The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has secured the No. 1 position among National Universities in the U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings, replacing Princeton University, which had held the top spot since the 2012 edition.
Princeton is ranked No. 2, followed by Harvard University at No. 3. The 2027 rankings are the 42nd edition and evaluate nearly 1,700 institutions across multiple categories.
The rankings also place Williams College at No. 1 among National Liberal Arts Colleges. This year’s edition introduces substantial changes to the ranking methodology, including a new Earnings by Major measure based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.
U.S. News Best Colleges 2027: Top National Universities
The top positions in the National Universities category are:
| Rank | University | Tuitions and Fees | Undergraduate Enrollment |
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $67,140 | 4,561 |
| 2 | Princeton University | $68,454 | 5,916 |
| 3 | Harvard University | $68,442 | 6,738 |
| 4 | Yale University | $72,500 | 6,667 |
| 5 (tie) | California Institute of Technology | $71,229 | 997 |
| 5 (tie) | Stanford University | $68,574 | 7,346 |
| 7 | University of Pennsylvania | $73,978 | 9,989 |
| 8 | Duke University | $73,375 | 6,525 |
| 9 (tie) | Johns Hopkins University | $69,170 | 6,354 |
| 9 (tie) | Northwestern University | $73,062 | 9,039 |
| 9 (tie) | University of Chicago | $77,955 | 7,453 |
The officially announced top three are MIT, Princeton and Harvard. The complete ranking includes ties, and the figures above reflect the institutional information supplied for the listed universities.
MIT Replaces Princeton at the Top
MIT’s move to No. 1 marks the end of Princeton’s 15-year run at the top of the National Universities ranking. MIT had occupied the No. 2 position for the previous five years, according to reporting on the new rankings.
The change comes alongside a significant revision to the U.S. News methodology rather than representing a simple year-to-year adjustment. U.S. News said the 2027 edition places greater emphasis on measurable student outcomes and introduces new measures related to post-graduation earnings.
New Earnings by Major Metric in 2027 Rankings
One of the biggest changes in the 2027 rankings is the introduction of Earnings by Major. The measure looks at the earnings of graduates four years after graduation, using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
The metric focuses on employed federal financial-aid recipients whose highest qualification is a bachelor’s degree. U.S. News said earnings are compared within individual academic disciplines to reduce the effect of differences in the mix of majors offered by institutions. The new measure replaces the Graduate Indebtedness factor in the rankings methodology.
Carnegie Classification Changes Affect Comparisons
The 2027 edition also reflects changes to the Carnegie Classification framework. U.S. News said roughly 20% of institutions that were previously ranked moved into different ranking categories as a result of the updated framework.
Because these institutions are now evaluated against different peer groups, U.S. News has cautioned that their 2027 positions cannot be directly compared with earlier rankings. The changes also expanded eligibility to some institutions specialising in areas such as business, engineering and health.
Williams College Leads Liberal Arts Colleges
Among National Liberal Arts Colleges, Williams College retained the No. 1 position, followed by Amherst College at No. 2. Bowdoin College, Claremont McKenna College, Pomona College and Swarthmore College share the No. 3 position.
U.S. News also introduced a new Best Value Schools for In-State Students category for public universities. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill holds the top position in this inaugural category.
Other New Features in U.S. News Best Colleges 2027
The 2027 edition includes a new undergraduate specialty ranking for Economics, in addition to rankings covering areas such as social mobility, innovation, historically Black colleges and universities, and undergraduate computer science specialisations including artificial intelligence.
The rankings also include separate categories for public National Universities, regional universities, veterans and other student-focused measures.
U.S. News Scholarship Resources for Students
Alongside the rankings, U.S. News has launched a $5,000 no-essay scholarship sweepstakes. Its Scholarship Finder provides access to more than 13,000 scholarship and financial-aid opportunities, giving students additional resources for researching college costs.
The U.S. News Best Colleges 2027 rankings therefore combine updated outcome measures, new categories and changes to institutional classifications. Students comparing universities should review the rankings alongside factors such as tuition, net cost after financial aid, academic programmes, location, campus environment and career outcomes, rather than relying on a single ranking position.
