Tier 1 Universities In USA

Not all information one comes across online is true. That’s why here on Collegelearners, we provide the finest information on tier 1 universities in USA and U.S. News college rankings 2024. Tier 1 is comprised of major private research universities, including MIT, UChicago, Stanford, John Hopkins, Northwestern, California Institute of Technology, Duke, Vanderbilt, and Rice (among many others). The campuses are likely to be quite large and include graduate schools and a medium to large student population.

For students interested in applying to tier 1 universities in the USA, admission requirements vary depending on the institution. Generally, applicants will need to have a strong academic record, including a high GPA and competitive standardized test scores. In addition, letters of recommendation, a personal statement or essay, and extracurricular activities may also be considered as part of the application.

The admission process for tier 1 universities in the USA typically involves submitting an online application, along with all required materials such as transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and essays. Some schools may also require an interview or additional materials. Once the application is submitted and reviewed, applicants may be notified of their admission decision, which can range from acceptance to the university to being placed on a waitlist. It is important for prospective students to carefully follow all application instructions and deadlines to ensure the best chance of success in the admissions process.

Top 100 Universities in USA

Known for its diverse ethnicities as well as top universities, USA is one of the hotspots of global education across all disciplines, especially in the business programs. As recorded by NCES, around 4,000 colleges and universities across the country presently welcome international students to study in USA. According to QS World University Rankings, 2022, the USA comprises 50 of the top 200 universities in the world.

Admission requirements for the top universities in the USA varies based on the programs and level of study. Most of the top colleges and universities in the USA focus on academic achievements and professional experiences. As an international student, you need to demonstrate a GPA score of 3.0-4.0 on a 4.0 scale (~83-100%) to get selected by the US universities.

The supporting documents required for admission include SOP, LOR, financial proof, immigration documents, CV and scores of exams to study in USA. Remember, if you have transcripts or any certificates in a regional language, the US universities may ask for translated copies from recognized evaluating agencies.

Despite changes in visa policies, sky-rocketing fees of courses, strict interviews during visa and more, the US remains a popular student hub. Find out why are students choosing the US!

Top Universities in USA: Global Rankings

With a significant number of universities ranking in the top universities list of various reputed ranking organizations, USA truly has set benchmarks in standards of education. The following table contains some of the top universities to study in USA:

University	QS Ranking 2022	THE Ranking 2021
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	#1	#5
Stanford University	#3	#2
Harvard University	#5	#3
California Institute of Technology	#6	#4
The University of Chicago	#10	#10
University of Pennsylvania	#13	#13
Yale University	#14	#8
Columbia University	#19	#17
Princeton University	#20	#9
Cornell University	#21	#19
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	#23	#22
John Hopkins University	#25	#12
Northwestern University	#30	#24
University of California, Berkeley	#32	#7
University of California, Los Angeles	#40	#15
New York University	#42	#26

Top Universities in USA: Top Courses and Specializations 

The US universities offer a variety of specialization courses to the postgraduate students. Almost all the colleges and universities offer specialization degrees to the postgraduate students. Extensive double-degree programs are also offered by several universities with specialization in two homogenous programs. Following are some of the top specialization programs offered by the US universities:

Programs	Specializations
MBA	Accounting
MBA	Marketing
MFin	Finance
M.S. in Computer Science	Programming Languages
M.S. in Computer Science	Artificial Intelligence
M.S. in Computer Science	Cybersecurity
MSN	Family Nurse Practitioner
M..S. in Business Analytics	Big Data Analytics
M..S. in Business Analytics	Supply Chain Analytics
M.S. in Psychology	Clinical Psychology
M.S. in Psychology	Forensic Psychology
Master of Architecture	Building Architecture
M.S. in Aerospace Engineering	Flight Mechanics
M.S. in International Business	International Business and Trade

Note: The aforementioned programs are only a few among the diverse range of specializations offered to the international students interested to study in USA.

Top Universities in USA for UG Courses 

The undergraduate programs in the USA are equally popular among international students like the graduate and postgraduate programs. The students planning to prepare for the graduate programs from an early stage choose to take admission to a US college or university. This eases their endeavour in taking admission to the top institutions like medical science or engineering colleges in USA.

Besides, some of the regional universities offer a 3-year undergraduate program which is not accepted by the universities in the USA. In rarest of the cases these degrees are accepted with demonstration of additional test documents. To avoid such burdens, students prefer to study in a 4-year undergraduate program at a US institution.

As an added advantage, the English proficiency test requirements are waived for admission to postgraduate programs, if the student already completes a 4-year graduate program in the USA. Some of the top undergraduate programs offered by the US universities are tabulated below:

Popular Undergraduate Programs	Top Universities
BBA	Harvard University Stanford University Columbia University
Bachelor of Physics	Stanford University The University of Chicago MIT
B.Sc. in Nursing	University of Pennsylvania University of California Los Angeles University of Washington
B.Sc. in Computer Science	Harvard University Stanford University MIT
B.Sc. in Chemistry	University of California Los Angeles Princeton University Columbia University
B.Sc. in Civil Engineering	California Institute of Technology Yale University John Hopkins University
B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering	University of California San Diego University of Washington New York University
B.Sc. in Biology	Harvard University University of California Berkeley Stanford University
B. Sc. in Physics	Harvard University Stanford University MIT
B.A. in Economics	Northwestern University University of Michigan Cornell University
B.A. in Psychology	Harvard University Stanford University University of California Berkeley

Note: The above table comprises only a few of the top universities offering these programs. Each of these programs are offered by numerous other universities and colleges in USA.

Top Universities in USA for PG Courses 

The international students from all across the world visit the USA to study graduate programs. In general, nearly 1.1 million international students enrol in the universities and colleges of the USA in an academic year. International candidates steadily comprise 5.5% of the student population in the USA due to the wide availability of the uncommon programs and top-notch quality of the common programs.

Another reason for choosing US universities over others is, students with a US degree are valued anywhere around the world. Following are some of the top graduate programs offered by the US universities:

Popular Graduate Programs	Top Universities
MBA	Harvard University Stanford University MIT
M.S. in Computer Engineering	University of California Columbia University Yale University
M.S. in Finance	Harvard University Princeton University University of Pennsylvania
MSN	Yale University University of Pennsylvania University of California Los Angeles
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering	John Hopkins University Duke University Stanford University
M.A. in Mathematics	University of California Harvard University Stanford University
M.Sc. in Economics	The University of Chicago Cornell University Columbia University
M.S. in Statistics	University of Pennsylvania Harvard University Stanford University
M.S. in Marketing	Georgia State University University of Washington Duke University
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering	Harvard University University of Washington New York University
M.S. in Artificial Intelligence	Stanford University Columbia University Northwestern University
M.S. in Robotics	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor New York University

Top Universities in USA for MBA

MBA being one of the most coveted programs to study in the USA, expectedly attracts a large number of international candidates. The country offers over 1000 MBA programs across various colleges, B-schools and universities. International students can study full-time MBA, part-time MBA, executive MBA and other accelerated MBA programs in USA. After completing their MBA in USA, graduate students earn a yearly salary of around 160,000 USD on an average. Some of the top MBA colleges in USA are listed below:

Colleges	Yearly Cost of Studying MBA in USD	Admission Requirements
Harvard Business School	112,000	Transcripts, TOEFL iBT: 109, IELTS: 7.5 or PTE: 75
Stanford Graduate School of Business	119,000	Transcripts, GMAT or GRE, LOR, Essays, SOP, English proficiency tests
The Wharton School	115,000	Transcripts, GRE or GMAT score, Application, English proficiency tests
University of Chicago Booth School of Business	112,000	UG degree, GMAT or GRE score, TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores
John Hopkins Carey Business School	67,000	Transcripts, Resume, 2 essays, LOR, GMAT or GRE score, TOEFL or IELTS score, Interview
MIT Sloan School of Management	79,000	Cover letter, Resume, Video statement, LOR, Organizational chart, Transcripts, GMAT or GRE scores, Professional certificates, Relevant courseworks
Kellogg School of Management	111,000-150,000	Transcripts, Test scores, Work experience, Interpersonal skills
Columbia Business School	118,000	Transcripts, Test scores
Stern School of Business, NYU	121,000	4-years degree, IELTS, TOEFL or DET score
Yale School of Management	104,000	Bachelor’s degree, GMAT, GRE or EA, Professional LOR, Employer approval, Resume, Essays and area of focus

Top Universities in USA for MS in Computer Science 

M.S. is one of the most awarded degrees offered to international students in the USA across a wide variety of programs. Most of the renowned colleges offer the MS in Computer Science programs to the international applicants. The admission requirements for the programs are higher in comparison to the other countries. Some of the top universities offering M.Sc. or M.S. in Computer Science in USA are tabulated below:

Colleges	Yearly Cost of Studying in USD
University of California, Berkeley	10,000-18,000
Harvard University	55,000
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor	28,000
Columbia University (Dual degree)	119,000-123,000
Stanford University	33,000
Cornell University	50,000
John Hopkins University	59,000
New York University	50,000
Northwestern University	91,000
Princeton University	56,400

Top Universities in USA for Doctoral Courses 

There is an abundance of doctoral and postdoctoral programs in the USA for overseas candidates. Students get state-of-the-art technology and research options while pursuing their doctoral programs across several universities in the USA. Some scholars are offered with fully-funded doctoral programs by various top universities in USA.

As the USA is an industry-rich country, students get on-hand opportunities to observe professionals closely. This helps in learning lessons practically and in their proper implementation. Some of the significant doctoral and research programs in USA are listed below:

Programs	Popular Colleges	Average Costs in USD
Ph.D. in Computer Science	Harvard University Stanford University MIT	25,000
Ph.D. in Business Administration	Columbia University Stanford University University of California Berkeley	18,000
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering	Stanford University Duke University Columbia University	Fully-funded
Ph.D. in Neuroscience	Stanford University Harvard University University of Pennsylvania	72,000
Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology	Harvard University MIT John Hopkins University	25,000
Ph.D. in Data Science	Stanford University California Institute of Technology Harvard University	25,000
Ph.D. in Statistics	Yale University University of California Berkeley University of Washington	Fully-funded
Ph.D. in Genetics	MIT Harvard University Boston University	70,000
Ph.D. in Anthropology	Stanford University MIT Columbia University	17,000-72,000
Ph.D. in Immunology	The University of Chicago Stanford University Harvard University	72,000

USA is the world’s leading international study destination, consistently dominating the global rankings. Top US universities make  almost 29% of the top 100 positions in the ranking, with again 29 US universities in the top  global 300. Read on to focus this year’s top 10, plus how the other 147 top US universities highlighted in the ranking. Below are top 10 Universities in USA as per the QS Ranking table for Year 2019 –20.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) tops  the QS World University Rankings 2019-2020, standing 1^st for the 8^th  year running. Situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT is surely known for its physical sciences and engineering, but it’s also progressively well-respected  other subject fields in the social sciences, arts and humanities.

2. Stanford University

Stanford University ranks 2^nd  in the world in the 2019-2020 tables. Situated  in the center of the famous Silicon Valley, Stanford University and is especially well-known for its business courses – with an alumni community full of outstanding entrepreneurs and attained the top position for environmental in the QS World University Rankings.

3. Harvard University

Harvard University halts the unceasing trio of US universities at the top of the QS World University Rankings this year. Harvard is the very earliest university in the US, registering back to 1636, and attained the top position for accounting and finance in the QS World University Rankings by Faculty 2020.

4. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Retaining 5^th  place in the overall world ranking this year is California Institute of Technology, commonly known as Caltech, situated in the city of Pasadena, California. The  smallest US university in the top 10, Caltech knocks above its weight – particularly in scientific and technical subjects.

5. University of Chicago

Ranked 5^th  in the US and 10^th  in the world this year, the University of Chicago is related with 89 Nobel Prize winners, and its physics department is admitted for developing the world’s first man-made, self-sustaining nuclear reaction.

6. Princeton University

Princeton University has again retained its position at 13^th place this year. It’s one of the oldest US universities, it’s specifically known for academic excellence in mathematics, achieving 4^th  place for this in the faculty rankings.

7. Cornell University

Situated in Ithaca, New York, Cornell University ranks 14^th in the world this year. Having awarded the nation’s first veterinary medicine degree, it currently ranks 5^th in the world for veterinary science in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020.

8. University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, known as Penn, is ranked 15^th in the world this year. Situated in Philadelphia, it’s one of the other institutions which is highly renowned for life sciences and medicine, ranking 1^st  place in this year’s inaugural ranking of the world’s top nursing schools.

9. Yale University

Yale University is ranked 17^th  in the world this year. Yale University was founded by English Puritans in 1701, making it the third-oldest higher education institution in the United States. It’s especially well-known for its academic excellence in translational medicine and research.

10. Columbia University

The Columbia University is ranked 18^th in the world this year. Established in 1754, Columbia University is a private Ivy League research university in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It was established as King’s College by the royal charter of George II of Great Britain and renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolutionary War.

Here you can see the complete list of Universities with their ranking in the United States.

NATIONAL RANKING	WORLD RANKING	TOP UNIVERSITIES IN UNITED STATES
1	1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
2	2	Stanford University
3	3	Harvard University
4	5	California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
5	10	University of Chicago
6	13	Princeton University
7	14	Cornell University
8	15	University of Pennsylvania
9	17	Yale University
10	18	Columbia University
11	21	University of Michigan
12	24	Johns Hopkins University
13	25	Duke University
14	28	University of California, Berkeley (UCB)
15	31	Northwestern University
16	35	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
17	39	New York University (NYU)
18	45	University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
19	48	Carnegie Mellon University
20	56	University of Wisconsin-Madison
21	57	Brown University
22	65	University of Texas at Austin
23	68	University of Washington
24	72	Georgia Institute of Technology
25	75	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
26	85	Rice University
27	90	University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
28	93	Pennsylvania State University
29	98	Boston University
30	101	The Ohio State University
31	104	University of California, Davis
32	108	Washington University in St. Louis
33	111	Purdue University
34	129	University of Southern California
35	135	University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB)
36	136	University of Maryland, College Park
37	140	University of Pittsburgh
38	144	Michigan State University
39	156	Emory University
40	156	University of Minnesota
41	167	Case Western Reserve University
42	167	University of Florida
43	170	University of Rochester
44	189	Texas A&M University
45	198	University of Virginia
46	200	Vanderbilt University
47	206	University of Colorado Boulder
48	207	Dartmouth College
49	210	University of Notre Dame
50	215	Arizona State University
51	219	University of California, Irvine
52	226	Georgetown University
53	231	University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC)
54	253	Tufts University
55	262	Rutgers University–New Brunswick
56	262	The University of Arizona
57	271	University of Miami
58	285	North Carolina State University
59	305	University of Massachusetts Amherst
60	312	Indiana University Bloomington
61	326	University of Hawai’i at Mañoa
62	327	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
63	336	George Washington University
64	340	University at Buffalo SUNY
65	344	Northeastern University
66	353	University of Utah
67	359	Stony Brook University, State University of New York
68	359	Yeshiva University
69	367	University of California, Santa Cruz
70	372	University of Kansas
71	377	University of Connecticut
72	383	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
73	392	University of Colorado, Denver
74	398	Wake Forest University
75	400	Washington State University
76	407	The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
77	419	Tulane University
78	421	Illinois Institute of Technology
79	421	University of Iowa
80	432	Boston College
81	442	Colorado State University
82	448	Florida State University
83	454	University of California, Riverside
84	460	University of Maryland, Balti County
85	461	Oregon State University
86	468	Brandeis University
87	474	The University of Georgia
88	484	Wayne State University
89	491	University of Delaware
90	501-510	University of Texas Dallas
91	511-520	Iowa State University
92	531-540	Clark University
93	551-560	Lehigh University
94	551-560	University of Missouri, Columbia
95	561-570	Drexel University
96	561-570	The New School
97	561-570	University of Cincinnati
98	561-570	University of Nebraska-Lincoln
99	561-570	University of South Carolina
100	571-580	University of Massachusetts Boston
101	571-580	University of Oklahoma
102	571-580	University of Vermont
103	581-590	Howard University
104	581-590	Syracuse University
105	601-650	American University
106	601-650	City University of New York
107	601-650	Clarkson University
108	601-650	William & Mary
109	601-650	Michigan Technological University
110	601-650	Smith College
111	601-650	University of Kentucky
112	601-650	University of New Mexico
113	601-650	University of Oregon
114	601-650	University of South Florida
115	601-650	Virginia Commonwealth University
116	601-650	Worcester Polytechnic Institute
117	651-700	Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis
118	651-700	Louisiana State University
119	651-700	Missouri University of Science and Technology
120	651-700	Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, Newark
121	651-700	Stevens Institute of Technology
122	651-700	Temple University
123	651-700	University of Denver
124	651-700	University of Houston
125	701-750	Clemson University
126	701-750	Georgia State University
127	701-750	Kansas State University
128	701-750	Southern Methodist University
129	701-750	University at Albany SUNY
130	701-750	University of Alabama
131	701-750	University of Central Florida
132	701-750	University of Tulsa
133	701-750	University of Wyoming
134	751-800	Brigham Young University
135	751-800	Florida International University
136	751-800	Loyola University Chicago
137	751-800	New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
138	751-800	Oklahoma State University
139	801-1000	Auburn University
140	801-1000	Baylor University
141	801-1000	Binghamton University SUNY
142	801-1000	Fordham University
143	801-1000	George Mason University
144	801-1000	Kent State University
145	801-1000	Marquette University
146	801-1000	Miami University
147	801-1000	Ohio University
148	801-1000	San Diego State University
149	801-1000	Texas Tech University
150	801-1000	University of Arkansas Fayetteville
151	801-1000	University of Mississippi
152	801-1000	University of Montana Missoula
153	801-1000	University of New Hampshire
154	801-1000	University of San Diego
155	801-1000	University of San Francisco
156	801-1000	University of the Pacific
157	801-1000	Utah State University