The 100 best American universities
- Updated
How can you tell which college is right for you? How do you know you're getting the best value for your tuition money? Alas, there are no Arizona schools among these, but there's no accounting for taste.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
How can you tell which college is right for you? How do you know you're getting the best value for your tuition money? Using data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics and Wintergreen Orchard House from the 2014-15 school year, StartClass — an education site part of the Graphiq network — has ranked the 100 best American universities.
Colleges are sorted according to their StartClass Rank, which is comprised of the following factors:
- Academic Excellence (30 percent): This includes the institution's four-year graduation rate, full-time retention rate, student-faculty ratio and endowment per student, among other things.
- Expert Opinion (20 percent): StartClass compiled the latest college rankings from several publications, such as Forbes and U.S. News.
- Admissions Selectivity (18.6 percent): This takes into account the college's acceptance rate, average ACT and SAT scores as well as the percent of freshmen in the top half of their high school graduating class.
- Career Readiness (18.6 percent): This is largely determined by the post-graduation salaries of the school's alumni.
- Financial Affordability (12.9 percent): Determined by the university's average net price, financial aid and other factors.
It's important to keep in mind that these data points don't measure all the many factors that can impact a person's college experience. Our list aims to show which universities provide the most academic value, and ranks schools based on the quality of their statistical makeup. For students evaluating their collegiate options, this should serve as a helpful starting point.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#100. Smith College
Location: Northampton, MA
In-state tuition: $44,724
Out-of-state tuition: $44,724
Acceptance rate: 42.2 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,563
Smith College is a private women's liberal arts college founded in 1871. It is named after its founder, Sophia Smith, who, at age 65, used her inheritance money to create an institution of higher education for women.
#99. DePauw University
Location: Greencastle, IN
In-state tuition: $42,746
Out-of-state tuition: $42,746
Acceptance rate: 56.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1770
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,215
DePauw University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1837. It has Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University.
#98. Pepperdine University
Location: Malibu, CA
In-state tuition: $46,692
Out-of-state tuition: $46,692
Acceptance rate: 35.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1835
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,451
Pepperdine University is a private research university founded in 1937. The school has an average ACT score of 27.
#97. University of Georgia
Location: Athens, GA
In-state tuition: $10,836
Out-of-state tuition: $29,046
Acceptance rate: 55.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1850
Undergraduate enrollment: 26,882
The University of Georgia is a public research university founded in 1785, making it the first state-chartered college in Georgia.
#96. Union College
Location: Schenectady, NY
In-state tuition: $48,384
Out-of-state tuition: $48,384
Acceptance rate: 41.1 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,242
Union College is a private liberal arts university founded in 1795. Three well-known fraternities -- Kappa Alpha Society, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi -- were founded at Union College, earning the school the nickname "The Mother of Fraternities."
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#95. George Washington University
Location: Washington, D.C.
In-state tuition: $48,760
Out-of-state tuition: $48,760
Acceptance rate: 43.8 percent
Average SAT score: 1950
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,740
George Washington University is a private research university founded in 1821. Before 1904, it was called the Columbian College in the District of Columbia.
#94. Brigham Young University-Provo
Location: Provo, UT
In-state tuition: $5,000*
Out-of-state tuition: $5,000
Acceptance rate: 47 percent
Average SAT score: 1890
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,163
Brigham Young University is a private research university that is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school was founded in 1875 by Brigham Young, the former president of the LDS Church.
*Note: BYU charges different tuition fees for LDS and non-LDS students. The tuition listed here represents the price for LDS students for the 2014-15 school year.
#93. University of Rochester
Location: Rochester, NY
In-state tuition: $46,960
Out-of-state tuition: $46,960
Acceptance rate: 36.4 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,266
The University of Rochester is a private research university founded in 1850. The college is well known for its Eastman School of Music, which was founded in 1921 and is considered among the best music schools in the world.
#92. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Location: Needham, MA
In-state tuition: $46,681
Out-of-state tuition: $46,681
Acceptance rate: 12 percent
Average SAT score: 2202
Undergraduate enrollment: 350
The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is a private engineering college founded in 1997. Its namesake was an engineer, entrepreneur and professional baseball player who founded the Olin Corporation, a Fortune 1000 company.
#91. Boston University
Location: Boston, MA
In-state tuition: $46,664
Out-of-state tuition: $46,664
Acceptance rate: 34.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1945
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,017
Boston University is a private research university founded in 1839. It has historically been affiliated with the United Methodist Church but is now nonsectarian.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#90. Skidmore College
Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
In-state tuition: $47,464
Out-of-state tuition: $47,464
Acceptance rate: 37.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1861
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,632
Skidmore College is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1903. It was originally a women's school but began admitting men to its regular undergraduate program in 1971.
#89. Babson College
Location: Wellesley, MA
In-state tuition: $45,120
Out-of-state tuition: $45,120
Acceptance rate: 26.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1900
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,107
Babson College is a private business school that was founded in 1919. It was originally created as an all-male institute by Roger W. Babson, a successful entrepreneur and economist in the early 20th century.
#88. Wake Forest University
Location:Winston-Salem, NC
In-state tuition: $46,200
Out-of-state tuition: $46,200
Acceptance rate: 34.4 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,867
Wake Forest University is a private research university founded in 1834. It was originally called the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute but was renamed Wake Forest College in 1839.
#87. Soka University of America
Location: Aliso Viejo, CA
In-state tuition: $30,214
Out-of-state tuition: $30,214
Acceptance rate: 43.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1820
Undergraduate enrollment: 411
Soka University of America is a private liberal arts school founded in 2001. It has an average ACT score of 26.
#86. University of Washington-Seattle
Location: Seattle, WA
In-state tuition: $12,394
Out-of-state tuition: $33,513
Acceptance rate: 55.2 percent
Average SAT score: 1810
Undergraduate enrollment: 30,672
The University of Washington-Seattle is a public flagship research university founded in 1861. Its median post-graduation salary is $49,900.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#85. Centre College
Location: Danville, KY
In-state tuition: $37,100
Out-of-state tuition: $37,100
Acceptance rate: 71.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1830
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,387
Centre College is a private liberal arts school that was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian leaders. It has a relatively low 10:1 student-faculty ratio.
#84. Rhodes College
Location: Memphis, TN
In-state tuition: $41,572
Out-of-state tuition: $41,572
Acceptance rate: 60 percent
Average SAT score: 1935
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,031
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1848. Its most popular majors include biology, political science and business administration.
#83. University of California-Davis
Location: Davis, CA
In-state tuition: $13,896
Out-of-state tuition: $36,774
Acceptance rate: 40.4 percent
Average SAT score: 1805
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,565
UC Davis is a public research university and one of 10 schools in the University of California system. Founded in 1908, it is the third-oldest of all the UC schools.
#82. University of Maryland-College Park
Location: College Park, MD
In-state tuition: $9,427
Out-of-state tuition: $29,720
Acceptance rate: 47.9 percent
Average SAT score: 1972
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,056
The University of Maryland-College Park is a public research university founded in 1856. It is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland.
#81. University of California-Irvine
Location: Irvine, CA
In-state tuition: $13,179
Out-of-state tuition: $36,057
Acceptance rate: 37.4 percent
Average SAT score: 1725
Undergraduate enrollment: 24,489
UC Irvine is a public research university founded in 1965. The school has a median post-graduation salary of $48,000.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#80. St. Olaf College
Location: Northfield, MN
In-state tuition: $41,700
Out-of-state tuition: $41,700
Acceptance rate: 51.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1890
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,034
St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1874. It is named after the Patron Saint Olaf II of Norway and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
#79. Occidental College
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In-state tuition: $47,522
Out-of-state tuition: $47,522
Acceptance rate: 42 percent
Average SAT score: 1955
Undergraduate enrollment: 2040
Occidental College is a private liberal arts college established in 1887. It was founded by members of the Presbyterian Church and has an average ACT score of 29.
#78. University of Texas at Austin
Location: Austin, TX
In-state tuition: $9,830
Out-of-state tuition: $34,836
Acceptance rate: 39.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1915
Undergraduate enrollment: 39,523
The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university and flagship institution of the University of Texas System. It was founded in 1881 and has over 51,000 total students.
#77. Colorado College
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
In-state tuition: $46,410
Out-of-state tuition: $46,410
Acceptance rate: 17.9 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2050
Colorado College is a private liberal arts school located near the base of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 and now offers 33 majors.
#76. Whitman College
Location: Walla Walla, WA
In-state tuition: $44,800
Out-of-state tuition: $44,800
Acceptance rate: 41 percent
Average SAT score: 1970
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,498
Whitman College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1882. Its student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and its average ACT score is 30.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#75. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Location: Madison, WI
In-state tuition: $10,410
Out-of-state tuition: $26,660
Acceptance rate: 56.9 percent
Average SAT score: 1925
Undergraduate enrollment: 30,694
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public research university and the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It was founded in 1848, the same year Wisconsin achieved statehood.
#74. Scripps College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $47,378
Out-of-state tuition: $47,378
Acceptance rate: 28.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 972
Scripps College is a private liberal arts women's college founded in 1926. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges, a liberal arts consortium that also includes undergraduate schools Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College and Pitzer College.
#73. College of the Holy Cross
Location: Worcester, MA
In-state tuition: $45,692
Out-of-state tuition: $45,692
Acceptance rate: 43.3 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,787
The College of the Holy Cross is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1843. It has a six-year graduation rate of 93 percent.
#72. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Location: New York, NY
In-state tuition: $41,400
Out-of-state tuition: $41,400
Acceptance rate: 15.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2035
Undergraduate enrollment: 893
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a private college located in the East Village of Manhattan. Until 2014, the school offered free tuition to all its students, but has recently abandoned its full-scholarship model for the time being.
#71. University of California-Santa Barbara
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
In-state tuition: $13,865
Out-of-state tuition: $36,743
Acceptance rate: 36.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1850
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,238
UC Santa Barbara is a public research university founded in 1909. It has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and an average ACT score of 28.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#70. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location: Champaign, IL
In-state tuition: $15,020
Out-of-state tuition: $29,646
Acceptance rate: 59 percent
Average SAT score: 2030
Undergraduate enrollment: 32,959
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university founded in 1867. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system, which consists of three campuses.
#69. Oberlin College
Location: Oberlin, OH
In-state tuition: $48,682
Out-of-state tuition: $48,682
Acceptance rate: 32.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,961
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1833. It is the first college in the U.S. to accept both men and women as students.
#68. Bates College
Location: Lewiston, ME
In-state tuition: $47,030
Out-of-state tuition: $47,030
Acceptance rate: 25.4 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,773
Bates College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1855. Its most popular majors include psychology, economics and history.
#67. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Location: Troy, NY
In-state tuition: $47,908
Out-of-state tuition: $47,908
Acceptance rate: 37.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2092
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,618
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private research university. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest technological university in any English-speaking country.
#66. Bryn Mawr College
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
In-state tuition: $45,540
Out-of-state tuition: $45,540
Acceptance rate: 40.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1995
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,308
Bryn Mawr College is a private women's liberal arts school founded in 1885. It is one of the Seven Sisters colleges, a loose association of seven historically women's liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern U.S., including Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College and Wellesley College.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#65. Wesleyan University
Location: Middletown, CT
In-state tuition: $48,272
Out-of-state tuition: $48,272
Acceptance rate: 23.9 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,928
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831. It is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
#64. Bucknell University
Location: Lewisburg, PA
In-state tuition: $48,498
Out-of-state tuition: $48,498
Acceptance rate: 30.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1960
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,565
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1846. It has an average ACT score of 30.
#63. University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
In-state tuition: $6,313
Out-of-state tuition: $28,591
Acceptance rate: 45.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1890
Undergraduate enrollment: 32,829
The University of Florida is a public research university founded in 1853. It has nearly 50,000 total students and a high student-faculty ratio of 21:1.
#62. Case Western Reserve University
Location: Cleveland, OH
In-state tuition: $43,158
Out-of-state tuition: $43,158
Acceptance rate: 38.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2030
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,911
Case Western Reserve University is a private school founded in 1826. It was originally located in Hudson, Ohio, then moved to Cleveland in 1882.
#61. Macalester College
Location: St. Paul, MN
In-state tuition: $47,195
Out-of-state tuition: $47,195
Acceptance rate: 36.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2047
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,073
Macalester College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1874. Its founder, Rev. Edward Duffield Neill, was a chaplain in the Civil War and established Macalester as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian school.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#60. University of Richmond
Location: Richmond, VA
In-state tuition: $46,680
Out-of-state tuition: $46,680
Acceptance rate: 31.8 percent
Average SAT score: 1976
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,346
The University of Richmond is a private liberal arts college founded in 1830. Its most popular majors include business administration, leadership studies and psychology.
#59. Lehigh University
Location: Bethlehem, PA
In-state tuition: $44,890
Out-of-state tuition: $44,890
Acceptance rate: 34.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1980
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,062
Lehigh University is a private research university founded in 1865. It has an average ACT score of 30.
#58. University of California-San Diego
Location: La Jolla, CA
In-state tuition: $13,427
Out-of-state tuition: $36,305
Acceptance rate: 33.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1955
Undergraduate enrollment: 24,810
UC San Diego is a public research university founded in 1960. It has a median post-graduation salary of $50,000.
#57. Kenyon College
Location: Gambier, OH
In-state tuition: $47,330
Out-of-state tuition: $47,330
Acceptance rate: 25.1 percent
Average SAT score: 1995
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,662
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1824. It is the oldest private college in Ohio.
#56. Brandeis University
Location: Waltham, MA
In-state tuition: $47,558
Out-of-state tuition: $47,558
Acceptance rate: 35.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,729
Brandeis University is a private research university founded in 1948. It was named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#55. United States Air Force Academy
Location: Usafa, CO
In-state tuition: Not reported
Out-of-state tuition: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 16.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1950
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,952
The United States Air Force Academy is a military academy for officer cadets of the U.S. Air Force. It was founded in 1954 and is the youngest of the five U.S. service academies.
#54. Lafayette College
Location: Easton, PA
In-state tuition: $46,385
Out-of-state tuition: $46,385
Acceptance rate: 29.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1935
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,503
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1826. The school is named after Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer who fought for the U.S. in the American Revolutionary War.
#53. Emory University
Location: Atlanta, GA
In-state tuition: $45,008
Out-of-state tuition: $45,008
Acceptance rate: 26.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2060
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,829
Emory University is a private research university founded in 1836. The school has a very small student-faculty ratio of 8:1 and an average ACT score of 30.
#52. Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
In-state tuition: $49,022
Out-of-state tuition: $49,022
Acceptance rate: 24.6 percent
Average SAT score: 2150
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,888
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university founded in 1900. It was established by renowned industrialist Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools, and merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in 1967.
#51. Boston College
Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
In-state tuition: $47,436
Out-of-state tuition: $47,436
Acceptance rate: 33.9 percent
Average SAT score: 2050
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,856
Boston College is a private Jesuit Catholic research university founded in 1863 and located just outside of downtown Boston. It began as a liberal arts college but expanded as it added graduate programs and professional schools.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#50. United States Naval Academy
Location: Annapolis, MD
In-state tuition: Not reported
Out-of-state tuition: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 7.9 percent
Average SAT score: 1927
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,511
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year federal service academy founded in 1845. It is the second oldest of the U.S. service academies, and educates officers primarily into the Navy and Marine Corps.
#49. University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In-state tuition: $48,280
Out-of-state tuition: $48,280
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
Average SAT score: 2070
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,739
The University of Southern California is a private research university founded in 1880. The school was established by a group led by Judge Robert Maclay Widney, using land donated by prominent members of the community.
#48. Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: Atlanta, GA
In-state tuition: $11,394
Out-of-state tuition: $30,698
Acceptance rate: 33.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2080
Undergraduate enrollment: 14,682
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university founded in 1885. Its average ACT score is 31, and it offers 54 different undergraduate degrees.
#47. Barnard College
Location: New York, NY
In-state tuition: $46,040
Out-of-state tuition: $46,040
Acceptance rate: 23.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2035
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,573
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts school founded in 1889. It was the first college in New York City that admitted women as students.
#46. United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, NY
In-state tuition: Not reported
Out-of-state tuition: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 9.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1880
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,414
The United States Military Academy is a federal service academy founded in 1802, making it the oldest service academy in the country. It is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#45. Colby College
Location: Waterville, ME
In-state tuition: $47,350
Out-of-state tuition: $47,350
Acceptance rate: 28 percent
Average SAT score: 2000
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,847
Colby College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1813. It began as an all-male school but admitted women in 1871, becoming the first all-male New England college to do so. In 1983, Colby became the first college to issue e-mail accounts to all students.
#44. Bowdoin College
Location: Brunswick, ME
In-state tuition: $46,808
Out-of-state tuition: $46,808
Acceptance rate: 14.9 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,805
Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1794. Its most popular majors include government, economics and mathematics.
#43. Colgate University
Location: Hamilton, NY
In-state tuition: $48,175
Out-of-state tuition: $48,175
Acceptance rate: 26.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2062
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,875
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1819. It has a six-year graduation rate of 90 percent, and its median post-graduation salary is $51,500.
#42. Vassar College
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
In-state tuition: $49,570
Out-of-state tuition: $49,570
Acceptance rate: 23.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2110
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,421
Vassar College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1861. It was the first college to offer women courses in art history, physical education, geology, astronomy, music, mathematics and chemistry.
#41. Middlebury College
Location: Middlebury, VT
In-state tuition: $46,044
Out-of-state tuition: $46,044
Acceptance rate: 17.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2065
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,526
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1800. In 1823, Alexander Twilight graduated from Middlebury, becoming the first African-American citizen to earn a baccalaureate degree at a U.S. college.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#40. University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, VA
In-state tuition: $13,208
Out-of-state tuition: $42,394
Acceptance rate: 29 percent
Average SAT score: 2025
Undergraduate enrollment: 16,483
The University of Virginia is a public research university founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. It has an average ACT score of 30 and a median post-graduation salary of $51,000.
#39. College of William & Mary
Location: Williamsburg, VA
In-state tuition: $17,656
Out-of-state tuition: $39,916
Acceptance rate: 33 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,299
The College of William & Mary is a public research university founded in 1693, making it the second-oldest university in the U.S. It was established by King William III and Queen Mary II and is the alma mater of U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler.
#38. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
In-state tuition: $8,336
Out-of-state tuition: $33,418
Acceptance rate: 28.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1965
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,350
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university founded in 1789, making it the first public institution of higher education in the state. The school offers 127 majors, and it has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1.
#37. Grinnell College
Location: Grinnell, IA
In-state tuition: $8,336
Out-of-state tuition: $33,418
Acceptance rate: 28.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1965
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,350
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1846. It was originally located in Davenport, Iowa, under the name Iowa College.
#36. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
In-state tuition: $13,486
Out-of-state tuition: $41,906
Acceptance rate: 32.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2050
Undergraduate enrollment: 28,395
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public research university founded in 1817, 20 years before Michigan achieved statehood. The school was originally located in Detroit and moved to Ann Arbor in 1837.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#35. Carleton College
Location: Northfield, MN
In-state tuition: $47,736
Out-of-state tuition: $47,736
Acceptance rate: 22.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2115
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,057
Carleton College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1866. It has a very high six-year graduation rate of 94 percent, and an average ACT score of 31.
#34. Hamilton College
Location: Clinton, NY
In-state tuition: $47,820
Out-of-state tuition: $47,820
Acceptance rate: 26.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2085
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,904
Hamilton College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1793, making it the third-oldest college established in New York State. Originally an all-boys school, Hamilton became coeducational in 1978 when it merged with Kirkland College.
#33. University of California-Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In-state tuition: $12,705
Out-of-state tuition: $35,583
Acceptance rate: 18.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1990
Undergraduate enrollment: 29,633
UCLA is a public research university founded in 1919. It has a median post-graduation salary of $50,000, and 73 percent of its students are in-state.
#32. Davidson College
Location: Davidson, NC
In-state tuition: $45,377
Out-of-state tuition: $45,377
Acceptance rate: 21.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2000
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,770
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1837. Its average ACT score is 30 and its student-faculty ratio is 10:1.
#31. Wellesley College
Location: Wellesley, MA
In-state tuition: $45,078
Out-of-state tuition: $45,078
Acceptance rate: 30.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2095
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,323
Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts school founded in 1870. Its most popular majors include economics, political science and English.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#30. Haverford College
Location: Haverford, PA
In-state tuition: $47,214
Out-of-state tuition: $47,214
Acceptance rate: 24.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2115
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,194
Haverford College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1833. It was originally founded as an all-boys school and began admitting women in 1976.
#29. Claremont McKenna College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $47,395
Out-of-state tuition: $47,395
Acceptance rate: 10.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2155
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,301
Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1946. It has a low student-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a median post-graduation salary of $50,000.
#28. Tufts University
Location: Medford, MA
In-state tuition: $48,643
Out-of-state tuition: $48,643
Acceptance rate: 17.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2165
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,177
Tufts University is a private research university founded in 1852. The school was established by the Universalist Church and is named after Boston businessman Charles Tufts, who gave the church 20 acres of land on which to build the school.
#27. Washington University in St. Louis
Location: St. Louis, MO
In-state tuition: $46,467
Out-of-state tuition: $46,467
Acceptance rate: 17.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2230
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,401
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university founded in 1853. It was founded by St. Louis merchant Wayman Crow and his pastor, William Greenleaf Eliot Jr. The school is named after George Washington.
#26. Swarthmore College
Location: Swarthmore, PA
In-state tuition: $46,060
Out-of-state tuition: $46,060
Acceptance rate: 17 percent
Average SAT score: 2172
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,542
Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1864. Its most popular majors include political science, economics and biology.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#25. Georgetown University
Location: Washington, D.C.
In-state tuition: $46,744
Out-of-state tuition: $46,744
Acceptance rate: 17.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2130
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,595
Georgetown University is a private research university founded in 1789. It is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit college in the country.
#24. University of California-Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
In-state tuition: $12,972
Out-of-state tuition: $35,850
Acceptance rate: 16 percent
Average SAT score: 2055
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,126
UC Berkeley is a public research university founded in 1868. The school's average ACT score is 31, and it is StartClass' highest-ranked public school.
#23. Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, MD
In-state tuition: $47,060
Out-of-state tuition: $47,060
Acceptance rate: 16.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2150
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,357
Johns Hopkins University is a private research university founded in 1876. It was established by Baltimore-based railroad investor Johns Hopkins, who spent $7 million to form the university and a nearby hospital, each named after him.
#22. Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, IL
In-state tuition: $47,251
Out-of-state tuition: $47,251
Acceptance rate: 13.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2205
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,048
Northwestern University is a private research university founded in 1851. It was established by a group of nine men led by John Evans, for whom the city of Evanston is named.
#21. Harvey Mudd College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $48,594
Out-of-state tuition: $48,594
Acceptance rate:14.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2214
Undergraduate enrollment: 804
Harvey Mudd College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1955. It is named after Harvey Seeley Mudd, who was a mining engineer and founder of the Cyprus Mines Corporation. Its tuition is the highest among all colleges in California.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#20. Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, NY
In-state tuition: $47,286
Out-of-state tuition: $47,286
Acceptance rate: 14.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2130
Undergraduate enrollment: 14,282
Cornell University is a private research university founded in 1865. Its median post-graduation salary is $61,900, and it has a low student-faculty ratio of 9:1.
#19. Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, TN
In-state tuition: $43,838
Out-of-state tuition: $43,838
Acceptance rate: 13.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2230
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,851
Vanderbilt University is a private research university founded in 1873. Its founder, railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, gave $1 million to endow and build the school after being convinced by Methodist Bishop Holland N. McTyeire.
#18. University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, IN
In-state tuition: $46,237
Out-of-state tuition: $46,237
Acceptance rate: 21.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2145
Undergraduate enrollment: 8,448
The University of Notre Dame is a private research university founded in 1842. Its founder was a 28-year-old French priest, Rev. Edward Sorin, who named the school "L'Université de Notre Dame du Lac," meaning The University of Our Lady of the Lake.
#17. Brown University
Location: Providence, RI
In-state tuition: $47,434
Out-of-state tuition: $47,434
Acceptance rate: 8.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2165
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,548
Brown University is a private research university founded in 1764. The school was the first Ivy League school to accept students from all religious affiliations, and women were first admitted to Brown in 1891.
#16. Rice University
Location: Houston, TX
In-state tuition: $40,566
Out-of-state tuition: $40,566
Acceptance rate: 15.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2190
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,926
Rice University is a private research university founded in 1912. The origin of the school is a tale fit for the big screen: Businessman William Marsh Rice, who made his fortune in real estate, bequeathed his fortune to the creation of a university bearing his name, to be built upon his death. In 1900, he was murdered by his valet in a conspiracy conjured up by Rice's lawyer, Albert T. Patrick. Patrick was convicted and sent to prison, and after the legal process ran its course, Rice University -- then known as the Rice Institute -- was given a $4.6 million endowment in 1904.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#15. University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
In-state tuition: $49,380
Out-of-state tuition: $49,380
Acceptance rate: 8.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2262
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,738
The University of Chicago is a private research university founded in 1890. Its median post-graduation salary is $45,000, and it has an extremely low student-faculty ratio of 6:1.
#14. Washington and Lee University
Location: Lexington, VA
In-state tuition: $45,617
Out-of-state tuition: $45,617
Acceptance rate: 19.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2075
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,890
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts school founded in 1749. The school was originally called Augusta Academy and was renamed Washington University after receiving a donation from George Washington. Robert E. Lee served as the university president for five years until his death in 1870, upon which the school was given its current name.
#13. Dartmouth College
Location: Hanover, NH
In-state tuition: $48,108
Out-of-state tuition: $48,108
Acceptance rate: 11.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2195
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,289
Dartmouth College is a private research university founded in 1769. The school became coeducational in 1972.
#12. Pomona College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $45,832
Out-of-state tuition: $45,832
Acceptance rate: 12.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2195
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,650
Pomona College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1887. It is the founding member of the Claremont Colleges, which is a consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools located in Claremont, Calif.
#11. Duke University
Location: Durham, NC
In-state tuition: $47,243
Out-of-state tuition: $47,243
Acceptance rate: 11.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2195
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,626
Duke University is a private research university founded in 1838. It has an average ACT score of 32 and a student-faculty ratio of 7:1.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#10. Amherst College
Location: Amherst, MA
In-state tuition: $48,526
Out-of-state tuition: $48,526
Acceptance rate: 13.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2169
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,792
Amherst College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1821. It was originally a men's college and became coeducational in 1975. Amherst is a member of the "Little Three" colleges, an unofficial athletic conference of three elite New England liberal arts colleges, along with Wesleyan University and Williams College.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#9. University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, PA
In-state tuition: $47,668
Out-of-state tuition: $47,668
Acceptance rate: 10.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2190
Undergraduate enrollment: 11,548
The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university founded in 1740. It was founded by Benjamin Franklin with the goal of having a liberal arts-like curriculum, though this plan was never fully adopted. Instead, the school used a more traditional curriculum when it held its first classes in 1751, more than a decade after its initial founding.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#8. Columbia University in the City of New York
Location: New York, NY
In-state tuition: $51,008
Out-of-state tuition: $51,008
Acceptance rate: 6.9 percent
Average SAT score: 2220
Undergraduate enrollment: 8,100
Columbia University is a private research university founded in 1754. It was established by royal charter of King George II as King's College. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in New York State. The school was renamed Columbia University in 1896.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#7. California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, CA
In-state tuition: $43,362
Out-of-state tuition: $43,362
Acceptance rate: 8.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2310
Undergraduate enrollment: 983
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university founded in 1891. Its median post-graduation salary is $66,500, and it has a student-faculty ratio of 3:1.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#6. Williams College
Location: Williamstown, MA
In-state tuition: $48,310
Out-of-state tuition: $48,310
Acceptance rate: 19.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2190
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,072
Williams College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1793. Its six-year graduation rate is 96 percent, and it has an average ACT score of 32.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#5. Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
In-state tuition: $45,800
Out-of-state tuition: $45,800
Acceptance rate: 6.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2255
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,477
Yale University is a private research university founded in 1701. It was originally located in Saybrook, Conn., as the Collegiate School. It moved to its current location in 1716 and was renamed Yale College in 1718.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#4. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA
In-state tuition: $45,195
Out-of-state tuition: $45,195
Acceptance rate: 5.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2215
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,019
Stanford University is a private research university founded in 1885. It has the lowest acceptance rate in the country, and its average ACT score is 34.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, MA
In-state tuition: $45,016
Out-of-state tuition: $45,016
Acceptance rate: 7.9 percent
Average SAT score: 2230
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,512
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university founded in 1861. Informally referred to as "Boston Tech" in its early stages, the school faced a long delay during its first years due to the Civil War. The first classes were held in 1865.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#2. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, NJ
In-state tuition: $41,820
Out-of-state tuition: $41,820
Acceptance rate: 7.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2250
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,391
Princeton University is a private research university founded in 1746. It was originally established as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J. It moved to Newark in 1747, then to its current site in 1756. It was renamed Princeton University in 1896.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
- Updated
#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.
- By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
- Updated
PHOENIX — The Arizona Supreme Court has slapped down legal efforts by Attorney General Mark Brnovich to challenge the tuition charged at the state’s three universities.
But the justices did give him the go-ahead to sue the Board of Regents over what he calls an illegal subsidy of tuition for “dreamers.”
And that opens the door for his lawyers to question university officials about how tuition is set and help Arizona taxpayers decide if they are getting their money’s worth out of higher education, Brnovich told Capitol Media Services.
In a unanimous decision Wednesday, the justices did not address Brnovich’s assertion that sharp tuition increases of the past decade violate a constitutional provision that instruction be “as nearly free as possible.”
The attorney general also argued that the Board of Regents, which approved the rates, relied on extraneous and illegal outside factors, such as what state-run universities elsewhere were charging, to determine how much students here should pay.
But Justice Clint Bolick, writing for the court, said that is all legally irrelevant as Brnovich has no legal right to bring the lawsuit in the first place.
He pointed out that state law allows the attorney general to bring legal actions only when specifically authorized by statute or with permission of the governor.
In this case, Bolick said, there is no legislative authority. And Gov. Doug Ducey, who has been openly hostile to the legal challenge, also never authorized it.
Larry Penley, who chairs the Board of Regents, said he sees the ruling as a win. He said the state deserves “an attorney general who respects the law and does not overstep the vested authority of the office.”
Wednesday’s ruling, however, was not a total loss for Brnovich.
The justices said he does have the power to sue for recovery of illegal expenditure of state funds.
That paves the way for trial on Brnovich’s contention that it was illegal for the regents to allow students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to pay the same tuition as lawful Arizona residents to attend state universities, a tuition that even the universities conceded does not cover the full cost of instruction. The policy has since been scrapped.
All this does, however, is send the case back to trial court to give Brnovich a chance to make his case.
“Ultimately, he bears the burden of identifying such expenditures,” Bolick wrote.
“Higher education industrial complex”
But in allowing Brnovich to sue over tuition charged to DACA recipients, known as dreamers, the justices handed him what amounts to a legal sledgehammer to force public disclosure of what goes into the tuition paid by Arizona residents.
For Brnovich to determine whether the tuition charged to dreamers was an illegal subsidy of public funds, he first needs to know what, in fact, is the cost of providing a college education in Arizona. That in turn will allow him to question members of the Board of Regents and university officials.
“That provides our office all sorts of opportunities to start to get to the bottom of what the true cost of tuition is, what the universities are spending money on, how they’re providing education,” Brnovich said.
“I think that will provide a lot of insight to the public and to us, as taxpayers, what is and isn’t going on at the universities,” he said. “I think that’s going to make some people in the higher education industrial complex really nervous once our lawyers get the opportunity to depose people in the university hierarchy.”
Penley said the board has nothing to hide.
“There is no secret to the tuition-setting process, how we set tuition, or what the number actually is in setting tuition,” he said.
“It is all quite public,” Penley continued. “So, of course, he’s welcome to all of that information.”
“An adult conversation”
Central to all of this is the state constitutional provision about instruction being “as nearly free as possible.” Brnovich argued the universities are violating it, citing not just the actual tuition but also various mandatory fees for things like athletics.
He cited the sharp increase in the cost of going to state universities here in the last two decades, a figure Brnovich pegs at 400%. That includes a one-year hike of 39.1% in 2003.
Resident tuition at the University of Arizona for the 2008-2009 school year was $5,531. For the 2019-2020 school year tuition and mandatory fees it is $12,671.
There were similar increases at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University.
“The reality is no other elected official, Republican or Democrat, is talking about this,” said Brnovich, a Republican.
He said that while he cannot sue directly over the issue of tuition, what he discovers will provoke “an adult conversation as to what tuition should or shouldn’t be, and whether hardworking Arizona taxpayers are getting a fair price for what they’re paying for university tuition.”
Decrease in state aid Is a factor
Penley said the tuition increases are directly linked to a decrease in state aid.
According to legislative budget reports, general fund dollars from the state went from $7,212 per student in the 2009-2010 school year to $4,051 now.
Brnovich, however, also contends the tuition set by the regents is not based on the actual cost of furnishing instruction but also includes “a substantial subsidy for other university pursuits.”
But the Supreme Court, with its ruling, said “the attorney general has no inherent or common law authority.”
Instead, the Arizona Constitution says the attorney general has only those powers “prescribed by law.”
And Bolick said while lawmakers have granted power for things ranging from enforcing consumer fraud laws to going after cities whose actions conflict with state law, they never provided specific authority to sue another state agency.
The remaining count — the one the justices said Brnovich can pursue — deals with how the regents sought to provide some financial assistance to dreamers.
DACA, established in the Obama administration, allows those who were brought to this country illegally as children to remain without fear of deportation.
The regents, following a policy set at the Maricopa Community Colleges and upheld by a trial judge, agreed to allow those in the program who otherwise meet Arizona residence requirements to attend state universities while paying only in-state tuition.
But the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that violates a 2006 voter-approved state law, which spells out that any person who is not a citizen or “without lawful immigration status” is ineligible to be charged the same tuition at state colleges and universities available to residents.
The regents scrapped the policy, replacing it with one that charges DACA recipients 150% of in-state tuition, which they concluded is a rough estimate of the actual cost of education.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
How can you tell which college is right for you? How do you know you're getting the best value for your tuition money? Using data reported to the National Center for Education Statistics and Wintergreen Orchard House from the 2014-15 school year, StartClass — an education site part of the Graphiq network — has ranked the 100 best American universities.
Colleges are sorted according to their StartClass Rank, which is comprised of the following factors:
- Academic Excellence (30 percent): This includes the institution's four-year graduation rate, full-time retention rate, student-faculty ratio and endowment per student, among other things.
- Expert Opinion (20 percent): StartClass compiled the latest college rankings from several publications, such as Forbes and U.S. News.
- Admissions Selectivity (18.6 percent): This takes into account the college's acceptance rate, average ACT and SAT scores as well as the percent of freshmen in the top half of their high school graduating class.
- Career Readiness (18.6 percent): This is largely determined by the post-graduation salaries of the school's alumni.
- Financial Affordability (12.9 percent): Determined by the university's average net price, financial aid and other factors.
It's important to keep in mind that these data points don't measure all the many factors that can impact a person's college experience. Our list aims to show which universities provide the most academic value, and ranks schools based on the quality of their statistical makeup. For students evaluating their collegiate options, this should serve as a helpful starting point.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#100. Smith College
Location: Northampton, MA
In-state tuition: $44,724
Out-of-state tuition: $44,724
Acceptance rate: 42.2 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,563
Smith College is a private women's liberal arts college founded in 1871. It is named after its founder, Sophia Smith, who, at age 65, used her inheritance money to create an institution of higher education for women.
#99. DePauw University
Location: Greencastle, IN
In-state tuition: $42,746
Out-of-state tuition: $42,746
Acceptance rate: 56.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1770
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,215
DePauw University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1837. It has Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University.
#98. Pepperdine University
Location: Malibu, CA
In-state tuition: $46,692
Out-of-state tuition: $46,692
Acceptance rate: 35.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1835
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,451
Pepperdine University is a private research university founded in 1937. The school has an average ACT score of 27.
#97. University of Georgia
Location: Athens, GA
In-state tuition: $10,836
Out-of-state tuition: $29,046
Acceptance rate: 55.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1850
Undergraduate enrollment: 26,882
The University of Georgia is a public research university founded in 1785, making it the first state-chartered college in Georgia.
#96. Union College
Location: Schenectady, NY
In-state tuition: $48,384
Out-of-state tuition: $48,384
Acceptance rate: 41.1 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,242
Union College is a private liberal arts university founded in 1795. Three well-known fraternities -- Kappa Alpha Society, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi -- were founded at Union College, earning the school the nickname "The Mother of Fraternities."
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#95. George Washington University
Location: Washington, D.C.
In-state tuition: $48,760
Out-of-state tuition: $48,760
Acceptance rate: 43.8 percent
Average SAT score: 1950
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,740
George Washington University is a private research university founded in 1821. Before 1904, it was called the Columbian College in the District of Columbia.
#94. Brigham Young University-Provo
Location: Provo, UT
In-state tuition: $5,000*
Out-of-state tuition: $5,000
Acceptance rate: 47 percent
Average SAT score: 1890
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,163
Brigham Young University is a private research university that is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The school was founded in 1875 by Brigham Young, the former president of the LDS Church.
*Note: BYU charges different tuition fees for LDS and non-LDS students. The tuition listed here represents the price for LDS students for the 2014-15 school year.
#93. University of Rochester
Location: Rochester, NY
In-state tuition: $46,960
Out-of-state tuition: $46,960
Acceptance rate: 36.4 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,266
The University of Rochester is a private research university founded in 1850. The college is well known for its Eastman School of Music, which was founded in 1921 and is considered among the best music schools in the world.
#92. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Location: Needham, MA
In-state tuition: $46,681
Out-of-state tuition: $46,681
Acceptance rate: 12 percent
Average SAT score: 2202
Undergraduate enrollment: 350
The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is a private engineering college founded in 1997. Its namesake was an engineer, entrepreneur and professional baseball player who founded the Olin Corporation, a Fortune 1000 company.
#91. Boston University
Location: Boston, MA
In-state tuition: $46,664
Out-of-state tuition: $46,664
Acceptance rate: 34.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1945
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,017
Boston University is a private research university founded in 1839. It has historically been affiliated with the United Methodist Church but is now nonsectarian.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#90. Skidmore College
Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
In-state tuition: $47,464
Out-of-state tuition: $47,464
Acceptance rate: 37.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1861
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,632
Skidmore College is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1903. It was originally a women's school but began admitting men to its regular undergraduate program in 1971.
#89. Babson College
Location: Wellesley, MA
In-state tuition: $45,120
Out-of-state tuition: $45,120
Acceptance rate: 26.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1900
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,107
Babson College is a private business school that was founded in 1919. It was originally created as an all-male institute by Roger W. Babson, a successful entrepreneur and economist in the early 20th century.
#88. Wake Forest University
Location:Winston-Salem, NC
In-state tuition: $46,200
Out-of-state tuition: $46,200
Acceptance rate: 34.4 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,867
Wake Forest University is a private research university founded in 1834. It was originally called the Wake Forest Manual Labor Institute but was renamed Wake Forest College in 1839.
#87. Soka University of America
Location: Aliso Viejo, CA
In-state tuition: $30,214
Out-of-state tuition: $30,214
Acceptance rate: 43.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1820
Undergraduate enrollment: 411
Soka University of America is a private liberal arts school founded in 2001. It has an average ACT score of 26.
#86. University of Washington-Seattle
Location: Seattle, WA
In-state tuition: $12,394
Out-of-state tuition: $33,513
Acceptance rate: 55.2 percent
Average SAT score: 1810
Undergraduate enrollment: 30,672
The University of Washington-Seattle is a public flagship research university founded in 1861. Its median post-graduation salary is $49,900.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#85. Centre College
Location: Danville, KY
In-state tuition: $37,100
Out-of-state tuition: $37,100
Acceptance rate: 71.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1830
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,387
Centre College is a private liberal arts school that was founded in 1819 by Presbyterian leaders. It has a relatively low 10:1 student-faculty ratio.
#84. Rhodes College
Location: Memphis, TN
In-state tuition: $41,572
Out-of-state tuition: $41,572
Acceptance rate: 60 percent
Average SAT score: 1935
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,031
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1848. Its most popular majors include biology, political science and business administration.
#83. University of California-Davis
Location: Davis, CA
In-state tuition: $13,896
Out-of-state tuition: $36,774
Acceptance rate: 40.4 percent
Average SAT score: 1805
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,565
UC Davis is a public research university and one of 10 schools in the University of California system. Founded in 1908, it is the third-oldest of all the UC schools.
#82. University of Maryland-College Park
Location: College Park, MD
In-state tuition: $9,427
Out-of-state tuition: $29,720
Acceptance rate: 47.9 percent
Average SAT score: 1972
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,056
The University of Maryland-College Park is a public research university founded in 1856. It is the flagship institution of the University System of Maryland.
#81. University of California-Irvine
Location: Irvine, CA
In-state tuition: $13,179
Out-of-state tuition: $36,057
Acceptance rate: 37.4 percent
Average SAT score: 1725
Undergraduate enrollment: 24,489
UC Irvine is a public research university founded in 1965. The school has a median post-graduation salary of $48,000.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#80. St. Olaf College
Location: Northfield, MN
In-state tuition: $41,700
Out-of-state tuition: $41,700
Acceptance rate: 51.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1890
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,034
St. Olaf College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1874. It is named after the Patron Saint Olaf II of Norway and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
#79. Occidental College
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In-state tuition: $47,522
Out-of-state tuition: $47,522
Acceptance rate: 42 percent
Average SAT score: 1955
Undergraduate enrollment: 2040
Occidental College is a private liberal arts college established in 1887. It was founded by members of the Presbyterian Church and has an average ACT score of 29.
#78. University of Texas at Austin
Location: Austin, TX
In-state tuition: $9,830
Out-of-state tuition: $34,836
Acceptance rate: 39.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1915
Undergraduate enrollment: 39,523
The University of Texas at Austin is a public research university and flagship institution of the University of Texas System. It was founded in 1881 and has over 51,000 total students.
#77. Colorado College
Location: Colorado Springs, CO
In-state tuition: $46,410
Out-of-state tuition: $46,410
Acceptance rate: 17.9 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2050
Colorado College is a private liberal arts school located near the base of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 and now offers 33 majors.
#76. Whitman College
Location: Walla Walla, WA
In-state tuition: $44,800
Out-of-state tuition: $44,800
Acceptance rate: 41 percent
Average SAT score: 1970
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,498
Whitman College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1882. Its student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and its average ACT score is 30.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#75. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Location: Madison, WI
In-state tuition: $10,410
Out-of-state tuition: $26,660
Acceptance rate: 56.9 percent
Average SAT score: 1925
Undergraduate enrollment: 30,694
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a public research university and the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It was founded in 1848, the same year Wisconsin achieved statehood.
#74. Scripps College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $47,378
Out-of-state tuition: $47,378
Acceptance rate: 28.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 972
Scripps College is a private liberal arts women's college founded in 1926. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges, a liberal arts consortium that also includes undergraduate schools Pomona College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College and Pitzer College.
#73. College of the Holy Cross
Location: Worcester, MA
In-state tuition: $45,692
Out-of-state tuition: $45,692
Acceptance rate: 43.3 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,787
The College of the Holy Cross is a private liberal arts college that was founded in 1843. It has a six-year graduation rate of 93 percent.
#72. Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
Location: New York, NY
In-state tuition: $41,400
Out-of-state tuition: $41,400
Acceptance rate: 15.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2035
Undergraduate enrollment: 893
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is a private college located in the East Village of Manhattan. Until 2014, the school offered free tuition to all its students, but has recently abandoned its full-scholarship model for the time being.
#71. University of California-Santa Barbara
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
In-state tuition: $13,865
Out-of-state tuition: $36,743
Acceptance rate: 36.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1850
Undergraduate enrollment: 20,238
UC Santa Barbara is a public research university founded in 1909. It has a student-faculty ratio of 17:1 and an average ACT score of 28.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#70. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location: Champaign, IL
In-state tuition: $15,020
Out-of-state tuition: $29,646
Acceptance rate: 59 percent
Average SAT score: 2030
Undergraduate enrollment: 32,959
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university founded in 1867. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system, which consists of three campuses.
#69. Oberlin College
Location: Oberlin, OH
In-state tuition: $48,682
Out-of-state tuition: $48,682
Acceptance rate: 32.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,961
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1833. It is the first college in the U.S. to accept both men and women as students.
#68. Bates College
Location: Lewiston, ME
In-state tuition: $47,030
Out-of-state tuition: $47,030
Acceptance rate: 25.4 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,773
Bates College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1855. Its most popular majors include psychology, economics and history.
#67. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Location: Troy, NY
In-state tuition: $47,908
Out-of-state tuition: $47,908
Acceptance rate: 37.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2092
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,618
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private research university. Founded in 1824, it is the oldest technological university in any English-speaking country.
#66. Bryn Mawr College
Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
In-state tuition: $45,540
Out-of-state tuition: $45,540
Acceptance rate: 40.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1995
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,308
Bryn Mawr College is a private women's liberal arts school founded in 1885. It is one of the Seven Sisters colleges, a loose association of seven historically women's liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern U.S., including Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, Radcliffe College, Smith College, Vassar College and Wellesley College.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#65. Wesleyan University
Location: Middletown, CT
In-state tuition: $48,272
Out-of-state tuition: $48,272
Acceptance rate: 23.9 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,928
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831. It is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodism.
#64. Bucknell University
Location: Lewisburg, PA
In-state tuition: $48,498
Out-of-state tuition: $48,498
Acceptance rate: 30.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1960
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,565
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1846. It has an average ACT score of 30.
#63. University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
In-state tuition: $6,313
Out-of-state tuition: $28,591
Acceptance rate: 45.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1890
Undergraduate enrollment: 32,829
The University of Florida is a public research university founded in 1853. It has nearly 50,000 total students and a high student-faculty ratio of 21:1.
#62. Case Western Reserve University
Location: Cleveland, OH
In-state tuition: $43,158
Out-of-state tuition: $43,158
Acceptance rate: 38.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2030
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,911
Case Western Reserve University is a private school founded in 1826. It was originally located in Hudson, Ohio, then moved to Cleveland in 1882.
#61. Macalester College
Location: St. Paul, MN
In-state tuition: $47,195
Out-of-state tuition: $47,195
Acceptance rate: 36.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2047
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,073
Macalester College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1874. Its founder, Rev. Edward Duffield Neill, was a chaplain in the Civil War and established Macalester as a Presbyterian-affiliated but nonsectarian school.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#60. University of Richmond
Location: Richmond, VA
In-state tuition: $46,680
Out-of-state tuition: $46,680
Acceptance rate: 31.8 percent
Average SAT score: 1976
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,346
The University of Richmond is a private liberal arts college founded in 1830. Its most popular majors include business administration, leadership studies and psychology.
#59. Lehigh University
Location: Bethlehem, PA
In-state tuition: $44,890
Out-of-state tuition: $44,890
Acceptance rate: 34.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1980
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,062
Lehigh University is a private research university founded in 1865. It has an average ACT score of 30.
#58. University of California-San Diego
Location: La Jolla, CA
In-state tuition: $13,427
Out-of-state tuition: $36,305
Acceptance rate: 33.3 percent
Average SAT score: 1955
Undergraduate enrollment: 24,810
UC San Diego is a public research university founded in 1960. It has a median post-graduation salary of $50,000.
#57. Kenyon College
Location: Gambier, OH
In-state tuition: $47,330
Out-of-state tuition: $47,330
Acceptance rate: 25.1 percent
Average SAT score: 1995
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,662
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1824. It is the oldest private college in Ohio.
#56. Brandeis University
Location: Waltham, MA
In-state tuition: $47,558
Out-of-state tuition: $47,558
Acceptance rate: 35.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,729
Brandeis University is a private research university founded in 1948. It was named after Louis Brandeis, the first Jewish justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#55. United States Air Force Academy
Location: Usafa, CO
In-state tuition: Not reported
Out-of-state tuition: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 16.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1950
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,952
The United States Air Force Academy is a military academy for officer cadets of the U.S. Air Force. It was founded in 1954 and is the youngest of the five U.S. service academies.
#54. Lafayette College
Location: Easton, PA
In-state tuition: $46,385
Out-of-state tuition: $46,385
Acceptance rate: 29.7 percent
Average SAT score: 1935
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,503
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1826. The school is named after Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, a French aristocrat and military officer who fought for the U.S. in the American Revolutionary War.
#53. Emory University
Location: Atlanta, GA
In-state tuition: $45,008
Out-of-state tuition: $45,008
Acceptance rate: 26.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2060
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,829
Emory University is a private research university founded in 1836. The school has a very small student-faculty ratio of 8:1 and an average ACT score of 30.
#52. Carnegie Mellon University
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
In-state tuition: $49,022
Out-of-state tuition: $49,022
Acceptance rate: 24.6 percent
Average SAT score: 2150
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,888
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university founded in 1900. It was established by renowned industrialist Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools, and merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research in 1967.
#51. Boston College
Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
In-state tuition: $47,436
Out-of-state tuition: $47,436
Acceptance rate: 33.9 percent
Average SAT score: 2050
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,856
Boston College is a private Jesuit Catholic research university founded in 1863 and located just outside of downtown Boston. It began as a liberal arts college but expanded as it added graduate programs and professional schools.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#50. United States Naval Academy
Location: Annapolis, MD
In-state tuition: Not reported
Out-of-state tuition: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 7.9 percent
Average SAT score: 1927
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,511
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year federal service academy founded in 1845. It is the second oldest of the U.S. service academies, and educates officers primarily into the Navy and Marine Corps.
#49. University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In-state tuition: $48,280
Out-of-state tuition: $48,280
Acceptance rate: 18 percent
Average SAT score: 2070
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,739
The University of Southern California is a private research university founded in 1880. The school was established by a group led by Judge Robert Maclay Widney, using land donated by prominent members of the community.
#48. Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: Atlanta, GA
In-state tuition: $11,394
Out-of-state tuition: $30,698
Acceptance rate: 33.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2080
Undergraduate enrollment: 14,682
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university founded in 1885. Its average ACT score is 31, and it offers 54 different undergraduate degrees.
#47. Barnard College
Location: New York, NY
In-state tuition: $46,040
Out-of-state tuition: $46,040
Acceptance rate: 23.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2035
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,573
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts school founded in 1889. It was the first college in New York City that admitted women as students.
#46. United States Military Academy
Location: West Point, NY
In-state tuition: Not reported
Out-of-state tuition: Not reported
Acceptance rate: 9.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1880
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,414
The United States Military Academy is a federal service academy founded in 1802, making it the oldest service academy in the country. It is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#45. Colby College
Location: Waterville, ME
In-state tuition: $47,350
Out-of-state tuition: $47,350
Acceptance rate: 28 percent
Average SAT score: 2000
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,847
Colby College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1813. It began as an all-male school but admitted women in 1871, becoming the first all-male New England college to do so. In 1983, Colby became the first college to issue e-mail accounts to all students.
#44. Bowdoin College
Location: Brunswick, ME
In-state tuition: $46,808
Out-of-state tuition: $46,808
Acceptance rate: 14.9 percent
Average SAT score: Not reported
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,805
Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1794. Its most popular majors include government, economics and mathematics.
#43. Colgate University
Location: Hamilton, NY
In-state tuition: $48,175
Out-of-state tuition: $48,175
Acceptance rate: 26.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2062
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,875
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1819. It has a six-year graduation rate of 90 percent, and its median post-graduation salary is $51,500.
#42. Vassar College
Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
In-state tuition: $49,570
Out-of-state tuition: $49,570
Acceptance rate: 23.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2110
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,421
Vassar College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1861. It was the first college to offer women courses in art history, physical education, geology, astronomy, music, mathematics and chemistry.
#41. Middlebury College
Location: Middlebury, VT
In-state tuition: $46,044
Out-of-state tuition: $46,044
Acceptance rate: 17.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2065
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,526
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1800. In 1823, Alexander Twilight graduated from Middlebury, becoming the first African-American citizen to earn a baccalaureate degree at a U.S. college.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#40. University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, VA
In-state tuition: $13,208
Out-of-state tuition: $42,394
Acceptance rate: 29 percent
Average SAT score: 2025
Undergraduate enrollment: 16,483
The University of Virginia is a public research university founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. It has an average ACT score of 30 and a median post-graduation salary of $51,000.
#39. College of William & Mary
Location: Williamsburg, VA
In-state tuition: $17,656
Out-of-state tuition: $39,916
Acceptance rate: 33 percent
Average SAT score: 2040
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,299
The College of William & Mary is a public research university founded in 1693, making it the second-oldest university in the U.S. It was established by King William III and Queen Mary II and is the alma mater of U.S. presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe and John Tyler.
#38. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
In-state tuition: $8,336
Out-of-state tuition: $33,418
Acceptance rate: 28.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1965
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,350
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university founded in 1789, making it the first public institution of higher education in the state. The school offers 127 majors, and it has a student-faculty ratio of 13:1.
#37. Grinnell College
Location: Grinnell, IA
In-state tuition: $8,336
Out-of-state tuition: $33,418
Acceptance rate: 28.5 percent
Average SAT score: 1965
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,350
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1846. It was originally located in Davenport, Iowa, under the name Iowa College.
#36. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
In-state tuition: $13,486
Out-of-state tuition: $41,906
Acceptance rate: 32.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2050
Undergraduate enrollment: 28,395
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor is a public research university founded in 1817, 20 years before Michigan achieved statehood. The school was originally located in Detroit and moved to Ann Arbor in 1837.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#35. Carleton College
Location: Northfield, MN
In-state tuition: $47,736
Out-of-state tuition: $47,736
Acceptance rate: 22.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2115
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,057
Carleton College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1866. It has a very high six-year graduation rate of 94 percent, and an average ACT score of 31.
#34. Hamilton College
Location: Clinton, NY
In-state tuition: $47,820
Out-of-state tuition: $47,820
Acceptance rate: 26.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2085
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,904
Hamilton College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1793, making it the third-oldest college established in New York State. Originally an all-boys school, Hamilton became coeducational in 1978 when it merged with Kirkland College.
#33. University of California-Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles, CA
In-state tuition: $12,705
Out-of-state tuition: $35,583
Acceptance rate: 18.6 percent
Average SAT score: 1990
Undergraduate enrollment: 29,633
UCLA is a public research university founded in 1919. It has a median post-graduation salary of $50,000, and 73 percent of its students are in-state.
#32. Davidson College
Location: Davidson, NC
In-state tuition: $45,377
Out-of-state tuition: $45,377
Acceptance rate: 21.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2000
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,770
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1837. Its average ACT score is 30 and its student-faculty ratio is 10:1.
#31. Wellesley College
Location: Wellesley, MA
In-state tuition: $45,078
Out-of-state tuition: $45,078
Acceptance rate: 30.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2095
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,323
Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts school founded in 1870. Its most popular majors include economics, political science and English.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#30. Haverford College
Location: Haverford, PA
In-state tuition: $47,214
Out-of-state tuition: $47,214
Acceptance rate: 24.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2115
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,194
Haverford College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1833. It was originally founded as an all-boys school and began admitting women in 1976.
#29. Claremont McKenna College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $47,395
Out-of-state tuition: $47,395
Acceptance rate: 10.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2155
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,301
Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1946. It has a low student-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a median post-graduation salary of $50,000.
#28. Tufts University
Location: Medford, MA
In-state tuition: $48,643
Out-of-state tuition: $48,643
Acceptance rate: 17.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2165
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,177
Tufts University is a private research university founded in 1852. The school was established by the Universalist Church and is named after Boston businessman Charles Tufts, who gave the church 20 acres of land on which to build the school.
#27. Washington University in St. Louis
Location: St. Louis, MO
In-state tuition: $46,467
Out-of-state tuition: $46,467
Acceptance rate: 17.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2230
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,401
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university founded in 1853. It was founded by St. Louis merchant Wayman Crow and his pastor, William Greenleaf Eliot Jr. The school is named after George Washington.
#26. Swarthmore College
Location: Swarthmore, PA
In-state tuition: $46,060
Out-of-state tuition: $46,060
Acceptance rate: 17 percent
Average SAT score: 2172
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,542
Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college founded in 1864. Its most popular majors include political science, economics and biology.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#25. Georgetown University
Location: Washington, D.C.
In-state tuition: $46,744
Out-of-state tuition: $46,744
Acceptance rate: 17.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2130
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,595
Georgetown University is a private research university founded in 1789. It is the oldest Catholic and Jesuit college in the country.
#24. University of California-Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
In-state tuition: $12,972
Out-of-state tuition: $35,850
Acceptance rate: 16 percent
Average SAT score: 2055
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,126
UC Berkeley is a public research university founded in 1868. The school's average ACT score is 31, and it is StartClass' highest-ranked public school.
#23. Johns Hopkins University
Location: Baltimore, MD
In-state tuition: $47,060
Out-of-state tuition: $47,060
Acceptance rate: 16.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2150
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,357
Johns Hopkins University is a private research university founded in 1876. It was established by Baltimore-based railroad investor Johns Hopkins, who spent $7 million to form the university and a nearby hospital, each named after him.
#22. Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, IL
In-state tuition: $47,251
Out-of-state tuition: $47,251
Acceptance rate: 13.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2205
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,048
Northwestern University is a private research university founded in 1851. It was established by a group of nine men led by John Evans, for whom the city of Evanston is named.
#21. Harvey Mudd College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $48,594
Out-of-state tuition: $48,594
Acceptance rate:14.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2214
Undergraduate enrollment: 804
Harvey Mudd College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1955. It is named after Harvey Seeley Mudd, who was a mining engineer and founder of the Cyprus Mines Corporation. Its tuition is the highest among all colleges in California.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#20. Cornell University
Location: Ithaca, NY
In-state tuition: $47,286
Out-of-state tuition: $47,286
Acceptance rate: 14.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2130
Undergraduate enrollment: 14,282
Cornell University is a private research university founded in 1865. Its median post-graduation salary is $61,900, and it has a low student-faculty ratio of 9:1.
#19. Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, TN
In-state tuition: $43,838
Out-of-state tuition: $43,838
Acceptance rate: 13.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2230
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,851
Vanderbilt University is a private research university founded in 1873. Its founder, railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, gave $1 million to endow and build the school after being convinced by Methodist Bishop Holland N. McTyeire.
#18. University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, IN
In-state tuition: $46,237
Out-of-state tuition: $46,237
Acceptance rate: 21.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2145
Undergraduate enrollment: 8,448
The University of Notre Dame is a private research university founded in 1842. Its founder was a 28-year-old French priest, Rev. Edward Sorin, who named the school "L'Université de Notre Dame du Lac," meaning The University of Our Lady of the Lake.
#17. Brown University
Location: Providence, RI
In-state tuition: $47,434
Out-of-state tuition: $47,434
Acceptance rate: 8.7 percent
Average SAT score: 2165
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,548
Brown University is a private research university founded in 1764. The school was the first Ivy League school to accept students from all religious affiliations, and women were first admitted to Brown in 1891.
#16. Rice University
Location: Houston, TX
In-state tuition: $40,566
Out-of-state tuition: $40,566
Acceptance rate: 15.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2190
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,926
Rice University is a private research university founded in 1912. The origin of the school is a tale fit for the big screen: Businessman William Marsh Rice, who made his fortune in real estate, bequeathed his fortune to the creation of a university bearing his name, to be built upon his death. In 1900, he was murdered by his valet in a conspiracy conjured up by Rice's lawyer, Albert T. Patrick. Patrick was convicted and sent to prison, and after the legal process ran its course, Rice University -- then known as the Rice Institute -- was given a $4.6 million endowment in 1904.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#15. University of Chicago
Location: Chicago, IL
In-state tuition: $49,380
Out-of-state tuition: $49,380
Acceptance rate: 8.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2262
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,738
The University of Chicago is a private research university founded in 1890. Its median post-graduation salary is $45,000, and it has an extremely low student-faculty ratio of 6:1.
#14. Washington and Lee University
Location: Lexington, VA
In-state tuition: $45,617
Out-of-state tuition: $45,617
Acceptance rate: 19.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2075
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,890
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts school founded in 1749. The school was originally called Augusta Academy and was renamed Washington University after receiving a donation from George Washington. Robert E. Lee served as the university president for five years until his death in 1870, upon which the school was given its current name.
#13. Dartmouth College
Location: Hanover, NH
In-state tuition: $48,108
Out-of-state tuition: $48,108
Acceptance rate: 11.5 percent
Average SAT score: 2195
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,289
Dartmouth College is a private research university founded in 1769. The school became coeducational in 1972.
#12. Pomona College
Location: Claremont, CA
In-state tuition: $45,832
Out-of-state tuition: $45,832
Acceptance rate: 12.2 percent
Average SAT score: 2195
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,650
Pomona College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1887. It is the founding member of the Claremont Colleges, which is a consortium of five undergraduate and two graduate schools located in Claremont, Calif.
#11. Duke University
Location: Durham, NC
In-state tuition: $47,243
Out-of-state tuition: $47,243
Acceptance rate: 11.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2195
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,626
Duke University is a private research university founded in 1838. It has an average ACT score of 32 and a student-faculty ratio of 7:1.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#10. Amherst College
Location: Amherst, MA
In-state tuition: $48,526
Out-of-state tuition: $48,526
Acceptance rate: 13.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2169
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,792
Amherst College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1821. It was originally a men's college and became coeducational in 1975. Amherst is a member of the "Little Three" colleges, an unofficial athletic conference of three elite New England liberal arts colleges, along with Wesleyan University and Williams College.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#9. University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, PA
In-state tuition: $47,668
Out-of-state tuition: $47,668
Acceptance rate: 10.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2190
Undergraduate enrollment: 11,548
The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university founded in 1740. It was founded by Benjamin Franklin with the goal of having a liberal arts-like curriculum, though this plan was never fully adopted. Instead, the school used a more traditional curriculum when it held its first classes in 1751, more than a decade after its initial founding.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#8. Columbia University in the City of New York
Location: New York, NY
In-state tuition: $51,008
Out-of-state tuition: $51,008
Acceptance rate: 6.9 percent
Average SAT score: 2220
Undergraduate enrollment: 8,100
Columbia University is a private research university founded in 1754. It was established by royal charter of King George II as King's College. It is the oldest institution of higher learning in New York State. The school was renamed Columbia University in 1896.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#7. California Institute of Technology
Location: Pasadena, CA
In-state tuition: $43,362
Out-of-state tuition: $43,362
Acceptance rate: 8.8 percent
Average SAT score: 2310
Undergraduate enrollment: 983
The California Institute of Technology is a private research university founded in 1891. Its median post-graduation salary is $66,500, and it has a student-faculty ratio of 3:1.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#6. Williams College
Location: Williamstown, MA
In-state tuition: $48,310
Out-of-state tuition: $48,310
Acceptance rate: 19.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2190
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,072
Williams College is a private liberal arts school founded in 1793. Its six-year graduation rate is 96 percent, and it has an average ACT score of 32.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#5. Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
In-state tuition: $45,800
Out-of-state tuition: $45,800
Acceptance rate: 6.3 percent
Average SAT score: 2255
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,477
Yale University is a private research university founded in 1701. It was originally located in Saybrook, Conn., as the Collegiate School. It moved to its current location in 1716 and was renamed Yale College in 1718.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#4. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA
In-state tuition: $45,195
Out-of-state tuition: $45,195
Acceptance rate: 5.1 percent
Average SAT score: 2215
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,019
Stanford University is a private research university founded in 1885. It has the lowest acceptance rate in the country, and its average ACT score is 34.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, MA
In-state tuition: $45,016
Out-of-state tuition: $45,016
Acceptance rate: 7.9 percent
Average SAT score: 2230
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,512
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university founded in 1861. Informally referred to as "Boston Tech" in its early stages, the school faced a long delay during its first years due to the Civil War. The first classes were held in 1865.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#2. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, NJ
In-state tuition: $41,820
Out-of-state tuition: $41,820
Acceptance rate: 7.4 percent
Average SAT score: 2250
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,391
Princeton University is a private research university founded in 1746. It was originally established as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J. It moved to Newark in 1747, then to its current site in 1756. It was renamed Princeton University in 1896.
- Nick Selbe, StartClass.com
#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.
- By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — The Arizona Supreme Court has slapped down legal efforts by Attorney General Mark Brnovich to challenge the tuition charged at the state’s three universities.
But the justices did give him the go-ahead to sue the Board of Regents over what he calls an illegal subsidy of tuition for “dreamers.”
And that opens the door for his lawyers to question university officials about how tuition is set and help Arizona taxpayers decide if they are getting their money’s worth out of higher education, Brnovich told Capitol Media Services.
In a unanimous decision Wednesday, the justices did not address Brnovich’s assertion that sharp tuition increases of the past decade violate a constitutional provision that instruction be “as nearly free as possible.”
The attorney general also argued that the Board of Regents, which approved the rates, relied on extraneous and illegal outside factors, such as what state-run universities elsewhere were charging, to determine how much students here should pay.
But Justice Clint Bolick, writing for the court, said that is all legally irrelevant as Brnovich has no legal right to bring the lawsuit in the first place.
He pointed out that state law allows the attorney general to bring legal actions only when specifically authorized by statute or with permission of the governor.
In this case, Bolick said, there is no legislative authority. And Gov. Doug Ducey, who has been openly hostile to the legal challenge, also never authorized it.
Larry Penley, who chairs the Board of Regents, said he sees the ruling as a win. He said the state deserves “an attorney general who respects the law and does not overstep the vested authority of the office.”
Wednesday’s ruling, however, was not a total loss for Brnovich.
The justices said he does have the power to sue for recovery of illegal expenditure of state funds.
That paves the way for trial on Brnovich’s contention that it was illegal for the regents to allow students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program to pay the same tuition as lawful Arizona residents to attend state universities, a tuition that even the universities conceded does not cover the full cost of instruction. The policy has since been scrapped.
All this does, however, is send the case back to trial court to give Brnovich a chance to make his case.
“Ultimately, he bears the burden of identifying such expenditures,” Bolick wrote.
“Higher education industrial complex”
But in allowing Brnovich to sue over tuition charged to DACA recipients, known as dreamers, the justices handed him what amounts to a legal sledgehammer to force public disclosure of what goes into the tuition paid by Arizona residents.
For Brnovich to determine whether the tuition charged to dreamers was an illegal subsidy of public funds, he first needs to know what, in fact, is the cost of providing a college education in Arizona. That in turn will allow him to question members of the Board of Regents and university officials.
“That provides our office all sorts of opportunities to start to get to the bottom of what the true cost of tuition is, what the universities are spending money on, how they’re providing education,” Brnovich said.
“I think that will provide a lot of insight to the public and to us, as taxpayers, what is and isn’t going on at the universities,” he said. “I think that’s going to make some people in the higher education industrial complex really nervous once our lawyers get the opportunity to depose people in the university hierarchy.”
Penley said the board has nothing to hide.
“There is no secret to the tuition-setting process, how we set tuition, or what the number actually is in setting tuition,” he said.
“It is all quite public,” Penley continued. “So, of course, he’s welcome to all of that information.”
“An adult conversation”
Central to all of this is the state constitutional provision about instruction being “as nearly free as possible.” Brnovich argued the universities are violating it, citing not just the actual tuition but also various mandatory fees for things like athletics.
He cited the sharp increase in the cost of going to state universities here in the last two decades, a figure Brnovich pegs at 400%. That includes a one-year hike of 39.1% in 2003.
Resident tuition at the University of Arizona for the 2008-2009 school year was $5,531. For the 2019-2020 school year tuition and mandatory fees it is $12,671.
There were similar increases at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University.
“The reality is no other elected official, Republican or Democrat, is talking about this,” said Brnovich, a Republican.
He said that while he cannot sue directly over the issue of tuition, what he discovers will provoke “an adult conversation as to what tuition should or shouldn’t be, and whether hardworking Arizona taxpayers are getting a fair price for what they’re paying for university tuition.”
Decrease in state aid Is a factor
Penley said the tuition increases are directly linked to a decrease in state aid.
According to legislative budget reports, general fund dollars from the state went from $7,212 per student in the 2009-2010 school year to $4,051 now.
Brnovich, however, also contends the tuition set by the regents is not based on the actual cost of furnishing instruction but also includes “a substantial subsidy for other university pursuits.”
But the Supreme Court, with its ruling, said “the attorney general has no inherent or common law authority.”
Instead, the Arizona Constitution says the attorney general has only those powers “prescribed by law.”
And Bolick said while lawmakers have granted power for things ranging from enforcing consumer fraud laws to going after cities whose actions conflict with state law, they never provided specific authority to sue another state agency.
The remaining count — the one the justices said Brnovich can pursue — deals with how the regents sought to provide some financial assistance to dreamers.
DACA, established in the Obama administration, allows those who were brought to this country illegally as children to remain without fear of deportation.
The regents, following a policy set at the Maricopa Community Colleges and upheld by a trial judge, agreed to allow those in the program who otherwise meet Arizona residence requirements to attend state universities while paying only in-state tuition.
But the Arizona Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that violates a 2006 voter-approved state law, which spells out that any person who is not a citizen or “without lawful immigration status” is ineligible to be charged the same tuition at state colleges and universities available to residents.
The regents scrapped the policy, replacing it with one that charges DACA recipients 150% of in-state tuition, which they concluded is a rough estimate of the actual cost of education.
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