According to US News & World Report , the newspaper used up to 17 indicators of academic quality, including graduation rates, freshman retention rates, graduation rate performance and loan debt levels... to evaluate nearly 1,500 schools.

In an effort to “prioritize social mobility,” or how well a college gets done after graduation, this year more than 50% of a college’s score is based on academic and career success over debt and earnings after graduation.

The top three universities remained unchanged from last year, with Princeton University holding the number one spot for the 14th consecutive year. Following Princeton were Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which remained in second and third place respectively. Stanford University, which tied with MIT for third place last year, dropped to fourth place.

Many subcategories remain the same or the same as in 2024. Williams College continues to top the liberal arts college category. While UCLA and Berkeley tied for first place in the public school category in 2024, UCLA edged out UC Berkeley for the top spot in 2025.

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Princeton University has consistently ranked among the top universities in the United States for many years. (Photo: Princeton University Fanpage)

Alongside its high ratings, this ranking list has received much criticism over the years regarding the formula used to rank schools and the fact that many educational institutions have to pay licensing fees to promote their rankings, according to The New York Times .

In a Times report, Education Secretary Miguel A. Cardona said the ranking creates an "unhealthy obsession with selectivity."

The rankings provide “important information for those considering higher education decisions,” said Eric Gertler, president and CEO of US News & World Report, in a press release accompanying the 2025 list.

Below is a list of the top 10 universities overall and the top 10 liberal arts colleges in this year's rankings:

Top 10 leading universities in the US:

1. Princeton University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Harvard University
4. Stanford University
5. Yale University
Tied for sixth place are four universities: California Institute of Technology; Duke University; Johns Hopkins University; and Northwestern University.
10. University of Pennsylvania

Top 5 Liberal Arts Colleges:

1. Williams College
2. Amherst College
3. Swarthmore University
4. U.S. Naval Academy
Tied for 5th place are two universities: Bowdoin University and Pomona University.

According to experts, the rankings assess academic research and reputation, but individual factors such as location, campus culture, the strength of specific programs and cost are also important when choosing where to pursue higher education.

A series of universities with revenue of thousands of billions, which school has the highest? In the group of universities leading in revenue nationwide, there are 2 schools with revenue of over 2,000 billion VND.