This list of the top colleges in the USA was compiled by StateUniversity.com and is re-printed with permission. These rankings should be taken with a grain of salt along with any other rating system [How was this compiled?]. You may also be interested in checking US News & World Report, which compiles an annual report on American universities.

Other rankings: Safest Overall – Top SAT Scores – Highest Faculty Salaries – Most Expensive – Largest Enrollment

Top 500 American Universities

Rank – School Name – Overall Score
1 - Stanford University - 100.0
2 - Massachusetts Institute of Technology -  99.6
3 - Princeton University - 99.4
4 - Cornell University - 99.2
5 - California Institute of Technology -  99.2
6 - United States Military Academy – 99.2
7 - Amherst College - 99.1
8 - Rice University - 99.0
9 - Williams College - 98.9
10 - Brown University - 98.9
11 - Johns Hopkins University - 98.9
12 - Duke University - 98.8
13 - Vassar College - 98.8
14 -  Carleton College 98.6
15 - Swarthmore College - 98.6
16 - University of Notre Dame -  98.6
17 - Wesleyan University -  98.6
18 - Middlebury College - 98.6
19 - Haverford College - 98.4
20 -  Dartmouth College - 98.4
21 - Washington and Lee University - 98.3
22 - Northwestern University - 98.3
23 - Yale University - 98.2
24 - Harvard University - 98.2
25 - Wellesley College - 98.2
26 - United States Naval Academy – 98.0
27 -  University of Chicago - 98.0
28 - Carnegie Mellon University -  97.9
29 - Davidson College -  97.9
30 - Bowdoin College - 97.9
31 - Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering - 97.9
32 - College of William and Mary - 97.9
33 -  Furman University - 97.5
34 - Oberlin College -  97.4
35 - Claremont McKenna College - 97.3
36 - Grinnell College - 97.3
37 - Lehigh University - 97.3
38 - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill -  97.3
39 -  Harvey Mudd College - 97.3
40 - Colorado College - 97.3
41 - Vanderbilt University - 97.1
42 - University of Michigan-Ann Arbor - 97.1
43 - Georgetown University - 97.1
44 - Brandeis University - 97.1
45 - Santa Clara University – 97.0
46 - University of Virginia-Main Campus - 97.0
47 - Barnard College - 96.9
48 - Washington University in St Louis - 96.8
49 - Colby College - 96.8
50 - University of Rochester - 96.7
51 - Skidmore College - 96.7
52 - Case Western Reserve University - 96.7
53 - Columbia University in the City of New York - 96.6
54 - Tufts University - 96.6
55 - Smith College - 96.6
56 - Wake Forest University - 96.5
57 - Whitman College - 96.5
58 - Villanova University - 96.5
59 - Bryn Mawr College - 96.5
60 - Lafayette College - 96.4
61 - DePauw University - 96.3
62 - Reed College - 96.3
63 - University of Connecticut - 96.2
64 - Kenyon College - 96.2
65 - Connecticut College - 96.0
66 - University of Pennsylvania - 96.0
67 - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - 95.9
68 - Macalester College - 95.9
69 - Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus - 95.8
70 - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute - 95.8
71 - Emory University - 95.8
72 - University of Delaware - 95.8
73 - Trinity College - 95.7
74 - Sewanee: The University of the South - 95.7
75 - Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus - 95.6
76 - Dickinson College - 95.6
77 - Stevens Institute of Technology - 95.6
78 - Kalamazoo College - 95.6
79 - Occidental College - 95.5
80 - University of Washington-Seattle Campus - 95.4
81 - Illinois Wesleyan University - 95.4
82 - Gonzaga University - 95.4
83 - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - 95.3
84 - The University of Texas at Austin – 95.3
85 - Denison University - 95.2
86 - University of Georgia - 95.2
87 - Gettysburg College - 95.2
88 - Union University - 95.1
89 - Hamilton College - 95.1
90 - St. Olaf College - 95.1
91 - University of California-Los Angeles - 95.1
92 - University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus - 95.0
93 - Boston College – 95.0
94 - Loyola Marymount University - 95.0
95 - Texas A & M University - 95.0
96 - University of Southern California - 95.0
97 - Babson College - 94.9
98 - Mount Holyoke College - 94.9
99 - Calvin College - 94.9
100 - University of Miami – 94.8
101 - Worcester Polytechnic Institute 94.8
102 - University of California-Berkeley 94.8
103 - University of Florida 94.8
104 - Clemson University 94.7
105 - Soka University of America 94.7
106 - Knox College 94.7
107 - University of Richmond 94.6
108 - Gustavus Adolphus College 94.5
109 - Bentley University 94.5
110 - Ursinus College 94.5
111 - Muhlenberg College 94.5
112 - Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University 94.4
113 - College of the Holy Cross 94.3
114 - University of Maryland-College Park 94.3
115 - Centre College 94.3
116 - Howard University 94.2
117 - University of Scranton 94.2
118 - Pepperdine University 94.2
119 - Michigan State University 94.2
120 - New York University 94.0
121 - Saint Johns University 94.0
122 - University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus 93.9
123 - The College of New Jersey 93.9
124 - College of Saint Benedict 93.9
125 - Scripps College 93.8
126 - North Carolina State University at Raleigh 93.8
127 - University of Wisconsin-Madison 93.8
128 - Marquette University 93.7
129 – Creighton University 93.7
130 - Franklin and Marshall College 93.6
131 - Union College 93.6
132 - Jewish Theological Seminary of America 93.6
133 - University of California-Davis 93.6
134 - Syracuse University 93.5
135 - Boston University 93.5
136 - Bates College 93.5
137 - Trinity University 93.5
138 - Missouri University of Science and Technology 93.4
139 - Loyola College in Maryland 93.4
140 - Pitzer College 93.3
141 - Rhodes College 93.3
142 - Hope College 93.2
143 - Texas State Technical College-Waco 93.2
144 - Ohio State University-Main Campus 93.2
145 - Miami University-Oxford 93.2
146 - SUNY at Geneseo 93.2
147 - Whitworth University 93.2
148 - Wabash College 93.1
149 - Allegheny College 93.0
150 - Rhode Island School of Design 93.0
151 - St Mary’s College of Maryland 93.0
152 - The College of Wooster 93.0
153 - Saint Mary’s College 93.0
154 - Southwestern University 92.9
155 - Asbury College 92.9
156 - Southern Methodist University 92.9
157 - University of California-San Diego 92.8
158 - Elon University 92.7
159 - Lawrence University 92.6
160 - Taylor University 92.5
161 - George Washington University 92.5
162 - Rutgers University-New Brunswick 92.5
163 - American University 92.4
164 - Research College of Nursing 92.4
165 - Truman State University 92.4
166 - United States Air Force Academy 92.4
167 - University of Denver 92.4
168 - Willamette University 92.3
169 - University of California-Santa Barbara 92.3
170 - St Lawrence University 92.3
171 - Drake University 92.3
172 - Westmont College 92.2
173 - Auburn University Main Campus 92.2
174 - University of Puget Sound 92.2
175 - Rutgers University-Newark 92.2
176 - James Madison University 92.2
177 - Ithaca College 92.1
178 - University of Puerto Rico: Mayaguez 92.1
179 - Yeshiva University 92.1
180 - Beloit College 92.1
181 - Hanover College 92.0
182 - Seattle Pacific University 92.0
183 - University of California-Irvine 92.0
184 - Indiana University-Bloomington 92.0
185 - Spelman College 92.0
186 - Albion College 91.9
187 - Xavier University 91.9
188 - Fairfield University 91.8
189 - SUNY at Binghamton 91.7
190 - South Texas College 91.7
191 - Purdue University-Main Campus 91.7
192 - The College of Idaho 91.7
193 - Texas Christian University 91.7
194 - Hendrix College 91.6
195 - University of Tulsa 91.6
196 - University of Puerto Rico-Humacao 91.6
197 - California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 91.6
198 - University of Portland 91.6
199 - Illinois Institute of Technology 91.6
200 - University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 91.5
201 - Seton Hall University 91.5
202 - Cornell College 91.5
203 - University of Arkansas Main Campus 91.5
204 - Rochester Institute of Technology 91.4
205 - University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon 91.4
206 - University of Puerto Rico-Cayey University College 91.4
207 - Seattle University 91.3
208 - University of St Thomas 91.3
209 - Linfield College 91.3
210 - Florida State University 91.2
211 - University of Oklahoma Norman Campus 91.1
212 - Northeastern University 91.1
213 - Augustana College 91.1
214 - Bradley University 91.1
215 - St Louis College of Pharmacy 91.1
216 - University of the Pacific 91.1
217 - Cedarville University 91.1
218 - Lewis & Clark College 91.0
219 - University of Nebraska-Lincoln 91.0
220 - Baylor University 90.9
221 - Gordon College 90.9
222 - Washington & Jefferson College 90.9
223 - Andrews University 90.9
224 - University of Iowa 90.8
225 - Luther College 90.8
226 - Colorado School of Mines 90.7
227 - University of South Carolina-Columbia 90.7
228 - Mississippi State University 90.7
229 - Evangel University 90.7
230 - University of San Diego 90.6
231 - Chapman University 90.6
232 - Thomas Aquinas College 90.6
233 - Stony Brook University 90.5
234 - Iowa State University 90.4
235 - University of New Hampshire-Main Campus 90.4
236 - Earlham College 90.4
237 - University of Mary Washington 90.2
238 - Hampden-Sydney College 90.2
239 - Saint Joseph’s University 90.2
240 - Brigham Young University 90.1
241 - University of Dayton 90.1
242 - Appalachian State University 90.1
243 - Rockhurst University 90.1
244 - Clarkson College 90.1
245 - Saint Louis University-Main Campus 90.1
246 - Austin College 90.1
247 - Susquehanna University 90.0
248 - University of Dallas 90.0
249 - SUNY at Buffalo 89.9
250 - University of Vermont 89.9
251 - Washington College 89.9
252 - Presbyterian College 89.9
253 - Rowan University 89.9
254 - Morehouse College 89.8
255 - Illinois State University 89.7
256 - University of Massachusetts Amherst 89.7
257 - Rollins College 89.6
258 - Oral Roberts University 89.6
259 - CUNY Bernard M Baruch College 89.6
260 - College of St Catherine 89.6
261 - Bethel University 89.6
262 - Samford University 89.6
263 - University of California-Santa Cruz 89.6
264 - West Chester University of Pennsylvania 89.6
265 - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 89.6
266 - The University of Tennessee 89.5
267 - Maryland Institute College of Art 89.4
268 - Pacific Lutheran University 89.4
269 - Massachusetts College of Art and Design 89.4
270 - Bard College at Simon’s Rock 89.3
271 - The Juilliard School 89.3
272 - Stonehill College 89.3
273 - Michigan Technological University 89.3
274 - Houghton College 89.3
275 - Goshen College 89.3
276 - Grand Valley State University 89.2
277 - University of Minnesota-Morris 89.2
278 - SUNY College of Technology at Delhi 89.2
279 - Elizabethtown College 89.1
280 - Drexel University 89.1
281 - Georgia College & State University 89.1
282 - University of Missouri-Columbia 89.1
283 - Beacon College 89.0
284 - Messiah College 89.0
285 - University of the Sciences in Philadelphia 88.9
286 - Clarkson University 88.9
287 - The University of Alabama 88.9
288 - Marist College 88.9
289 - Drew University 88.8
290 - Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College 88.8
291 - Eastern Illinois University 88.8
292 - Cleveland Chiropractic College 88.8
293 - University of North Carolina at Asheville 88.8
294 - Saint Vincent College 88.7
295 - Wittenberg University 88.7
296 - Simmons College 88.7
297 - SUNY College of Technology at Alfred 88.7
298 - Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences 88.7
299 - New College of Florida 88.7
300 - Goucher College 88.7
301 - Hobart William Smith Colleges 88.7
302 - University of Northern Iowa 88.6
303 - St John’s College 88.6
304 - Valparaiso University 88.6
305 - Berea College 88.5
306 - The Master’s College and Seminary 88.5
307 - University of North Carolina-Wilmington 88.5
308 - New Jersey Institute of Technology 88.5
309 - Washington State University 88.4
310 - Saint Anselm College 88.4
311 - Harding University 88.4
312 - Western Washington University 88.4
313 - Alfred University 88.4
314 - St Joseph’s College of Nursing at St Joseph’s Hospital Health Center 88.3
315 - Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Science 88.3
316 - Colorado State University 88.3
317 - Manhattan College 88.2
318 - Temple University 88.2
319 - Eureka College 88.1
320 - Bellin College of Nursing 88.1
321 - Crouse Hospital School of Nursing 88.1
322 - Emerson College 88.1
323 - University of Maryland-Baltimore County 88.0
324 - University of California-Riverside 88.0
325 - Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary 88.0
326 - Bryant University 88.0
327 - DePaul University 88.0
328 - Texas Tech University 87.9
329 - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire 87.9
330 - Prescott College 87.9
331 - Millersville University of Pennsylvania 87.8
332 - University of Rhode Island 87.8
333 - University of Colorado at Boulder 87.7
334 - University of Central Florida 87.7
335 - Concordia College at Moorhead 87.6
336 - SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry 87.6
337 - University of Oregon 87.6
338 - Full Sail University 87.5
339 - Ripon College 87.5
340 - Stetson University 87.5
341 - La Salle University 87.5
342 - Albany College of Pharmacy 87.5
343 - Sweet Briar College 87.4
344 - Triangle Tech Inc-Greensburg 87.4
345 - Coe College 87.4
346 - Alma College 87.3
347 - University of South Florida 87.3
348 - Clackamas Community College 87.3
349 - Catholic University of America 87.2
350 - Le Moyne College 87.2
351 - University of Kansas 87.2
352 - McDaniel College 87.2
353 - Point Loma Nazarene University 87.2
354 - Cabarrus College of Health Sciences 87.1
355 - Martin Luther College 87.0
356 - Hampshire College 87.0
357 - University of California-Merced 87.0
358 - Millsaps College 87.0
359 - Quinnipiac University 87.0
360 - Mercer University 86.9
361 - The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey 86.9
362 - DeSales University 86.9
363 - University of Redlands 86.9
364 - SUNY at Fredonia 86.9
365 - Oklahoma State University-Main Campus 86.9
366 - Randolph College 86.8
367 - Eastern Mennonite University 86.8
368 - AmeriTech College 86.7
369 - CUNY City College 86.7
370 - SUNY at Albany 86.7
371 - School of the Museum of Fine Arts-Boston 86.7
372 - The University of Texas at Dallas 86.6
373 - Ohio Wesleyan University 86.6
374 - Kansas State University 86.6
375 - Azusa Pacific University 86.6
376 - CUNY Queens College 86.4
377 - University of Nebraska at Kearney 86.4
378 - Atlantic Union College 86.4
379 - University of Cincinnati-Main Campus 86.4
380 - University of Evansville 86.3
381 - Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg 86.3
382 - Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College 86.3
383 - Lancaster General College of Nursing & Health Sciences 86.3
384 - Agnes Scott College 86.3
385 - Florida Institute of Technology 86.3
386 - University of San Francisco 86.3
387 - Loyola University Chicago 86.3
388 - Eckerd College 86.3
389 - Savannah College of Art and Design 86.3
390 - Northwestern College 86.2
391 - Georgia State University 86.2
392 - Central College 86.1
393 - Rutgers University-Camden 86.1
394 - SUNY College at New Paltz 86.1
395 - Transylvania University 86.0
396 - Hamline University 86.0
397 - Molloy College 86.0
398 - University of Illinois at Chicago 86.0
399 - Saint Marys College of California 86.0
400 - Bard College 85.9
401 - Nebraska Wesleyan University 85.9
402 - Salisbury University 85.9
403 - Arizona State University at the Tempe Campus 85.8
404 - University of Wyoming 85.8
405 - College of the Ozarks 85.8
406 - University of Arizona 85.8
407 - Kansas City Art Institute 85.8
408 - Oregon State University 85.8
409 - University of Kentucky 85.7
410 - Machzikei Hadath Rabbinical College 85.7
411 - Saint Edward’s University 85.7
412 - Ohio University-Main Campus 85.6
413 - Brown College 85.6
414 - Embry Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott 85.6
415 - SUNY College at Brockport 85.6
416 - CUNY Hunter College 85.6
417 - Spring Hill College 85.6
418 - Gannon University 85.6
419 - University of Utah 85.5
420 - Virginia Military Institute 85.5
421 - Roberts Wesleyan College 85.5
422 - University of New Orleans 85.5
423 - University of Illinois at Springfield 85.5
424 - John Brown University 85.5
425 - College of Our Lady of the Elms 85.4
426 - University of North Dakota 85.4
427 - Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania 85.4
428 - St. John Fisher College 85.4
429 - Middle Tennessee State University 85.3
430 - Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts 85.3
431 - VanderCook College of Music 85.2
432 - University of Louisville 85.2
433 - University of Alabama at Birmingham 85.1
434 - Dordt College 85.1
435 - Conception Seminary College 85.1
436 - Wagner College 85.1
437 - California State University-Long Beach 85.0
438 - Sarah Lawrence College 85.0
439 - California State University Long Beach 85.0
440 - Holy Cross College 85.0
441 - University of Mississippi Main Campus 85.0
442 - University of Michigan-Dearborn 85.0
443 - Baldwin-Wallace College 84.9
444 - University of Hawaii at Manoa 84.8
445 - Assumption College 84.7
446 - Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music 84.7
447 - Towson University 84.7
448 - North Central Kansas Technical College 84.6
449 - Christopher Newport University 84.5
450 - Lake Forest College 84.5
451 - Millikin University 84.5
452 - San Diego State University 84.5
453 - Lewis University 84.5
454 - Saint Bonaventure University 84.5
455 - Berry College 84.4
456 - Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health 84.4
457 - Montclair State University 84.3
458 - Russell Sage College 84.3
459 - West Virginia University 84.3
460 - George Fox University 84.3
461 - Xavier University of Louisiana 84.3
462 - South Dakota State University 84.3
463 - Westminster College 84.2
464 - Gutenberg College 84.2
465 - Georgetown College 84.2
466 - University of Alabama in Huntsville 84.2
467 - East Carolina University 84.1
468 - Capital University 84.1
469 - Centenary College of Louisiana 84.1
470 – Mount Union College 84.1
471 - William Paterson University of New Jersey 84.1
472 - Roanoke College 84.1
473 - University of North Carolina at Charlotte 84.1
474 - Dominican University of California 84.1
475 - South Dakota School of Mines and Technology 84.1
476 - East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania 84.0
477 - Dorothea Hopfer School of Nursing-Mt Vernon Hospital 84.0
478 - CUNY Brooklyn College 84.0
479 - Marlboro College 84.0
480 - SUNY College at Oneonta 83.9
481 - University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla 83.9
482 - Minnesota State University-Mankato 83.9
483 - Washington Bible College-Capital Bible Seminary 83.9
484 - Dominican University 83.9
485 - Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus 83.9
486 - University of Nevada-Reno 83.9
487 - Northern Illinois University 83.8
488 - The College of Saint Scholastica 83.7
489 - William Moore College of Technology 83.7
490 - Augsburg College 83.7
491 - Fisk University 83.7
492 - Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania 83.7
493 - Emporia State University 83.7
494 - Phillips Beth Israel School of Nursing 83.6
495 - Minneapolis College of Art and Design 83.6
496 - California State University-Chico 83.6
497 - SUNY College at Cortland 83.6
498 - St Marys University 83.6
499 - University of North Florida 83.6
500 - Baptist University of the Americas 83.5