school is named after Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer who fought for the U.S. in the American Revolutionary War.
53. Emory University
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Tuition: $45,008
Acceptance rate: 26.8 percent
Emory University is a private research university founded in 1836. The school has a very small student-faculty ratio of 8:1 and an average ACT score of 30.
52. Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Tuition: $49,022
Acceptance rate: 24.6 percent
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university founded in 1900. It was established by renowned industrialist Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools, and merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in 1967.
51. Boston College
Location: Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Tuition: $47,436
Acceptance rate: 33.9 percent
Boston College is a private Jesuit Catholic research university founded in 1863 and located just outside of downtown Boston. It began as a liberal arts college but expanded as it added graduate programs and professional schools.
50. United States Naval Academy
Location: Annapolis, Md.
Tuition: N/A
Acceptance rate: 7.9 percent
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year federal service academy founded in 1845. It is the second oldest of the U.S. service academies, and educates officers primarily into the Navy and Marine Corps.
49. University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Tuition: $48,280
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
The University of Southern California is a private research university founded in 1880. The school was established by a group led byJudge Robert Maclay Widney, using land donated by prominent members of the community.
48. Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Tuition:
In-state: $11,394
Out-of-state: $30,698
Acceptance rate: 33.4 percent
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university founded in 1885. Its average ACT score is 31, and it offers 54 different undergraduate degrees.
47. Barnard College
Location: New York, N.Y.
Tuition: $46,040
Acceptance rate: 23.8 percent
Barnard College is a private women’s liberal arts school founded in 1889. It was the first college in New York City that admitted women as students.
46. United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, N.Y.
Tuition: N/A
Acceptance rate: 9.5 percent
The United States Military Academy is a federal service academy founded in 1802, making it the oldest service academy in the country. It is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.
45. Colby College
Location: Waterville, Maine
Tuition: $47,350
Acceptance rate: 28 percent
Colby College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1813. It began as an all-male school but admitted women in 1871, becoming the first all-male New England college to do so. In 1983, Colby became the first college to issue e-mail accounts to all students.
44. Bowdoin College
Location: Brunswick, Maine
Tuition: $46,808
Acceptance rate: 14.9 percent
Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1794. Its most popular majors include government, economics and mathematics.
43. Colgate University
Location: Hamilton, N.Y.
Tuition: $48,175
Acceptance rate: 26.2 percent
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1819. It has a six-year graduation rate of 90 percent, and its median post-graduation salary is $51,500.
42. Vassar College
Location: Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Tuition: $49,570
Acceptance rate: 23.5 percent
Vassar College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1861. It was the first college to offer women courses in art history, physical education, geology, astronomy, music, mathematics and chemistry.
41. Middlebury College
Location: Middlebury, Vt.
Tuition: $46,044
Acceptance rate: 17.2 percent
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1800. In 1823, Alexander Twilight graduated from Middlebury, becoming the first African-American citizen to earn a baccalaureate degree at a U.S. college.
40. University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, Va.
Tuition:
In-state: $13,208
Out-of-state: $42,394
Acceptance rate: 29 percent
The University of Virginia is a public research university founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. It has an average ACT score of 30 and a median post-graduation salary of $51,000.
39. College of William & Mary
Location: Williamsburg, Va.
Tuition:
In-state: $17,656
Out-of-state: $39,916
Acceptance rate: 33 percent
The College of William & Mary is a public research university founded in 1693, making it the second-oldest university in the U.S. It was established by King William III and Queen Mary II and is the alma mater of U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler.
38. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill, N.C.
Tuition:
In-state: $8,336
Out-of-state: $33,418
Acceptance rate: 28.5 percent
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university founded in 1789, making it the first public institution of higher education in the state. The school offers 127 majors, and it has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1.
37. Grinnell College
Location: Grinnell, Iowa
Tuition: $45,620
Acceptance rate: 28.5 percent
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1846. It was originally located in Davenport, Iowa, under the name Iowa College.
36. University of Michigan
Location: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Tuition:
In-state: $13,486
Out-of-state: $41,906
Acceptance rate: 32.2 percent
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public research university founded in 1817, 20 years before Michigan achieved statehood. The school was originally located in Detroit and moved to Ann Arbor in 1837.
35. Carleton College
Location: Northfield, Minn.
Tuition: $47,736
Acceptance rate: 22.8 percent
Carleton College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1866. It has a very high six-year graduation rate of 94 percent, and an average ACT score of 31.
34. Hamilton College
Location: Clinton, N.Y.
Tuition: $47,820
Acceptance rate: 26.3 percent
Hamilton College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1793, making it the third-oldest college established in New York State. Originally an all-boys school, Hamilton became coeducational in 1978 when it merged with Kirkland College.
33. University of California, Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Tuition:
In-state: $12,705
Out-of-state: $35,583
Acceptance rate: 18.6 percent
UCLA is a public research university founded in 1919. It has a median post-graduation salary of $50,000, and 73 percent of its students are in-state.
32. Davidson College
Location: Davidson, N.C.
Tuition: $45,377
Acceptance rate: 21.7 percent
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1837. Its average ACT score is 30 and its student-faculty ratio is 10:1.
31. Wellesley College
Location: Wellesley, Mass.
Tuition: $45,078
Acceptance rate: 30.1 percent
Wellesley College is a private women’s liberal arts school founded in 1870. Its most popular majors include economics, political science and English.
30. Haverford College
Location: Haverford, Pa.
Tuition: $47,214
Acceptance rate: 24.7 percent
Haverford College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1833. It was originally founded as an all-boys school and began admitting women in 1976.
29. Claremont McKenna College
Location: Claremont, Calif.
Tuition: $47,395
Acceptance rate: 10.8 percent
Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1946. It has a low student-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a median post-graduation salary of $50,000.
28. Tufts University
Location: Medford, Mass.
Tuition: $48,643
Acceptance rate: 17.2 percent
Tufts University is a private research university founded in 1852. The school was established by the Universalist Church and is named after Boston businessman Charles Tufts, who gave the church 20 acres of land on which to build the school.
27. Washington University in St. Louis
Location: St. Louis, Mo.
Tuition: $46,467
Acceptance rate: 17.1 percent
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university founded in 1853. It was founded by St. Louis merchant Wayman Crow and his pastor, William Greenleaf Eliot Jr. The school is named after George Washington.
26. Swarthmore College
Location: Swarthmore, Pa.
Tuition: $46,060
Acceptance rate: 17 percent
Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1864. Its most popular majors include political science, economics and biology.
25. Georgetown University
Location: Washington, D.C.
Tuition: $46,744
Acceptance rate: 17.3 percent
Georgetown University is a private research university founded in 1789. It is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit college in the country.
24. University of California, Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, Calif.
Tuition:
In-state: $12,972
Out-of-state: $35,850
Acceptance rate: 16 percent
UC Berkeley is a public research university founded in 1868. The school’s average ACT score is 31, and it is StartClass’ highest-ranked public school.
23. Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, Md.
Tuition: $47,060
Acceptance rate: 16.1 percent
Johns Hopkins University is a private research university founded in 1876. It was established by Baltimore-based railroad investor Johns Hopkins, who spent $7 million to form the university and a nearby hospital, each named after him.
22. Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, Ill.
Tuition: $47,251
Acceptance rate: 13.1 percent
Northwestern University is a private research university founded in 1851. It was established by a group of nine men led by John Evans, for whom the city of Evanston is named.
21. Harvey Mudd College
Location: Claremont, Calif.
Tuition: $48,594
Acceptance rate: 14.2 percent
Harvey Mudd College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1955. It is named after Harvey Seeley Mudd, who was a mining engineer and founder of the Cyprus Mines Corporation. Its tuition is the highest among all colleges in California.
20. Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, N.Y.
Tuition: $47,286
Acceptance rate: 14.2 percent
Cornell University is a private research university founded in 1865. Its median post-graduation salary is $61,900, and it has a low student-faculty ratio of 9:1.
19. Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Tuition: $43,838
Acceptance rate: 13.1 percent
Vanderbilt University is a private research university founded in 1873. Its founder, railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, gave $1 million to endow and build the school after being convinced by Methodist Bishop Holland N. McTyeire.
18. University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, Ind.
Tuition: $46,237
Acceptance rate: 21.1 percent
The University of Notre Dame is a private research university founded in 1842. Its founder was a 28-year-old French priest, Rev. Edward Sorin, who named the school “L’Université de Notre Dame du Lac,” meaning The University of Our Lady of the Lake.
17. Brown University
Location: Providence, R.I.
Tuition: $47,434
Acceptance rate: 8.7 percent
Brown University is a private research university founded in 1764. The school was the first Ivy League school to accept students from all religious affiliations, and women were first admitted to Brown in 1891.
16. Rice University
Location: Houston, Texas
Tuition: $40,566
Acceptance rate: 15.1 percent
Rice University is a private research university founded in 1912. The origin of the school is a tale fit for the big screen: Businessman William Marsh Rice, who made his fortune in real estate, bequeathed his fortune to the creation of a university bearing his name, to be built upon his death. In 1900, he was murdered by his valet in a conspiracy conjured up by Rice’s lawyer, Albert T. Patrick. Patrick was convicted and sent to prison, and after the legal process ran its course, Rice University — then known as the Rice Institute — was given a $4.6 million endowment in 1904.
15. University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, Ill.
Tuition: $49,380
Acceptance rate: 8.8 percent
The University of Chicago is a private research university founded in 1890. Its median post-graduation salary is $45,000, and it has an extremely low student-faculty ratio of 6:1.
14. Washington and Lee University
Location: Lexington, Va.
Tuition: $45,617
Acceptance rate: 19.5 percent
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts school founded in 1749. The school was originally called Augusta Academy and was renamed Washington University after receiving a donation from George Washington. Robert E. Lee served as the university president for five years until his death in 1870, upon which the school was given its current name.
13. Dartmouth College
Location: Hanover, N.H.
Tuition: $48,108
Acceptance rate: 11.5 percent
Dartmouth College is a private research university founded in 1769. The school became coeducational in 1972.
12. Pomona College
Location: Claremont, Calif.
Tuition: $45,832
Acceptance rate: 12.2 percent
Pomona College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1887. It is the founding member of the Claremont Colleges, which is a consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools located in Claremont, Calif.
11. Duke University
Location: Durham, N.C.
Tuition: $47,243
Acceptance rate: 11.4 percent
Duke University is a private research university founded in 1838. It has an average ACT score of 32 and a student-faculty ratio of 7:1.
10. Amherst College
Location: Amherst, Mass.
Tuition: $48,526
Acceptance rate: 13.8 percent
Amherst College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1821. It was originally a men’s college and became coeducational in 1975. Amherst is a member of the “Little Three” colleges, an unofficial athletic conference of three elite New England liberal arts colleges, along with Wesleyan University and Williams College.
9. University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, Pa.
Tuition: $47,668
Acceptance rate: 10.4 percent
The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university founded in 1740. It was founded by Benjamin Franklin with the goal of having a liberal arts-like curriculum, though this plan was never fully adopted. Instead, the school used a more traditional curriculum when it held its first classes in 1751, more than a decade after its initial founding.
8. Columbia University
Location: New York, N.Y.
Tuition: $51,008
Acceptance rate: 6.9 percent
Columbia University is a private research university founded in 1754. It was established by royal charter of King George II as King’s College. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in New York State. The school was renamed Columbia University in 1896.
7. California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, Calif.
Tuition: $43,362
Acceptance rate: 8.8 percent
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university founded in 1891. Its median post-graduation salary is $66,500, and it has a student-faculty ratio of 3:1.
6. Williams College
Location: Williamstown, Mass.
Tuition: $48,310
Acceptance rate: 19.3 percent
Williams College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1793. Its six-year graduation rate is 96 percent, and it has an average ACT score of 32.
5. Yale University
Location: New Haven, Conn.
Tuition: $45,800
Acceptance rate: 6.3 percent
Yale University is a private research university founded in 1701. It was originally located in Saybrook, Conn., as the Collegiate School. It moved to its current location in 1716 and was renamed Yale College in 1718.
4. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, Calif.
Tuition: $45,195
Acceptance rate: 5.1 percent
Stanford University is a private research university founded in 1885. It has the lowest acceptance rate in the country, and its average ACT score is 34.
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
Tuition: $45,016
Acceptance rate: 7.9 percent
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university founded in 1861. Informally referred to as “Boston Tech” in its early stages, the school faced a long delay during its first years due to the Civil War. The first classes were held in 1865.
2. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, N.J.
Tuition: $41,820
Acceptance rate: 7.4 percent
Princeton University is a private research university founded in 1746. It was originally established as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J. It moved to Newark in 1747, then to its current site in 1756. It was renamed Princeton University in 1896.
1. Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, Mass.
Tuition: $43,938
Acceptance rate: 6 percent
Harvard University is a private research university founded in 1636. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The school emerged as a national research university in the late 19th century under its president, Charles W. Eliot. Harvard has produced eight U.S. presidents and over 150 Nobel laureates.