Top Universities in the US 2019

Unsurprisingly for the world’s most popular study destination, US universities consistently dominate the QS World University Rankings®, and the 2018 edition is no exception – with 31 top US universities featuring in the top 100 and a further 28 institutions in the global top 300. Read on to discover the top 10 universities in the US this year, plus the ranking positions of the remaining 147 universities.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)



The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is ranked first, both in the world and in the US for the sixth year in a row. MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is highly selective, with only 8% of undergraduate applicants receiving a place in 2016.

2. Stanford University



Continuing to rank second in both the QS World University Rankings and the US this year is Stanford University. Stanford is based in the heart of Silicon Valley in California and is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and business courses. Its alumni include many successful entrepreneurs such as the founders or co-founders of Netflix, YouTube, WhatsApp and Google.

3. Harvard University



Harvard University retains its position of third in the QS World University Rankings this year. The oldest university in the country, dating back to 1636, Harvard now has around 22,000 students at its large, residential campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard is well respected in a broad range of fields, including law, business and medicine. 

4. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)



Up one place this year to rank fourth in the world, California Institute of Technology, commonly known as Caltech, concludes the uninterrupted quartet of US universities at the top of this year’s QS World University Rankings. Known as a leading tech school, Caltech is located in the city of Pasadena, California and is the smallest university in the US top 10, with only 2,240 students.

5. University of Chicago



Also up one place in the QS World University Rankings® 2018, the University of Chicago is now ranked ninth in the world overall. Established in 1890, the university is known for its strong focus on research. For example, the university’s physics department is known for developing the world’s first man-made, self-sustaining nuclear reaction.

6. Princeton University



Ranked 13th in the world this year, Princeton University is another of the country’s oldest universities (founded in 1746) and is considered especially prestigious for the arts and humanities, a broad subject area for which its ranked seventh in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017.

7. Cornell University



Cornell University is up two places this year to rank 14th in the world. Based in Ithaca, New York, Cornell was the first university in the US to award a veterinary medicine degree, and is currently ranked second for veterinary science in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017.

8. Yale University



Ranked 16th in the world, Yale University is known for its highly selective law school. Yale was established in 1701 and awarded the first PhD in the US in 1861. Today, around 20% of its 12,300 students come from outside the US.

9. Johns Hopkins University



Johns Hopkins University retains its position of 17th in the world this year. Founded in 1876, it’s considered the US’ first research university, and is particularly highly regarded for its education and research in life sciences and medical subjects (achieving sixth place for this broad subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017).

10. Columbia University



Overtaking the University of Pennsylvania as the 10th highest ranked US university this year is the New-York based Columbia University, up two places to rank 18th. Columbia was established in 1754 and has produced many notable alumni, including three US presidents: Barack Obama, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt.

The remaining 20 top universities in the US this year are…

11. University of Pennsylvania (ranked 19th in the world)

=12. Duke University (ranked joint 21st in the world)

=12. University of Michigan (ranked joint 21st in the world)

14. University of California, Berkeley (UCB) (ranked 27thin the world)

15. Northwestern University (ranked joint 28th in the world)

16. University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (ranked 33rd in the world)

17. University of California, San Diego (UCSD) (ranked joint 38th in the world)

18. Carnegie Mellon University (ranked joint 47th in the world)

19. New York University (NYU) (ranked 52nd in the world)

20. Brown University (ranked 53rd in the world)