International Education News
2026 U.S. News & World Report Best National University Rankings Released (Full Version)
Another application season, another new ranking! The latest 2026 U.S. News Best National Universities rankings, regarded by countless international students as the "go-to resource for school selection," have finally been released!
This list is not only a barometer of the academic strength and reputation of American universities but may also directly impact the school selection lists of countless applicants.
Source: U.S. News Official Website
Ranking Indicators
The key indicators for the 2026 U.S. News rankings include:
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Graduate Outcomes Data
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Ranking Categories
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Student Retention Rate
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Graduate Indebtedness
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Graduate Earnings
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Pell Grant Graduation Rate
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Faculty Resources (including class size, faculty salary, and faculty academic achievements, etc.)
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Expert Opinion
Source: U.S. News Official Ranking Criteria
Ranking Highlights
As Princeton sits firmly on the throne for the 15th consecutive year, as UC Berkeley ends UCLA's myth as the "top public university," and as Carnegie Mellon enters the Top 20 for the first time with its AI program... This year's U.S. university rankings are no longer following the old script of "Ivory League schools taking turns at the top"!
TOP 10
The landscape of top-tier institutions remains largely stable, with the top five order unchanged. The elite group of "Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT" all gather at the top.
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Princeton University continues to lead, marking its 15th consecutive year at the number one spot .
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University hold the second and third positions, respectively.
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Stanford University and Yale University follow closely in a tie for fourth place.
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University of Chicago shows outstanding performance, rising significantly from 11th place to secure the sixth position .
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Four leading private universities—Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, and the University of Pennsylvania (which rose three spots to seventh place)—are tied for seventh place .
Top 11-30
In the fierce competition within the Top 11-30 range, a major highlight is University of California, Berkeley successfully overtaking University of California, Los Angeles, ranking 15th nationally and ending UCLA's eight-year lead in the "Top Public Schools" ranking . This change reflects the relentless competition among top public universities.
Full Rankings
The following is the full list of the 2026 U.S. News Best National Universities Rankings. Institutions marked in yellow are partner institutions of Prepare Education.
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