Washington – September 22, 2026 -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology has claimed the No. 1 spot among National Universities in the U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings, ending Princeton University's 15-year run at the top since the 2012 edition. Princeton now sits at No. 2, with Harvard University at No. 3. Williams College retained its top ranking among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 42nd edition, which evaluated nearly 1,700 institutions.
A new metric tracks what graduates actually earn
The 2027 edition introduces an Earnings by Major factor, measuring graduate earnings four years after graduation using U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data. The metric looks specifically at employed federal financial aid recipients whose highest degree is a bachelor's, comparing earnings within the same academic discipline to reduce the effect of family wealth or a school's concentration in high-paying fields. It replaces the previous Graduate Indebtedness factor.
LaMont Jones, managing editor for Education at U.S. News, said the goal is to give families "clear, actionable data" on college costs and outcomes as scrutiny of return on investment grows.
Economic diversity data highlights Pell Grant recipients at top schools
Among the top 25 National Universities, MIT and Princeton rank No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants. Amherst College, ranked No. 2 among National Liberal Arts Colleges, leads in economic diversity within the top 25 liberal arts schools.
Carnegie framework changes reshuffle roughly 20% of ranked schools
Updates to the Carnegie Classification framework moved about 20% of previously ranked institutions into new categories, meaning their 2027 rankings cannot be directly compared to prior years. The changes also expanded eligibility to institutions specialized in business, engineering and health that had not previously been included in overall rankings.
New this year: a separate undergraduate specialty ranking for Economics, and an inaugural Best Value Schools for In-State Students ranking evaluating public universities on affordability for residents. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill topped that new list. Additional rankings cover HBCUs, veterans-friendly schools, social mobility performance and computer science programs for artificial intelligence, with Spelman College leading HBCUs and University of Chicago topping the veterans list.
Scholarship sweepstakes launches alongside the rankings
U.S. News opened a $5,000 no-essay scholarship sweepstakes on USNews.com starting Sept. 22, alongside its Scholarship Finder tool connecting students to more than 13,000 financial aid opportunities. Rankings are based on up to 17 weighted measures, with student outcomes such as graduation rates, social mobility and post-graduate earnings accounting for more than half of each school's score.