Best Universities in United States 2026
891 universities in United States ranked on real data — QS reputation, admission rate, graduation & graduate earnings. How we rank.
Which are the best universities in United States in 2026? We rank 891 United States universities on real published data — QS World reputation, admission selectivity, graduation rates and graduate earnings — never opinion.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology tops the ranking with an independent grade of A+ (5% acceptance, $143,372 median graduate earnings), ahead of Stanford University and Harvard University. Every university carries an independent ScholarshipsAds grade, so you can compare quality, selectivity, tuition and graduate outcomes at a glance.
Filter by field of study below, or open any university for its full review, programs, tuition and scholarships.
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53
Colorado State UniversityC
Fort Collins, Colorado · United States · Global #305 · QS #431
89% acceptance 67% graduation $60,543 median earnings $31,642/yr 25,538 students
54
Tulane UniversityB-
New Orleans, Louisiana · United States · Global #307 · QS #437
14% acceptance 86% graduation $63,268 median earnings $87,004/yr 7,767 students
55
Brandeis UniversityB-
Waltham, Massachusetts · United States · Global #319 · QS #455
41% acceptance 86% graduation $77,231 median earnings $86,448/yr 3,618 students
56
University of IowaC+
Iowa City, Iowa · United States · Global #321 · QS #457
84% acceptance 75% graduation $64,762 median earnings $28,596/yr 22,264 students
57
Florida State UniversityB
Tallahassee, Florida · United States · Global #329 · QS #475
24% acceptance 86% graduation $61,675 median earnings $25,720/yr 32,212 students
58
University of MissouriD+
Joplin, Missouri · United States · Global #330 · QS #476
97% acceptance 42% graduation $42,620 median earnings $19,568/yr 3,019 students
59
University of Texas at DallasC+
Richardson, Texas · United States · Global #333 · QS #479
65% acceptance 76% graduation $68,227 median earnings $29,807/yr 21,751 students
60
Iowa State UniversityC+
Ames, Iowa · United States · Global #342 · QS #498
89% acceptance 75% graduation $63,386 median earnings $24,018/yr 25,367 students
62
University of DelawareC-
Newark, Delaware · United States · Global #364 · QS #543
47% acceptance 39% graduation $49,307 median earnings $27,939/yr 4,398 students
63
University of TennesseeC-
Cookeville, Tennessee · United States · Global #368 · QS #551
76% acceptance 58% graduation $48,501 median earnings $25,663/yr 8,698 students
64
University of South FloridaB-
Tampa, Florida · United States · Global #380 · QS #590
43% acceptance 77% graduation $57,743 median earnings $22,859/yr 37,207 students
65
Clark UniversityD+
Worcester, Massachusetts · United States · Global #396 · QS #613
64% acceptance 49% graduation $42,712 median earnings $43,676/yr 3,603 students
66
University of CincinnatiC-
Cincinnati, Ohio · United States · Global #409 · QS #641
85% acceptance 75% graduation $54,810 median earnings $32,171/yr 29,882 students
67
University of South CarolinaD+
Aiken, South Carolina · United States · Global #417 · QS #650
79% acceptance 40% graduation $45,603 median earnings $21,540/yr 2,962 students
68
Drexel UniversityC
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States · Global #420 · QS #656
79% acceptance 78% graduation $84,648 median earnings $76,835/yr 13,233 students
70
Michigan Technological UniversityC
Houghton, Michigan · United States · Global #425 · QS #670
92% acceptance 68% graduation $78,198 median earnings $34,152/yr 5,955 students
71
Syracuse UniversityC+
Syracuse, New York · United States · Global #428 · QS #677
46% acceptance 84% graduation $79,164 median earnings $84,517/yr 15,477 students
72
University of KentuckyD+
Lexington, Kentucky · United States · Global #433 · QS #689
78% acceptance 50% graduation $45,795 median earnings $23,735/yr 12,318 students
73
University of Massachusetts BostonC-
Boston, Massachusetts · United States · Global #434 · QS #690
84% acceptance 49% graduation $65,865 median earnings $30,544/yr 11,512 students
74
University of New MexicoD+
Albuquerque, New Mexico · United States · Global #436 · QS #693
19% graduation $39,067 median earnings $14,397/yr 5,177 students
75
University of OregonB-
Eugene, Oregon · United States · Global #437 · QS #695
$101,028 median earnings 836 students
76
University of VermontD+
Burlington, Vermont · United States · Global #441 · QS #700
82% acceptance 47% graduation $50,331 median earnings $25,988/yr 3,590 students
77
University of HoustonC+
Houston, Texas · United States · Global #451 · QS #742
$88,757 median earnings 465 students
78
Virginia Commonwealth UniversityD+
Richmond, Virginia · United States · Global #458 · QS #752
93% acceptance 63% graduation $58,128 median earnings $38,954/yr 20,753 students
79
Clarkson UniversityC
Potsdam, New York · United States · Global #462 · QS #758
77% acceptance 75% graduation $89,696 median earnings $79,022/yr 2,196 students
80
University of MarylandC
Baltimore, Maryland · United States · Global #475 · QS #794
75% acceptance 79% graduation $82,652 median earnings $74,055/yr 3,869 students
81
Auburn UniversityD
Auburn, Alabama · United States · Global #479 · QS #806
92% acceptance 33% graduation $44,391 median earnings $21,353/yr 2,542 students
83
George Mason UniversityC
Fairfax, Virginia · United States · Global #489 · QS #832
87% acceptance 68% graduation $76,343 median earnings $28,604/yr 27,752 students
84
Indiana UniversityD+
Terre Haute, Indiana · United States · Global #492 · QS #837
81% acceptance 43% graduation $48,387 median earnings $24,535/yr 6,188 students
85
Kansas State UniversityC
Manhattan, Kansas · United States · Global #495 · QS #842
73% graduation $38,616 median earnings 315 students
86
Loyola University ChicagoC-
Chicago, Illinois · United States · Global #500 · QS #858
82% acceptance 73% graduation $71,530 median earnings $67,408/yr 11,737 students
87
Seattle UniversityC-
Seattle, Washington · United States · Global #510 · QS #885
77% acceptance 76% graduation $75,272 median earnings $72,124/yr 4,062 students
88
Southern Methodist UniversityC
Dallas, Texas · United States · Global #513 · QS #892
63% acceptance 84% graduation $78,354 median earnings $85,606/yr 7,277 students
90
University of AlabamaC
Tuscaloosa, Alabama · United States · Global #515 · QS #901
69% acceptance 64% graduation $61,767 median earnings $27,392/yr 6,591 students
91
University of HartfordD
West Hartford, Connecticut · United States · Global #522 · QS #950
96% acceptance 54% graduation $60,823 median earnings $64,729/yr 4,146 students
92
University of MississippiC-
University, Mississippi · United States · Global #529 · QS #959
97% acceptance 72% graduation $50,994 median earnings $28,660/yr 21,473 students
93
U
University of Missouri-Kansas CityC-
Kansas City, Missouri · United States · Global #530 · QS #960
72% acceptance 55% graduation $59,637 median earnings $25,320/yr 6,817 students
94
U
University of Texas at San AntonioC+
San Antonio, Texas · United States · Global #536 · QS #971
$82,206 median earnings 930 students
95
University of TulsaC-
Tulsa, Oklahoma · United States · Global #537 · QS #972
62% acceptance 72% graduation $61,408 median earnings $64,459/yr 2,813 students
96
Brigham Young UniversityC-
Provo, Utah · United States · Global #547 · QS #1021
47% acceptance 53% graduation $52,064 median earnings $25,098/yr 2,889 students
97
Kent State UniversityD
Kent, Ohio · United States · Global #555 · QS #1052
86% acceptance 64% graduation $45,388 median earnings $30,567/yr 19,320 students
98
Miami UniversityD
Miami, Florida · United States · Global #559 · QS #1060
76% acceptance 40% graduation $41,544 median earnings $28,344/yr 287 students
99
Northern Arizona UniversityD+
Flagstaff, Arizona · United States · Global #563 · QS #1071
90% acceptance 61% graduation $54,384 median earnings $29,933/yr 22,903 students
101
Portland State UniversityD+
Portland, Oregon · United States · Global #565 · QS #1078
91% acceptance 53% graduation $57,906 median earnings $21,590/yr 13,182 students
102
Rochester Institute of TechnologyC-
Rochester, New York · United States · Global #566 · QS #1081
67% acceptance 70% graduation $76,571 median earnings $74,626/yr 13,215 students