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A new school sits atop the list of a national publication’s top universities in the United States.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been named the top national university for 2027 by U.S. News & World Report. It ousted Princeton University, which had held the top spot for the previous five years.
U.S. News & World Report recently released the 42nd edition of its annual list of the best colleges and universities in the U.S., ranking schools in 10 categories. About 1,500 schools were ranked.
While MIT found itself in the No. 1 spot for national universities, Williams College in Massachusetts was named the best national liberal arts college, extending its streak of heading the list to six straight years.
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/education/best-colleges/articles/us-news-ranks-best-colleges.
National universities
#1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
#2 Princeton University, Princeton, N.J.
#3 Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
#4 Yale University, New Haven, Conn.
#5 (tie) California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.
#5 (tie) Stanford University, Stanford, Calif.
#7 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
#8 Duke University, Durham, N.C.
#9 (tie) Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md.
#9 (tie) Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill.
#9 (tie) University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
National liberal arts colleges
#1 Williams College, Williamstown, Mass.
#2 Amherst College, Amherst, Mass.
#3 (tie) Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine.
#3 (tie) Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, Calif.
#3 (tie) Pomona College, Claremont, Calif.
#3 (tie) Swarthmore College, Swarthmore.
#3 (tie) United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
#8 Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif.
#9 United States Military Academy at West Point, West Point, N.Y.
#10 Wellesley College, Wellesley, Mass.
National universities in Pennsylvania
#1 University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
#2 Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.
#3 Villanova University, Villanova.
#4 Lehigh University, Bethlehem.
#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 Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia.
National liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania
#1 Swarthmore College, Swarthmore.
#2 Haverford College, Haverford.
#3 Bucknell University, Lewisburg.
#4 Lafayette College, Easton.
#5 Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr.
#6 Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster.
#7 (tie) Dickinson College, Carlisle.
#7 (tie) Gettysburg College, Gettysburg.
#9 Muhlenberg College, Allentown.
#10 (tie) Allegheny College, Meadville.
#10 (tie) Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove.
Berks County schools
Albright College
#160 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#141 (tie) in top private schools.
#26 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Alvernia University
#116 (tie) in regional universities north.
#76 (tie) in top private schools.
#506 (tie) in nursing.
#120 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Kutztown University
#107 (tie) in regional universities north.
#33 (tie) in top public schools.
#439-535 in business programs.
#452 (tie) in computer science.
#124 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Penn State Berks
#32 (tie) in regional colleges north.
#19 (tie) in top public schools.
#228 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#49 in top performers on social mobility.
Schools in the region
Arcadia University
#288 (tie) in national universities.
#137 (tie) in top private schools.
#9 in study abroad.
#171 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
#158 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#139 (tie) in top private schools.
#10 in top performers on social mobility.
Bryn Mawr College
#31 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#28 (tie) in top private schools.
#35 in best value schools.
#19 (tie) in writing in the disciplines.
#16 in first-year experiences.
#20 (tie) in senior capstone.
#15 (tie) in best undergraduate teaching.
#47 (tie) in most innovative schools.
#86 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Cheyney University
#184-203 in national liberal arts colleges.
#45 (tie) in historically black colleges and universities.
#29-39 in top public schools.
#61 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Gwynedd Mercy University
#45 (tie) in regional universities north.
#30 (tie) in top private schools.
#40 in best value schools.
#394 (tie) in nursing.
#89 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Haverford College
#26 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#23 (tie) in top private schools.
#32 in best value schools.
#42 (tie) in undergraduate research/creative projects.
#24 (tie) in senior capstone.
#12 (tie) in best undergraduate teaching.
#51 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Lincoln University
#123 (tie) in regional universities north.
#17 (tie) in historically black colleges and universities.
#40 (tie) in top public schools.
#36 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Neumann University
#123 (tie) in regional universities north.
#83 (tie) in top private schools.
#336 (tie) in nursing.
#102 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Swarthmore College
#3 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#3 (tie) in top private schools.
#5 in best value schools.
#22 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#110 (tie) in computer science.
#50 (tie) in economics.
#5 in writing in the disciplines.
#16 (tie) in undergraduate research/creative projects.
#22 in service learning.
#2 in senior capstone.
#5 in best undergraduate teaching.
#24 in most innovative schools.
#20 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Ursinus College
#91 (tie) in national liberal arts colleges.
#87 (tie) in top private schools.
#78 in best value schools.
#222 (tie) in economics.
#113 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Villanova University
#42 (tie) in national universities.
#29 (tie) in top private schools.
#63 in best value schools.
#87 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs
#58 (tie) in business programs.
#29 (tie) in international business.
#14 (tie) in real estate.
#110 (tie) in computer science.
#27 (tie) in nursing.
#122 (tie) in economics.
#65 in best colleges for veterans.
#40 (tie) in best undergraduate teaching.
#171 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
West Chester University
#227 (tie) in national universities.
#121 (tie) in top public schools.
#439-535 in business programs.
#201 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#396 (tie) in computer science.
#195 (tie) in nursing.
#222 (tie) in economics.
#302 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
Widener University
#276 (tie) in national universities.
#129 (tie) in top private schools.
#439-535 in business programs.
#140 (tie) in best undergraduate engineering programs.
#195 (tie) in nursing.
#393 (tie) in top performers on social mobility.
