50 best colleges on the East Coast
Considering the United States was birthed from a revolution waged along the Eastern Seaboard, it makes sense that the roots of the country's higher education system were planted there as well. Harvard University—founded in 1636—came first, predating the Declaration of Independence by 140 years. The nation's oldest institution of higher learning was followed by a slew of state and public universities throughout the 13 colonies.
The East Coast remains home to a number of private and public colleges that consistently top "best of" lists, highlighted by the prestigious Ivy League eight. High school hopefuls eager to attend one of those eight schools could stand a better chance these days—in the 2023-24 application cycle, Harvard and Brown both reported their highest acceptance rates in years, likely due to smaller-than-normal applicant pools. At the same time, however, acceptance rates at other Ivies like Yale and Dartmouth dropped to historic lows. With that in mind, prospective undergrads dreaming of an East Coast campus might want to consider the many other worthy schools nearby.
Stacker combed through Niche's 2023 Best Colleges in America list in order to discover which 50 East Coast schools, old and new, are the cream of the crop. Niche ranks colleges by analyzing student and alumni reviews, as well as data on admissions and academic and student life culled from the Department of Education. Stacker filtered its list to include schools in the District of Columbia and states that border the Atlantic Ocean within 100 miles of their eastern borders: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Keep reading to discover the best schools on the East Coast—and find out if any among them beat out the Ivies for the top spot.
#50. University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 22,212
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 65%
- Graduation rate: 83%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $51,400
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #115
#49. Rutgers University–New Brunswick
- Location: Piscataway, New Jersey
- Undergraduate enrollment: 33,788
- student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 67%
- Graduation rate: 84%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $57,900
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #111
#48. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- Location: Troy, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 6,262
- student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 57%
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $82,000
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 95%
- Overall rank: #110
#47. Skidmore College
- Location: Saratoga Springs, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,510
- student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 32%
- Graduation rate: 86%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $49,700
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 95%
- Overall rank: #108
#46. University of Maryland - College Park
- Location: College Park, Maryland
- Undergraduate enrollment: 28,160
- student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $62,900
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #100
#45. George Washington University
- Location: Washington, District of Columbia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 10,141
- student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Graduation rate: 85%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $69,600
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #95
#44. College of the Holy Cross
- Location: Worcester, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,966
- student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $71,000
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 95%
- Overall rank: #88
#43. Smith College
- Location: Northampton, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,160
- student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $46,200
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 88%
- Overall rank: #86
#42. University of Richmond
- Location: University Of Richmond, Virginia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 3,028
- student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 31%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $64,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 95%
- Overall rank: #81
#41. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
- Location: New York, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 802
- student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Graduation rate: 79%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $64,900
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #78
#40. Vassar College
- Location: Poughkeepsie, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,409
- student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 25%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $54,600
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #74
#39. Wesleyan University
- Location: Middletown, Connecticut
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,836
- student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $54,700
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 90%
- Overall rank: #71
#38. Virginia Tech
- Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 29,112
- student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 66%
- Graduation rate: 86%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $62,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 96%
- Overall rank: #68
#37. Colby College
- Location: Waterville, Maine
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,155
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 10%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,100
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #67
#36. William & Mary
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 6,475
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #63
#35. Hamilton College
- Location: Clinton, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,043
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $60,200
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 91%
- Overall rank: #58
#34. University of Miami
- Location: Coral Gables, Florida
- Undergraduate enrollment: 12,089
- student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 33%
- Graduation rate: 83%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $60,100
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 90%
- Overall rank: #57
#33. Bates College
- Location: Lewiston, Maine
- Undergraduate enrollment: 1,876
- student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $59,200
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #56
#32. Babson College
- Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,457
- student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 27%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $96,100
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 91%
- Overall rank: #55
#31. Colgate University
- Location: Hamilton, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 3,023
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 27%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $63,600
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #54
#30. University of Georgia
- Location: Athens, Georgia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 27,888
- student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 48%
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $50,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #52
#29. New York University
- Location: New York, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 25,854
- student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $61,900
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 91%
- Overall rank: #50
#28. Wake Forest University
- Location: Winston-salem, North Carolina
- Undergraduate enrollment: 5,391
- student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 32%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $63,800
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #49
#27. Boston University
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 16,026
- student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $65,300
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #47
#26. Northeastern University
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 15,131
- student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $67,400
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 95%
- Overall rank: #45
#25. Williams College
- Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 1,917
- student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 15%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $59,000
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 90%
- Overall rank: #43
#24. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Undergraduate enrollment: 18,505
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 25%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $55,600
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #42
#23. University of Florida
- Location: Gainesville, Florida
- Undergraduate enrollment: 31,476
- student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1
- Acceptance rate: 31%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $56,000
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #41
#22. Amherst College
- Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 1,745
- student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 12%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $65,000
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 90%
- Overall rank: #40
#21. Boston College
- Location: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 9,532
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 26%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $72,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #39
#20. Tufts University
- Location: Medford, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 5,938
- student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $75,800
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #38
#19. Wellesley College
- Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,375
- student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $60,800
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #36
#18. United States Military Academy at West Point
- Location: West Point, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 4,536
- student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 85%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $ No data available
- Employment rate two years after graduation: No data available
- Overall rank: #35
#17. Emory University
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 6,814
- student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $66,000
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #34
#16. Davidson College
- Location: Davidson, North Carolina
- Undergraduate enrollment: 1,983
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $58,900
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 88%
- Overall rank: #33
#15. Barnard College
- Location: New York, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 2,651
- student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $57,900
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 90%
- Overall rank: #32
#14. Bowdoin College
- Location: Brunswick, Maine
- Undergraduate enrollment: 1,948
- student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $65,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #30
#13. University of Virginia
- Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 16,319
- student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 23%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $61,200
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #27
#12. Georgia Institute of Technology
- Location: Atlanta, Georgia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 14,485
- student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $79,100
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 95%
- Overall rank: #26
#11. Cornell University
- Location: Ithaca, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 15,735
- student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $77,200
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 93%
- Overall rank: #23
#10. Johns Hopkins University
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
- Undergraduate enrollment: 5,766
- student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $73,200
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 91%
- Overall rank: #21
#9. Georgetown University
- Location: Washington, District of Columbia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 6,610
- student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $93,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #17
#8. Columbia University
- Location: New York, New York
- Undergraduate enrollment: 7,509
- student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $83,300
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 89%
- Overall rank: #12
#7. Dartmouth College
- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
- Undergraduate enrollment: 4,169
- student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $75,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #10
#6. Brown University
- Location: Providence, Rhode Island
- Undergraduate enrollment: 6,605
- student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $67,500
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 91%
- Overall rank: #9
#5. Duke University
- Location: Durham, North Carolina
- Undergraduate enrollment: 6,838
- student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $84,400
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #8
#4. Princeton University
- Location: Princeton, New Jersey
- Undergraduate enrollment: 4,689
- student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $74,700
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 87%
- Overall rank: #5
#3. Yale University
- Location: New Haven, Connecticut
- Undergraduate enrollment: 4,696
- student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $83,200
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 92%
- Overall rank: #4
#2. Harvard University
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 5,699
- student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $89,700
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 89%
- Overall rank: #3
#1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 4,234
- student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Median earnings six years after graduation: $104,700
- Employment rate two years after graduation: 94%
- Overall rank: #1
