U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings 2025-2026

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It’s a new list for a new year, but the results are still the same — at least at the top.
For the fifth consecutive year, Princeton University and Williams College have been named the top schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report.
The publication recently released the 41st edition of its annual list of the best college and universities in the U.S., ranking schools in 10 categories. More than 1,700 schools were ranked in the 2025 list.
And just like in each of the past four years, Princeton was named the top national university, and Williams of Williamstown, Mass., sat atop the rankings of the best liberal arts schools.
U.S. News & World Report assesses colleges and universities based on 17 metrics of academic quality, emphasizing student outcomes, academic resources and reputation.
Schools are ranked in 10 different categories, ranging from top national universities to top regional universities to best value schools to the schools with the best first-year experience.
Here is what the rankings showed nationally and for schools in Pennsylvania. For full rankings visit usnews.com/best-colleges.
National universities
#1 Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
#3 Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
#4 (tie) Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
#4 (tie) Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
#6 University of Chicago
#7 (tie) Duke University, Durham, N.C.
#7 (tie) Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
#7 (tie) Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
#7 (tie) University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Liberal arts colleges
#1 Williams College, Williamstown, Mass.
#2 Amherst College, Amherst, Mass.
#3 United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
#4 Swarthmore College
#5 (tie) Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine.
#5 (tie) United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs.
#7 (tie) Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, Calif.
#7 (tie) Pomona College, Claremont, Calif.
#7 (tie) Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
#10 (tie) Carleton College, Northfield, Minn.
#10 (tie) Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif.
#10 (tie) United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
National universities in Pennsylvania
#1 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
#2 Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.
#3 Lehigh University, Bethlehem.
#4 Villanova University
#5 The Pennsylvania State University, University Park.
#6 University of Pittsburgh.
#7 Drexel University, Philadelphia.
#8 Temple University, Philadelphia.
#9 Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia.
#10 Duquesne University, Pittsburgh.
National liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania
#1 Swarthmore College.
#2 Haverford College.
#3 Bryn Mawr College
#4 (tie) Bucknell University, Lewisburg.
#4 (tie) Lafayette College, Easton.
#6 Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster.
#7 Dickinson College, Carlisle.
#8 Gettysburg College.
#9 Muhlenberg College, Allentown.
#10 Allegheny College, Meadville.
Berks County schools
Albright College
#170 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#63 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Alvernia University
#352 (tie) in national universities.
#570 (tie) in nursing.
#294 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Kutztown University
#112 (tie) in national universities.
#42 in top public schools.
#139 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Penn State Berks
#51-56 in regional colleges, north.
#33-34 in top public schools.
#197 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#34 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Schools in the region
Arcadia University
#76 (tie) in regional universities, north.
#9 in study abroad.
#43 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
#180 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#109 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Bryn Mawr College
#30 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#41 in best value schools.
#25 (tie) in first-year experience.
#22 (tie) in senior capstone.
#11 in best undergraduate teaching.
#119 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Cheyney University
#83-201 in national liberal arts colleges.
#37 (tie) in historically Black college and universities.
#16-19 in top public schools.
#90 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Gwynedd Mercy University
#273 (tie) in national universities.
#427 (tie) in nursing.
#315 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Haverford College
#24 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#24 in best value schools
#20 (tie) in writing in the disciplines.
#34 (tie) undergraduate research/creative projects.
#17 senior capstone.
#12 (tie) best undergraduate teaching.
#49 (tie) top performers on social mobility.
Lincoln University
#116 (tie) in regional universities, north.
#18 (tie) in historically Black colleges and universities.
#43 (tie) in top public schools.
#33 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Neumann University
#128 (tie) in regional universities, north.
#427 (tie) in nursing.
#20 (tie) best undergraduate teaching.
#96 in top performers on social mobility.
St. Joseph’s University
#6 in regional universities, north
#21 in best value schools.
#2 in best colleges for veterans.
#8 (tie) in most innovative schools.
#135 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Swarthmore College
#4 in national liberal arts colleges.
#4 in best value schools.
#14 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#39 (tie) in economics.
#3 in writing in the disciplines.
#25 (tie) in undergraduate research/creative projects.
#58 (tie) in first-year experience.
#3 in senior capstone.
#5 (tie) in best undergraduate teaching.
#21 (tie) in most innovative schools.
#21 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
University of Valley Forge
#26 (tie) in regional colleges, north
#5 in best value schools.
#11 in top performers on social mobility.
Ursinus College
#84 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#71 in best value schools.
#230 (tie) in economics.
#56 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Villanova University
#57 (tie) in national universities.
#60 in best value schools.
#96 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#22 (tie) in nursing.
#139 (tie) in economics.
#85 in best colleges for veterans.
#51 (tie) best undergraduate teaching.
#198 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
West Chester University
#242 (tie) in national universities.
#136 (tie) in top public schools.
#251 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#249 (tie) in nursing.
#248-254 in economics.
#294 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Widener University
#301 (tie) in national universities.
#162 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#214 (tie) in nursing.
#386 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.