Best private colleges in America

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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10 / 100

#91. Denison University

- Location: Granville, OH
- Students: 2,258
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Graduation rate: 80%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $48,800

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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

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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

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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

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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

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15 / 100

#86. Occidental College

- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Students: 1,938
- Acceptance rate: 41%
- Graduation rate: 84%
- Faculty ratio: 9:1
- Six-year median earnings: $50,600

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Kane5187 // Wikimedia Commons

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

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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

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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

Canon.vs.nikon // Wikimedia Commons

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

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95 / 100

#6. Rice University

- Location: Houston, TX
- Students: 4,150
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Faculty ratio: 6:1
- Six-year median earnings: $65,400

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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

f11photo // Shutterstock

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

Jorge Salcedo // Shutterstock

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

turtix // Shutterstock

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

Marcio Jose Bastos Silva // Shutterstock

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