Best private colleges in America

David Madison // Getty Images
David Madison // Getty Images

Heading off to college comes with a hefty price tag.

At public schools, 2025-26 tuition costs rose by 2.9% on average for in-state students and about 3.4% for their out-of-state counterparts compared to the year prior, according to data from CollegeBoard. These days, tuition and fees to attend a ranked public school will cost $11,950 for in-state students and about $31,880 for out-of-staters. However, it's not all bad news: CollegeBoard also found that the majority of first-time, full-time undergrads receive grant aid that drops their average annual tuition and fees to just $2,300 per year for in-state public students.

Private schools, as always, remain a different story. While public colleges and universities are at least partially subsidized by state government funding, private schools are funded by tuition dollars, endowments, grants, and donations. Per CollegeBoard, average tuition at these institutions has grown to $45,000 per year, a 4% increase from the year prior. As a result, the cost of attending private college remains a significant impediment for many families. After all, those high prices can still affect a student's finances even after graduation—according to the Education Data Initiative, the average private school student graduates with more than $44,100 in student loan debt as of August 2026, compared to public school students who carry nearly $29,694 in debt on average.

Both private and public schools play important roles in the postsecondary landscape, offering top-tier education and valuable opportunities outside the classroom. But some characteristics of private institutions—namely size, reputation, and flexibility—make them more appealing to prospective students. For one thing, these schools tend to be highly selective about their student bodies. Top private colleges like Yale, Columbia, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology each accepted less than 5% of applicants during the 2024-25 college application cycle, so merely being accepted to a private school can be an achievement in itself. 

To find out which other private universities top the rest, Stacker compiled a list of the best private colleges in America, using data from Niche released in 2023. Niche ranks schools based on a variety of factors, including academic, admissions, financial, and student life.

Read on to see which schools made the cut!

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1 / 100

#100. Rhode Island School of Design

- Location: Providence, RI
- Students: 1,736
- Acceptance rate: 27%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $51,100

2 / 100

#99. Yeshiva University

- Location: New York, NY
- Students: 2,553
- Acceptance rate: 67%
- Graduation rate: 77%
- Faculty ratio: 5:1
- Six-year median earnings: $58,500

3 / 100

#98. Wabash College

- Location: Crawfordsville, IN
- Students: 868
- Acceptance rate: 63%
- Graduation rate: 75%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $56,300

4 / 100

#97. Creighton University

- Location: Omaha, NE
- Students: 4,330
- Acceptance rate: 64%
- Graduation rate: 82%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $59,700

5 / 100

#96. University of Dayton

- Location: Dayton, OH
- Students: 8,285
- Acceptance rate: 81%
- Graduation rate: 81%
- Faculty ratio: 11:1
- Six-year median earnings: $55,100

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6 / 100

#95. Stevens Institute of Technology

- Location: Hoboken, NJ
- Students: 4,025
- Acceptance rate: 53%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 12:1
- Six-year median earnings: $89,200

7 / 100

#94. American University

- Location: Washington, DC
- Students: 7,453
- Acceptance rate: 39%
- Graduation rate: 79%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $61,000

8 / 100

#93. University of San Diego

- Location: San Diego, CA
- Students: 5,294
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Graduation rate: 80%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $60,000

9 / 100

#92. Loyola Marymount University

- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Students: 6,383
- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Graduation rate: 83%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $61,300

11 / 100

#90. St. Olaf College

- Location: Northfield, MN
- Students: 2,916
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Graduation rate: 85%
- Faculty ratio: 12:1
- Six-year median earnings: $50,400

12 / 100

#89. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

- Location: Worcester, MA
- Students: 5,010
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Faculty ratio: 12:1
- Six-year median earnings: $84,900

13 / 100

#88. Mount Holyoke College

- Location: South Hadley, MA
- Students: 2,200
- Acceptance rate: 52%
- Graduation rate: 84%
- Faculty ratio: 10:1
- Six-year median earnings: $48,600

14 / 100

#87. Saint Louis University

- Location: St. Louis, MO
- Students: 6,847
- Acceptance rate: 56%
- Graduation rate: 79%
- Faculty ratio: 5:1
- Six-year median earnings: $56,500

16 / 100

#85. Wheaton College - Illinois

- Location: Wheaton, IL
- Students: 2,195
- Acceptance rate: 87%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $48,400

17 / 100

#84. Union College - New York

- Location: Schenectady, NY
- Students: 2,030
- Acceptance rate: 41%
- Graduation rate: 86%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $65,400

18 / 100

#83. Trinity College - Connecticut

- Location: Hartford, CT
- Students: 2,167
- Acceptance rate: 36%
- Graduation rate: 82%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $66,100

19 / 100

#82. Brandeis University

- Location: Waltham, MA
- Students: 3,465
- Acceptance rate: 33%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $57,900

20 / 100

#81. The University of Tulsa

- Location: Tulsa, OK
- Students: 2,819
- Acceptance rate: 69%
- Graduation rate: 73%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $48,500

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21 / 100

#80. Bryn Mawr College

- Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
- Students: 1,421
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Graduation rate: 85%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $54,600

22 / 100

#79. Pepperdine University

- Location: Malibu, CA
- Students: 3,132
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $65,500

23 / 100

#78. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

- Location: Troy, NY
- Students: 6,262
- Acceptance rate: 57%
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Faculty ratio: 14:1
- Six-year median earnings: $82,000

24 / 100

#77. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

- Location: Terre Haute, IN
- Students: 2,058
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Graduation rate: 83%
- Faculty ratio: 11:1
- Six-year median earnings: $80,900

25 / 100

#76. Skidmore College

- Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
- Students: 2,510
- Acceptance rate: 32%
- Graduation rate: 86%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $49,700

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26 / 100

#75. Reed College

- Location: Portland, OR
- Students: 1,492
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Graduation rate: 77%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $42,200

27 / 100

#74. Santa Clara University

- Location: Santa Clara, CA
- Students: 5,478
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $72,600

28 / 100

#73. Texas Christian University

- Location: Fort Worth, TX
- Students: 9,448
- Acceptance rate: 48%
- Graduation rate: 82%
- Faculty ratio: 11:1
- Six-year median earnings: $52,800

29 / 100

#72. Scripps College

- Location: Claremont, CA
- Students: 1,095
- Acceptance rate: 35%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 10:1
- Six-year median earnings: $54,100

30 / 100

#71. Colorado College

- Location: Colorado Springs, CO
- Students: 2,190
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 10:1
- Six-year median earnings: $45,400

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31 / 100

#70. Trinity University

- Location: San Antonio, TX
- Students: 2,471
- Acceptance rate: 34%
- Graduation rate: 79%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $54,900

32 / 100

#69. Brigham Young University

- Location: Provo, UT
- Students: 30,039
- Acceptance rate: 69%
- Graduation rate: 75%
- Faculty ratio: 21:1
- Six-year median earnings: $59,700

33 / 100

#68. George Washington University

- Location: Washington, DC
- Students: 10,141
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Graduation rate: 85%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $69,600

34 / 100

#67. Bucknell University

- Location: Lewisburg, PA
- Students: 3,686
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $70,800

35 / 100

#66. Lafayette College

- Location: Easton, PA
- Students: 2,457
- Acceptance rate: 36%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $68,600

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36 / 100

#65. Pitzer College

- Location: Claremont, CA
- Students: 802
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Graduation rate: 83%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $48,700

37 / 100

#64. College of the Holy Cross

- Location: Worcester, MA
- Students: 2,966
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 10:1
- Six-year median earnings: $71,000

38 / 100

#63. Kenyon College

- Location: Gambier, OH
- Students: 1,610
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $48,700

39 / 100

#62. Smith College

- Location: Northampton, MA
- Students: 2,160
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $46,200

40 / 100

#61. Macalester College

- Location: Saint Paul, MN
- Students: 2,207
- Acceptance rate: 39%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 11:1
- Six-year median earnings: $47,600

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41 / 100

#60. Southern Methodist University

- Location: Dallas, TX
- Students: 6,616
- Acceptance rate: 53%
- Graduation rate: 81%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $60,700

42 / 100

#59. University of Richmond

- Location: University Of Richmond, VA
- Students: 3,028
- Acceptance rate: 31%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $64,500

43 / 100

#58. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art

- Location: New York, NY
- Students: 802
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Graduation rate: 79%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $64,900

44 / 100

#57. Carleton College

- Location: Northfield, MN
- Students: 1,918
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $54,200

45 / 100

#56. Vassar College

- Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
- Students: 2,409
- Acceptance rate: 25%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $54,600

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46 / 100

#55. Grinnell College

- Location: Grinnell, IA
- Students: 1,459
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $49,100

47 / 100

#54. University of Rochester

- Location: Rochester, NY
- Students: 6,100
- Acceptance rate: 35%
- Graduation rate: 86%
- Faculty ratio: 2:1
- Six-year median earnings: $61,200

48 / 100

#53. Wesleyan University

- Location: Middletown, CT
- Students: 2,836
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $54,700

49 / 100

#52. Villanova University

- Location: Villanova, PA
- Students: 6,793
- Acceptance rate: 31%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $77,900

50 / 100

#51. Colby College

- Location: Waterville, ME
- Students: 2,155
- Acceptance rate: 10%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $58,100

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51 / 100

#50. Case Western Reserve University

- Location: Cleveland, OH
- Students: 5,286
- Acceptance rate: 30%
- Graduation rate: 85%
- Faculty ratio: 4:1
- Six-year median earnings: $74,600

52 / 100

#49. Lehigh University

- Location: Bethlehem, PA
- Students: 5,374
- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $81,900

53 / 100

#48. Tulane University

- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Students: 8,231
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Graduation rate: 86%
- Faculty ratio: 5:1
- Six-year median earnings: $61,700

54 / 100

#47. Hamilton College

- Location: Clinton, NY
- Students: 2,043
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $60,200

55 / 100

#46. University of Miami

- Location: Coral Gables, FL
- Students: 12,089
- Acceptance rate: 33%
- Graduation rate: 83%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $60,100

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56 / 100

#45. Bates College

- Location: Lewiston, ME
- Students: 1,876
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Faculty ratio: 10:1
- Six-year median earnings: $59,200

57 / 100

#44. Babson College

- Location: Wellesley, MA
- Students: 2,457
- Acceptance rate: 27%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 12:1
- Six-year median earnings: $96,100

58 / 100

#43. Colgate University

- Location: Hamilton, NY
- Students: 3,023
- Acceptance rate: 27%
- Graduation rate: 91%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $63,600

59 / 100

#42. Haverford College

- Location: Haverford, PA
- Students: 1,419
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $60,700

60 / 100

#41. New York University

- Location: New York, NY
- Students: 25,854
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Faculty ratio: 4:1
- Six-year median earnings: $61,900

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61 / 100

#40. Wake Forest University

- Location: Winston-salem, NC
- Students: 5,391
- Acceptance rate: 32%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Faculty ratio: 3:1
- Six-year median earnings: $63,800

62 / 100

#39. Boston University

- Location: Boston, MA
- Students: 16,026
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 89%
- Faculty ratio: 5:1
- Six-year median earnings: $65,300

63 / 100

#38. Northeastern University

- Location: Boston, MA
- Students: 15,131
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Faculty ratio: 10:1
- Six-year median earnings: $67,400

64 / 100

#37. Middlebury College

- Location: Middlebury, VT
- Students: 2,835
- Acceptance rate: 22%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $58,200

65 / 100

#36. Williams College

- Location: Williamstown, MA
- Students: 1,917
- Acceptance rate: 15%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $59,000

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66 / 100

#35. Amherst College

- Location: Amherst, MA
- Students: 1,745
- Acceptance rate: 12%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $65,000

67 / 100

#34. Boston College

- Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
- Students: 9,532
- Acceptance rate: 26%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $72,500

68 / 100

#33. Tufts University

- Location: Medford, MA
- Students: 5,938
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $75,800

69 / 100

#32. Washington and Lee University

- Location: Lexington, VA
- Students: 1,853
- Acceptance rate: 25%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $76,100

70 / 100

#31. Wellesley College

- Location: Wellesley, MA
- Students: 2,375
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $60,800

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71 / 100

#30. Emory University

- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Students: 6,814
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Faculty ratio: 3:1
- Six-year median earnings: $66,000

72 / 100

#29. Davidson College

- Location: Davidson, NC
- Students: 1,983
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $58,900

73 / 100

#28. Barnard College

- Location: New York, NY
- Students: 2,651
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Graduation rate: 90%
- Faculty ratio: 10:1
- Six-year median earnings: $57,900

74 / 100

#27. Swarthmore College

- Location: Swarthmore, PA
- Students: 1,437
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 97%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $56,700

75 / 100

#26. Bowdoin College

- Location: Brunswick, ME
- Students: 1,948
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $65,500

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76 / 100

#25. Claremont McKenna College

- Location: Claremont, CA
- Students: 1,240
- Acceptance rate: 13%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $72,900

77 / 100

#24. University of Southern California

- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Students: 18,560
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $74,000

78 / 100

#23. Cornell University

- Location: Ithaca, NY
- Students: 15,735
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $77,200

79 / 100

#22. Carnegie Mellon University

- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
- Students: 6,341
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 5:1
- Six-year median earnings: $83,600

80 / 100

#21. Johns Hopkins University

- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Students: 5,766
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 2:1
- Six-year median earnings: $73,200

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81 / 100

#20. Pomona College

- Location: Claremont, CA
- Students: 1,756
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $58,100

82 / 100

#19. University of Notre Dame

- Location: Notre Dame, IN
- Students: 8,833
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Graduation rate: 97%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $78,400

83 / 100

#18. Harvey Mudd College

- Location: Claremont, CA
- Students: 821
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 8:1
- Six-year median earnings: $88,800

84 / 100

#17. Georgetown University

- Location: Washington, DC
- Students: 6,610
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 4:1
- Six-year median earnings: $93,500

85 / 100

#16. University of Chicago

- Location: Chicago, IL
- Students: 7,020
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Faculty ratio: 3:1
- Six-year median earnings: $68,100

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86 / 100

#15. Washington University in St. Louis

- Location: Saint Louis, MO
- Students: 7,348
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 4:1
- Six-year median earnings: $70,100

87 / 100

#14. Northwestern University

- Location: Evanston, IL
- Students: 8,095
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 3:1
- Six-year median earnings: $69,000

88 / 100

#13. Vanderbilt University

- Location: Nashville, TN
- Students: 6,983
- Acceptance rate: 12%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Faculty ratio: 5:1
- Six-year median earnings: $69,000

89 / 100

#12. Columbia University

- Location: New York, NY
- Students: 7,509
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Faculty ratio: 2:1
- Six-year median earnings: $83,300

90 / 100

#11. University of Pennsylvania

- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Students: 9,960
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Faculty ratio: 4:1
- Six-year median earnings: $85,900

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91 / 100

#10. Dartmouth College

- Location: Hanover, NH
- Students: 4,169
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 5:1
- Six-year median earnings: $75,500

92 / 100

#9. Brown University

- Location: Providence, RI
- Students: 6,605
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 7:1
- Six-year median earnings: $67,500

93 / 100

#8. Duke University

- Location: Durham, NC
- Students: 6,838
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Faculty ratio: 2:1
- Six-year median earnings: $84,400

94 / 100

#7. California Institute of Technology

- Location: Pasadena, CA
- Students: 901
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 92%
- Faculty ratio: 2:1
- Six-year median earnings: $85,900

96 / 100

#5. Princeton University

- Location: Princeton, NJ
- Students: 4,689
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Faculty ratio: 4:1
- Six-year median earnings: $74,700

97 / 100

#4. Yale University

- Location: New Haven, CT
- Students: 4,696
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Faculty ratio: 2:1
- Six-year median earnings: $83,200

98 / 100

#3. Harvard University

- Location: Cambridge, MA
- Students: 5,699
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Faculty ratio: 3:1
- Six-year median earnings: $89,700

99 / 100

#2. Stanford University

- Location: Stanford, CA
- Students: 5,752
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Faculty ratio: 2:1
- Six-year median earnings: $94,000

100 / 100

#1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

- Location: Cambridge, MA
- Students: 4,234
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Faculty ratio: 3:1
- Six-year median earnings: $104,700

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