The Class of 2029, which started school in the fall of 2025, has put in more work than most just to get to class. Major colleges nationwide experienced a significant surge in applications, with New York University and the University of Michigan setting new records.
Colleges increasingly opt to use the Common Application, which makes it easier for prospective students to apply to multiple schools. During the 2024-2025 application period, colleges received over 10 million applications, an 8% increase from the previous year. Prospective students applied to an average of 6.80 colleges, increasing schools' applicant pools. Schools must then be even more selective with whom they admit, causing admission rates to decrease.
Schools in big cities, which offer students a sense of community along with the vibrancy of urban life, are no exception. In June 2025, the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia announced an acceptance rate of just 4.9%, its most selective year yet. Meanwhile, those who want to study in the Big Apple struggle to get accepted to New York University, which only admits 7.7% of applicants, down from 12.5% for the Class of 2026.
Unfortunately, that's not where the challenges end. Attending college in a big city can be expensive, finding a decent place to live nightmarish, and the pace frenzied. But the payoff can be remarkable. Students gain real-life experience, establish professional contacts, secure internships, and access job opportunities. They can also join urban community projects and participate in inner-city activism, which can be difficult to replicate in a classroom or on a remote bucolic campus.
Some big-city schools emphasize experiential learning, designing curricula that send students into the local workforce to supplement their academics. Living in a big city during college can make it easier to transition into a career based in an urban environment. Many big-city schools take great pride in their high post-graduation employment rates and rates of those going on to graduate or professional schools.
On a less academic note, students in big cities have the opportunity to expand their horizons through the many amenities of their cities, including a wealth of restaurants, bars, brewpubs, world-class museums, and musical performances.
Stacker ranked the best colleges in big cities using 2025 data from Niche. Colleges in the towns with populations of more than 300,000 were considered, drawing data from the Census Bureau. Niche ranks schools based on various factors, including academics, admissions, financial value, and student life. Niche's methodology can be found here.
Read on to learn more about the best big-city schools in the country.
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ChicagoPhotographer // Shutterstock
1 / 50- Location: Chicago, IL
--- Population: 2,721,308
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,270
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 98%
- Typical SAT range: 990-1200
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2 / 50- Location: Irvine, CA
--- Population: 318,683
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,373
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 21:1
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
3 / 50- Location: San Diego, CA
--- Population: 1,404,452
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 30,228
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 23:1
- Acceptance rate: 34%
- Typical SAT range: 1090-1300
JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock
4 / 50- Location: Houston, TX
--- Population: 2,390,125
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 27,798
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 18:1
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1330
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Location: Tucson, AZ
--- Population: 554,013
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,237
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 86%
- Typical SAT range: 1160-1420
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6 / 50- Location: Long Beach, CA
--- Population: 450,901
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,962
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 20:1
- Acceptance rate: 47%
- Typical SAT range: 1020-1240
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7 / 50- Location: Omaha, NE
--- Population: 489,265
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 502
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 44%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Kit Leong // Shutterstock
8 / 50- Location: Los Angeles, CA
--- Population: 3,878,704
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,858
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 40%
- Typical SAT range: 1360-1500
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
9 / 50- Location: Omaha, NE
--- Population: 489,265
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,160
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 73%
- Typical SAT range: 1210-1400
CarlosBarquero // Shutterstock
10 / 50- Location: Oklahoma City, OK
--- Population: 712,919
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,389
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Typical SAT range: not available
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tokar // Shutterstock
11 / 50- Location: San Diego, CA
--- Population: 1,404,452
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,851
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 47%
- Typical SAT range: 1190-1370
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12 / 50- Location: Portland, OR
--- Population: 635,749
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,404
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 26%
- Typical SAT range: 1300-1510
Roy Harris // Shutterstock
13 / 50- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,922
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 64%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1500
Xackery Irving // Shutterstock
14 / 50- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,507
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 57%
- Typical SAT range: 1000-1250
Kit Leong // Shutterstock
15 / 50- Location: Tulsa, OK
--- Population: 415,154
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,288
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 58%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1490
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16 / 50- Location: Washington, DC
--- Population: 702,250
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 10,386
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 44%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1500
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
17 / 50- Location: Saint Paul, MN
--- Population: 307,465
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,106
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1510
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
18 / 50- Location: Minneapolis, MN
--- Population: 428,579
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,124
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Typical SAT range: 1310-1480
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
19 / 50- Location: Dallas, TX
--- Population: 1,326,087
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,948
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 61%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1480
JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock
20 / 50- Location: Orlando, FL
--- Population: 334,854
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 41,654
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 26:1
- Acceptance rate: 40%
- Typical SAT range: 1190-1350
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21 / 50- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
--- Population: 307,668
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 19,618
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Typical SAT range: 1270-1450
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22 / 50- Location: Raleigh, NC
--- Population: 499,825
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 25,989
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 40%
- Typical SAT range: 1300-1460
Sandra Foyt // Shutterstock
23 / 50- Location: Cleveland, OH
--- Population: 365,379
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,093
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 29%
- Typical SAT range: 1430-1540
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24 / 50- Location: Fort Worth, TX
--- Population: 1,008,106
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 11,049
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1380
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25 / 50- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 899
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Typical SAT range: 1400-1520
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26 / 50- Location: San Antonio, TX
--- Population: 1,526,656
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,481
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1470
Joseph Hendrickson // Shutterstock
27 / 50- Location: Tampa, FL
--- Population: 414,547
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 30,184
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 41%
- Typical SAT range: 1140-1330
Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock
28 / 50- Location: Miami, FL
--- Population: 487,014
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 26,027
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 19:1
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Typical SAT range: 1060-1250
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29 / 50- Location: New Orleans, LA
--- Population: 362,701
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 8,160
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 15%
- Typical SAT range: 1390-1510
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
30 / 50- Location: Irvine, CA
--- Population: 318,683
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,884
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 26%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1430
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31 / 50- Location: Seattle, WA
--- Population: 780,995
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,863
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
32 / 50- Location: Columbus, OH
--- Population: 933,263
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 41,983
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Typical SAT range: 1330-1480
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33 / 50- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 3,183
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Typical SAT range: 1450-1550
f11photo // Shutterstock
34 / 50- Location: Austin, TX
--- Population: 993,588
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 39,787
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 29%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1490
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
35 / 50- Location: Boston, MA
--- Population: 673,458
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 15,857
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1460-1550
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36 / 50- Location: Boston, MA
--- Population: 673,458
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,899
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Typical SAT range: 1400-1520
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37 / 50- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,692
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Typical SAT range: 1480-1570
EQRoy // Shutterstock
38 / 50- Location: Atlanta, GA
--- Population: 520,070
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,263
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Typical SAT range: 1460-1550
EQRoy // Shutterstock
39 / 50- Location: Atlanta, GA
--- Population: 520,070
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,171
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Typical SAT range: 1330-1530
Hanson L // Shutterstock
40 / 50- Location: Los Angeles, CA
--- Population: 3,878,704
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 20,502
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 10%
- Typical SAT range: 1440-1550
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41 / 50- Location: Baltimore, MD
--- Population: 568,271
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,607
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 1:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Typical SAT range: 1530-1580
trekandshoot // Shutterstock
42 / 50- Location: Los Angeles, CA
--- Population: 3,878,704
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 32,472
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
43 / 50- Location: Chicago, IL
--- Population: 2,721,308
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,617
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Typical SAT range: 1510-1570
LnP images // Shutterstock
44 / 50- Location: Washington, DC
--- Population: 702,250
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,220
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 13%
- Typical SAT range: 1390-1550
Jay Yuan // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
--- Population: 307,668
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,133
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
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46 / 50- Location: Durham, NC
--- Population: 301,870
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,474
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 1:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Typical SAT range: 1510-1570
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47 / 50- Location: Philadelphia, PA
--- Population: 1,573,916
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 10,610
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
Tada Images // Shutterstock
48 / 50- Location: Houston, TX
--- Population: 2,390,125
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,483
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
Grindstone Media Group // Shutterstock
49 / 50- Location: Nashville, TN
--- Population: 704,963
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,146
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1510-1560
Dmitrii Sakharov // Shutterstock
50 / 50- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 8,428
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 4%
- Typical SAT range: 1490-1570
Additional writing by Jill Jaracz.
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