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U.S. News 2026 Best Colleges: Princeton, MIT, Harvard Lead as UC Berkeley Becomes Top Public

Small methodology tweaks kept movement limited across the list.

Princeton University campus in Princeton, N.J., June 25, 2025.
Nassau Hall, the oldest building on Princeton University's campus in New Jersey.

Overview

  • U.S. News evaluated nearly 1,700 institutions using up to 17 measures and reported only minor adjustments to its formula for 2026.
  • UC Berkeley overtook UCLA as the top public university and ranked No. 15 overall, with UCLA at No. 17.
  • Notable movers included the University of Chicago up five places to No. 6, Northeastern up eight to No. 46, and Caltech down to No. 11.
  • In Florida, UF tied for No. 7 among public universities and No. 30 overall, FSU rose to No. 21 public and No. 51 overall, and USF advanced to No. 43 public.
  • Williams led national liberal arts colleges and Spelman topped HBCUs, while Florida International University was recognized among the leading performers on social mobility.