The 2024-25 school year has kicked off, and college enrollment across the U.S. is on the rise. Undergraduate enrollment grew by 2.5% in the spring, marking the second consecutive semester of growth, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.
As enrollment stabilizes post-pandemic and more students pursue degrees, Stacker compiled a list of America’s best colleges using Niche’s 2025 rankings. Niche evaluates schools based on academics, admissions, finances, and student life, considering both public and private institutions from coast to coast.
From state schools to liberal arts colleges, these institutions offer innovative programs and unique perks, such as on-campus ice cream factories or even nuclear reactors. While some are known for athletic achievements, many are making strides in education, producing top scholars and collaborating with industry leaders. Read on to discover which school took the top spot.
Best colleges in America
10. Johns Hopkins University
- Location: Baltimore
- Undergraduate enrollment: 5,644
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 1:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Six-year median earnings: $73,200
- Two-year employment rate: 91%
Johns Hopkins University is one of the preeminent schools for studying medicine. For 44 consecutive years it has led U.S. colleges in research and development spending, and it counts 29 Nobel Prize winners among its associates. The school also runs programs in conjunction with NASA, and the Spring Fair is one of the largest such gatherings in the nation.
9. Vanderbilt University
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
- Undergraduate enrollment: 7,082
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Six-year median earnings: $69,000
- Two-year employment rate: 94%
Vanderbilt University is one of the world’s most innovative institutions. From 2014-2023, it launched 61 startups and had 593 patents and 923 licenses issued, and the Center for Technology Transfer and Commercialization continues to break ground. Vanderbilt was ranked #1 by The Princeton Review in students’ quality of life and is also known for its medical center and music school.
8. Brown University
- Location: Providence, Rhode Island
- Undergraduate enrollment: 7,189
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Six-year median earnings: $67,500
- Two-year employment rate: 91%
Brown University is well known for its open curriculum, which encourages creative thinkers, intellectual risk-takers, and entrepreneurial problem-solvers. The Carney Institute for Brain Science and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society provide unique perspectives to important fields of study. The university values its relationship with Providence, and more than 420 students work or volunteer every year in the city’s public schools.
7. Dartmouth College
- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
- Undergraduate enrollment: 4,457
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Six-year median earnings: $75,500
- Two-year employment rate: 94%
Dartmouth College allows students to customize their academic schedules. This Ivy League institution has an abundance of centers for arts and culture as well as various technology and science institutes. Each year, it hosts a Winter Carnival and a Powwow celebrating Indigenous history.
6. University of Pennsylvania
- Location: Philadelphia
- Undergraduate enrollment: 10,412
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Six-year median earnings: $85,900
- Two-year employment rate: 91%
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania—including more than 5,000 faculty at 195 centers and institutes—have a budget of $1.37 billion in 2024, focusing on medicine, technology, business, and science. Penn was founded in 1740 and has four undergraduate and 12 graduate schools, including the distinguished Wharton School. Its arts and culture and Philly attractions are nearly limitless, and then, of course, there’s “Ben on the Bench.”
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College enrollment is rising, and these are the top U.S. colleges in 2025, offering innovative programs, diverse activities and more.
5. Harvard University
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 7,516
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 3%
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Six-year median earnings: $89,700
- Two-year employment rate: 89%
Harvard University, which dates to 1636, was the first college in the American colonies, and it remains a bastion of success. The school has educated eight U.S. presidents and in 2022 earmarked $100 million to address its history with slavery. Harvard has over 450 organizations and offers 42 varsity sports, the most in the country. The Harvard Lampoon humor magazine has been entertaining (and infuriating) students for almost 150 years.
4. Columbia University
- Location: New York City
- Undergraduate enrollment: 8,263
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 4%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Six-year median earnings: $83,300
- Two-year employment rate: 89%
Columbia University is located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, near a variety of parks and landmarks. The students form a melting pot, with 17% from international locales and 13% from domestic small towns. Campus media outlets such as the Columbia Daily Spectator, WKCR, and Bwog captivate readers and listeners throughout the city. For decades, students have started protests that have made national headlines.
3. Stanford University
- Location: Stanford, California
- Undergraduate enrollment: 7,761
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 4%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Six-year median earnings: $94,000
- Two-year employment rate: 94%
Located in Silicon Valley in Northern California, Stanford University has strong bonds with tech giants such as Google, which was founded by Stanford students. It has seven schools and is known for its acclaimed education, engineering, law, and business programs; theater and music groups; and the Solar Car Project. The university also has a storied athletic program, and its athletes have won hundreds of Olympic medals.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Undergraduate enrollment: 4,601
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 4%
- Graduation rate: 95%
- Six-year median earnings: $104,700
- Two-year employment rate: 94%
Students and researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are always on the cutting edge of modern technology. Among the highlights of this school are the Haystack Observatory, Media Lab (designed by alum I. M. Pei), and MIT.nano. MIT has acres of stunning scenery, from quiet Cambridge streets to the futuristic layout of Simmons Hall, and a striking public art collection.
1. Yale University
- Location: New Haven, Connecticut
- Undergraduate enrollment: 6,594
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Graduation rate: 98%
- Six-year median earnings: $83,200
- Two-year employment rate: 92%
Thirty percent of the Yale University student body hails from abroad, creating a diverse mix on the neo-Gothic campus nestled in downtown New Haven. Yale has 14 residential colleges and is known for its law, art, nursing, drama, environment, and divinity schools, among others. Founded in 1701, it has many revered traditions, including Class Day, which features prizes and awards, ivy, churchwarden pipes, hats, and more.
Story editing by Mike Taylor. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire and Lois Hince. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.
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