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FinanceColleges and Universities

Who’s up and who’s down in the new U.S. News best colleges rankings

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 13, 2021, 12:19 PM ET

Princeton University is once again the nation’s best college, according to new, closely watched rankings from U.S. News.

This marks the 11th year in a row that the New Jersey Ivy League school has topped the list. The top 10, however, did see some changes, including the entry of a new school—Duke University.

The North Carolina higher learning institution climbed from 12th place in 2021 to a three-way tie for ninth this year.

The 2022 list is, in many ways, similar to last year’s. No school in the top 50 moved up or down more than three spots, according to the publication.

This is the 37th year U.S. News had ranked the best colleges and universities in the country. This year’s list assembled data from over 1,850 schools, ultimately ranking 1,466. Rankings were based on a wide number of metrics, including class size, the ability to retain and graduate students from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and the average debt levels of graduates.

Aside from the national rankings, U.S. News also ranks schools in a variety of other categories, including best liberal arts colleges, regional schools, and top public schools.

There’s also a ranking of best value schools, which weigh the quality of the education against the cost of attending. Yale University topped that list, jumping from fourth place last year.

Here’s a look at this year’s top 10 national universities:

1) Princeton University (Tuition: $56,010)

2) Columbia University (Tuition: $63,530)

2) Harvard University (Tuition: $55,587)

2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Tuition: $55,878)

5) Yale University (Tuition: $59,950)

6) Stanford University (Tuition: $56,169)

6) University of Chicago (Tuition: $60,963)

8) University of Pennsylvania (Tuition: $61,710)

9) California Institute of Technology (Tuition: $58,680)

9) Duke University (Tuition: $60,489)

9) Johns Hopkins University (Tuition: $58,720)

9) Northwestern University (Tuition: $60,984)

Check out Fortune Education‘s 2021 MBA rankings:

  • Best Online MBA Programs in 2021
  • Best MBA Programs in 2021
  • Best Executive MBA Programs in 2021

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About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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