U.S. News Announces 2026 Best U.S. Colleges Rankings.
WASHINGTON, September 24, 2025 — U.S. News & World Report, a global authority on education rankings, announced the 2026 Best Colleges rankings today.
The national and regional rankings serve as a guide for prospective students and their families by evaluating nearly 1,700 colleges and universities based on up to 17 measures of academic quality. In a demonstration of ongoing excellence, eight of the top-ranked schools in the ten ranking categories maintained their No. 1 position, while the other two achieved a strong second place.
“For more than four decades, Best Colleges has been a reliable and data-driven resource for students and families navigating the complicated college search process,” says LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News. “Over the years, Best Colleges has evolved into a comprehensive tool that reflects the changing landscape of higher education, offering prospective students a vital starting point to identify schools that align with their academic and personal goals.”
The core methodology and weighting factors remain unchanged this year; however, some underlying data have been adjusted to reflect better evolving admissions considerations, cohort representation, and student involvement.
“While the general scoring weights and factors remained consistent, the 2026 rankings have made a few small adjustments to ensure that the results accurately represent the changing landscape of higher education,” says Jones. “By taking into account students’ credit hours and increasing the minimum number of students required for a cohort, the rankings provide a clearer view of institutional investment in students, as well as graduation and retention rates.”
This edition of the rankings features specialized categories, including the best value schools, the most innovative colleges, the top performers in social mobility, historically Black colleges and universities, and institutions with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. Additionally, students can explore programs that enhance the student experience, such as first-year experiences, co-op and internship opportunities, service learning, study abroad programs, and undergraduate research or creative projects.
The methodology for the 2026 Best Colleges rankings is based on up to 17 key measures of academic quality for National Universities and 13 indicators for National Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges. The rankings are calculated using data that is either universally reported by schools or can be obtained from third-party sources. It’s essential to note that a school’s eligibility for ranking does not depend on its participation in U.S. News’ surveys.
2026 Best National Universities – Top 3
Princeton University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Harvard University
2026 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges – Top 3
Williams College
Amherst College
United States Naval Academy
2026 Top Public Schools: National Universities – Top 3
University of California, Berkeley
University of California – Los Angeles
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
2026 Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities – Top 3
Spelman College
Howard University
Morehouse College
2026 Top Performers on Social Mobility: National Universities – Top 3
Florida International University
University of California, Riverside
California State University, Long Beach
2026 Top Schools for Veterans: National Universities – Top 3
University of Chicago
Cornell University
Brown University
2026 Best Regional Universities: North – Top 3
Bentley University
Providence College
Rhode Island School of Design
2026 Best Regional Universities: South – Top 3
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Rollins College
Appalachian State University
2026 Best Regional Universities: Midwest – Top 3
Butler University
John Carroll University
Milwaukee School of Engineering
2026 Best Regional Universities: West – Top 3
California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo
University of Portland
California State Polytechnic University – Pomona
U.S. News offers a range of educational resources, including the Scholarship Finder tool, which helps potential and current undergraduate students explore financial aid options and access information about over 18,000 scholarships. Additionally, U.S. News has recently launched “Getting In,” a new newsletter aimed at parents that covers the college admissions process. This newsletter provides valuable strategies, insider information, and guidance to help reduce stress.
U.S. News & World Report is the leading source of journalism that helps consumers, citizens, business leaders, and policy officials make informed decisions in all areas of their lives and communities.
Source: U.S. News & World Report, L.P.
Surender Hastir 