Best National Universities
National Universities include large public universities economically advantageous to in-state residents, and the storied private universities catering to the nation's elite students. Schools included in our national universities category must offer a wide variety of undergraduate majors, as well as a variety of masters and doctoral programs.
Interested in how we calculate our rankings? Read our methodology.
Stanford University
Stanford, California
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
CUNY City College
New York, New York
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Rice University
Houston, Texas
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Columbia University
New York, New York
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, California
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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