Massachusetts Institute of Technology replaces Princeton after a 15-year streak atop National Universities as U.S. News introduces a major outcomes-based metric and expands rankings eligibility.

Summary

• MIT named No. 1 National University, replacing Princeton after a 15-year run at the top spot.
• New "Earnings by Major" metric introduced to evaluate graduate return on investment four years post-graduation.
• Expanded eligibility yields a record number of ranked schools, plus new rankings for in-state value and undergraduate economics.
• $5,000 scholarship sweepstakes live from Sept. 22 alongside access to 13,000+ financial aid awards.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has taken the No. 1 spot among National Universities in the U.S. News & World Report 2027 Best Colleges rankings, replacing Princeton University in the top position it held consecutively since the 2012 edition.

Rounding out the top positions in the National Universities category are Princeton University (No. 2) and Harvard University (No. 3). Meanwhile, Williams College again earned the top ranking among National Liberal Arts Colleges in the 42nd edition evaluating nearly 1,700 institutions.

Addressing "Is College Worth It?" with Earnings by Major
The 2027 edition introduces significant methodology changes designed to address growing public concerns regarding higher education affordability and long-term value. Chief among these is the new Earnings by Major ranking factor, which evaluates graduate earnings four years post-graduation using data from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

By focusing specifically on employed federal financial aid recipients whose highest degree is a bachelor's, this metric minimizes the influence of pre-existing family financial advantages and evaluates institutions on the true value they add. Comparing earnings strictly within specific academic disciplines ensures colleges are evaluated on institutional performance rather than degree-mix concentration in high-paying fields. The Earnings by Major metric replaces the Graduate Indebtedness factor, reflecting a broader shift toward measuring verifiable post-graduate outcomes.

"With families increasingly scrutinizing the true cost and return on investment of a college degree, our goal is to provide clear, actionable data," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for Education at U.S. News. "The 2027 Best Colleges rankings serve as a vital decision-making tool for prospective students and parents, offering transparent metrics on outcomes, affordability and academic quality to help families make fully informed financial and educational investments."

Economic Diversity Among the Top 25
U.S. News rankings also highlight a strong commitment to economic diversity among the nation's top institutions. Among the top 25 National Universities, MIT and Princeton are No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, in the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants. Additionally, Amherst College – the No. 2-ranked National Liberal Arts College – leads in economic diversity among the top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges. See the full list here.

Expanded Eligibility & What's New for 2027
Driven by updates to the Carnegie Classification framework, roughly 20% of previously ranked institutions moved to new U.S. News ranking categories this year. Because these schools are now evaluated against a different peer group, their 2027 rankings cannot be directly compared to prior years. Separately, updates to the Carnegie framework allowed U.S. News to expand eligibility to additional types of institutions previously not included, adding several schools specialized in fields like business, engineering and health to the overall rankings for the first time.

Also new this year:

• New Specialty Rankings: U.S. News has introduced separate undergraduate specialty rankings in Undergraduate Economics.
• Inaugural Best Value Rankings: To complement the longstanding Best Value Schools rankings, the 2027 guide debuts the Best Value Schools for In-State Students, specifically evaluating public universities based on academic quality and regional affordability for residents. University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill is No. 1 in the inaugural ranking.

This edition of the rankings also includes specialized rankings, such as the most innovative colleges, top performers on social mobility and historically Black colleges and universities, as well as universities with the top computer science programs for artificial intelligence.

Top Performers: 2027 Best Colleges 

Overall Rankings  

National Universities
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2. Princeton University
3. Harvard University

National Liberal Arts Colleges
1. Williams College
2. Amherst College
3 (tie). Bowdoin College
3 (tie). Claremont McKenna College
3 (tie). Pomona College
3 (tie). Swarthmore College

Regional Universities: North
1. Babson College
2. Bentley University
3. Providence College

Regional Universities: South 
1. The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina
2 (tie). Berry College
2 (tie). Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach 

Regional Universities: Midwest
1. John Carroll University
2. Milwaukee School of Engineering
3 (tie). Calvin University
3 (tie). Ohio Northern University

Regional Universities: West 
1. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
2. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
3 (tie). Saint Mary's College of California
3 (tie). University of Redlands, Los Angeles
3 (tie). University of Washington Bothell

Additional Rankings  

Public Schools: National Universities
1 (tie). University of California, Berkeley
1 (tie). University of California, Los Angeles
3. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)
1. Spelman College
2. Howard University
3. Tuskegee University

Top Performers on Social Mobility: National Universities
1 (tie). Florida International University
1 (tie). University of California, Riverside
3. Oakland City University

Colleges for Veterans: National Universities 

1. University of Chicago
2. Cornell University
3 (tie). Brown University
3 (tie). Washington University in St. Louis

Additionally, students can find rankings of programs that enhance student experience, including first-year experiences, co-ops/internships, service learning, study abroad and undergraduate research/creative projects.

Methodology
To rank higher education institutions for its Best Colleges lists, U.S. News categorizes schools by academic mission and geographic region before evaluating them on up to 17 weighted measures of academic quality and success. The methodology heavily emphasizes student outcomes – which make up more than half of a school's total score – focusing on key indicators such as graduation and retention rates, social mobility for low-income students and post-graduate earnings. These performance metrics are combined with factors like academic peer assessment and faculty resources to establish overall composite scores, with U.S. News publishing exact individual ranks for the top 90% of institutions in each category and decile ranges for the remainder.

For prospective students and families navigating the college selection process, an institution recognized in U.S. News' Best Colleges rankings may be worth considering alongside other essential factors, such as location, net price, financial aid availability, campus life and specialized academic programs.

For more information on this and the new metrics, check out the methodologies.

Student Resources 
Beyond those informational resources, U.S. News actively supports families in navigating college costs. To help them offset the rising cost of higher education, U.S. News launched a $5,000 no-essay scholarship sweepstakes, open to prospective students from Sept. 22 on USNews.com. This initiative complements U.S. News' Scholarship Finder tool, which connects students with key financial aid resources and over 13,000 scholarship opportunities.

To order a copy of the "Best Colleges 2027" guidebook (ISBN 979-8-9864591-8-9), visit the online U.S. News store.

For more information, visit Best Colleges and use #BestColleges on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok and X.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is the global leader for journalism that empowers consumers, citizens, business leaders and policy officials to make confident decisions in all aspects of their lives and communities. A multifaceted media company, U.S. News provides unbiased rankings, independent reporting and analysis, and consumer advice to millions of people on USNews.com each month. A pillar in Washington for more than 90 years, U.S. News is the trusted home for in-depth and exclusive insights on education, health, politics, the economy, insurance, personal finance, travel, automobiles, real estate, careers and consumer products and services.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report, L.P.