Forbes America's Top Colleges List 2026 - Best US Universities Ranked
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MIT
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Columbia University
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Princeton University
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Stanford University
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UC Berkeley
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Harvard University
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Williams College
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Johns Hopkins University
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Yale University
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University of Pennsylvania
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Vanderbilt University
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Rice University
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University of Chicago
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Cornell University
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UCLA
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Northwestern University
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Dartmouth College
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Brown University
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Amherst College
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UCSD
How ranking was determined:
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Alumni Salary (20%)
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Debt (15%)
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Graduation Rate (15%)
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Forbes American Leaders List (15%)
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Return On Investment (15%)
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Retention Rate (10%)
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Academic Success (10%)
"Schools ranked highly on our list if their students returned after their first year, graduated on time, secured high salaries after graduation and left college with little student debt." -Forbes