American Best Colleges 2008

National Universities: Top Schools

Methodology

• Rank
• Peer assess- ment score (5.0=highest)
• Average freshman retention rate
• 2006 actual graduation rate
• Faculty resources rank
• % of classes w/50 or more ('06)
• % faculty who are full time ('06)
• SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile ('06)
• Acceptance rate ('06)
• Alumni giving rank

• Overall score
• Graduation & retention rank
• 2006 predicted graduation rate
• 2006 overperf.(+)/ underperf.(-)
• % of classes w/fewer than 20 ('06)
• Student/ faculty ratio ('06)
• Selectivity rank
• Freshmen in top 10% of HS class
• Financial resources rank
• Avg. alumni giving rate

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1.	Princeton University (NJ)
	100	4.9	2	98%	96%	96%	0	3	72%	10%	5/1	93%	3	1370-1590	94% 5	10%	12	1	60%
2.	Harvard University (MA)
	99	4.9	1	98%	94%	98%	+4	3	69%	13%	7/1	92%	1	1390-1590	95%	9%	8	6	41%
3.	Yale University(CT)
4.	Stanford University(CA)
5.	University of Pennsylvania
5.	California Institute of Technology
7.	Massachusetts Institute of Technology
8.	Duke University(NC)
9.	Columbia University(NY)
9.	University of Chicago
11.	Dartmouth College(NH)
12.	Washington University in St. Louis
12.	Cornell University(NY)
14.	Brown University(RI)
14.	Northwestern University(IL)
14.	Johns Hopkins University(MD)
17.	Rice University(TX)
17.	Emory University(GA)
19.	Vanderbilt University(TN)
19.	University of Notre Dame(IN)
21.	University of California—Berkeley *
22.	Carnegie Mellon University(PA)
23.	University of Virginia *
23.	Georgetown University(DC)
25.	University of California—Los Angeles *
25.	University of Michigan—Ann Arbor *
27.	University of Southern California
28.	University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill *
28.	Tufts University(MA)
30.	Wake Forest University(NC)
31.	Lehigh University(PA)
31.	Brandeis University(MA)
33.	College of William and Mary(VA) *
34.	New York University
35.	University of Rochester(NY)
35.	Georgia Institute of Technology *
35.	Boston College
38.	University of Wisconsin—Madison *
38.	University of California—San Diego *
38.	University of Illinois—Urbana - Champaign *
41.	Case Western Reserve University(OH)
42.	University of Washington *
42.	University of California—Davis *
44.	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute(NY)
44.	University of Texas—Austin *
44.	University of California—Santa Barbara *
44.	University of California—Irvine *
48.	Pennsylvania State University—University Park *
49.	University of Florida *
50.	Syracuse University(NY)
50.	Tulane University(LA)
52.	Yeshiva University(NY)
52.	University of Miami(FL)
54.	Pepperdine University(CA)
54.	George Washington University(DC)
54.	University of Maryland—College Park *
57.	Ohio State University—Columbus *
57.	Boston University
59.	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick(NJ) *
59.	University of Pittsburgh *
59.	University of Georgia *
62.	Texas A&M University—College Station *
62.	Worcester Polytechnic Institute(MA)
64.	University of Connecticut *
64.	Purdue University—West Lafayette(IN) *
64.	University of Iowa *
67.	Fordham University(NY)
67.	Miami University—Oxford(OH) *
67.	Clemson University(SC) *
67.	Southern Methodist University(TX)
71.	University of Minnesota—Twin Cities *
71.	Virginia Tech *
71.	University of Delaware *
71.	Michigan State University *
75.	Stevens Institute of Technology(NJ)
75.	Baylor University(TX)
75.	Colorado School of Mines 11 *
75.	Indiana University—Bloomington *
79.	Brigham Young University—Provo(UT)
79.	University of California—Santa Cruz *
79.	University of Colorado—Boulder *
82.	St. Louis University
82.	SUNY—Binghamton *
82.	Marquette University(WI)
85.	SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry *
85.	North Carolina State University—Raleigh *
85.	University of Denver
85.	American University(DC)
85.	Iowa State University *
85.	University of Kansas *
91.	University of Alabama *
91.	University of Missouri—Columbia *
91.	University of Nebraska—Lincoln *
91.	University of Tulsa(OK)
91.	Clark University(MA)
96.	Auburn University(AL) *
96.	SUNY—Stony Brook *
96.	University of Tennessee *
96.	University of Vermont *
96.	University of Arizona *
96.	University of the Pacific(CA)
96.	University of California—Riverside *
96.	Howard University(DC)
96.	Illinois Institute of Technology
96.	Northeastern University(MA)
96.	University of Massachusetts—Amherst *
107.	University of San Diego
108.	University of New Hampshire *
108.	Texas Christian University
108.	Drexel University(PA)
108.	University of Oklahoma *
112.	University of South Carolina—Columbia *
112.	University of Oregon *
112.	Loyola University Chicago
112.	University of Dayton(OH)
112.	Florida State University *
112.	Ohio University *
118.	University of Missouri—Rolla *
118.	Samford University(AL) 11
118.	Washington State University *
118.	University at Buffalo—SUNY *
122.	University of Kentucky *
122.	Catholic University of America(DC)
124.	New Jersey Institute of Technology *
124.	Clarkson University(NY)
124.	Colorado State University *
124.	University of Arkansas *
124.	Michigan Technological University *
124.	Kansas State University *
124.	Arizona State University

• * denotes a public school
• N/A means not available.

1. School refused to fill out U.S. News statistical survey. Data that appear may be from school in previous years or from the National Center for Education Statistics unless otherwise noted.
2. SAT and/or ACT not required by school for some or all applicants.
3. Data not submitted in the form requested by U.S. News.
4. Data reported to U.S. News in previous years.
5. Data based on fewer than 51 percent of enrolled freshmen.
6. Some or all data reported to the NCAA and/or the National Center for Education Statistics.
7. Data reported to the Council for Aid to Education.
8. Average graduation or freshman retention rates, normally based on four years of data, are given here for fewer than four years because school didn't report rates for the most recent year or years to U.S. News.
9. SAT and/or ACT not required by school for some or all applicants, and data not submitted in form requested by U.S. News. Data may be based on fewer than 50 percent of enrolled freshmen.
10. School refused to fill out U.S. News survey. Data from school's website were used.
11. School was reclassified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2006 and appeared in a different category of schools in America's Best Colleges 2007.
12. New to America's Best Colleges rankings or guide this year.
13. Peer assessment score taken from America's Best Colleges 2007.