#1. Harvard University

Location: Cambridge, MA

In-state tuition: $43,938
Out-of-state tuition: $43,938

Acceptance rate: 6 percent
Average SAT score: 2265
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,338

Harvard University is a private research university founded in 1636. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. The school emerged as a national research university in the late 19th century under its president, Charles W. Eliot. Harvard has produced eight U.S. presidents and over 150 Nobel laureates.