Also on the liberal arts list, Bowdoin College in Maine tied for fifth with the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. Wellesley College tied for seventh with Claremont McKenna and Pomona, both in California. Elsewhere in New England, Middlebury College, Smith College, and Wesleyan University all tied for 13th place.
“Over the years, Best Colleges has evolved into a comprehensive tool that reflects the changing landscape of higher education, providing prospective students with a crucial starting point to identify schools that align with their academic and personal goals,” said LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at US News, in a statement.
US News & World Report said the 2026 rankings evaluated more than 1,700 colleges and universities in the United States, using up to 17 measures of academic quality and graduate success.
“While the general scoring weights and factors remained consistent, the 2026 rankings made a few small adjustments to ensure the results accurately reflect the evolving landscape of higher education,” Jones said, including graduation and retention rates.
2026 Best National College and University Rankings
1. Princeton University (NJ)
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)
3. Harvard University (MA)
4. (tied) Stanford University (CA)
4. (tied) Yale University (CT)
6. University of Chicago (IL)
7. (tied) Duke University (NC)
7. (tied) Johns Hopkins University (MD)
7. (tied) Northwestern University (IL)
7. (tied) University of Pennsylvania (PA)
11. California Institute of Technology (CA)
12. Cornell University (NY)
13. (tied) Brown University (RI)
13. (tied) Dartmouth College (NH)
15. (tied) Columbia University (NY)
15. (tied) University of California, Berkeley (CA)
17. (tied) Rice University (TX)
17. (tied) University of California, Los Angeles (CA)
17. (tied) Vanderbilt University (TN)
20. (tied) Carnegie Mellon University (PA)
20. (tied) University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (MI)
20. (tied) University of Notre Dame (IN)
20. (tied) Washington University in St. Louis (MO)
2026 Best National Liberal Arts College and University Rankings
1. Williams College (MA)
2. Amherst College (MA)
3. United States Naval Academy (MD)
4. Swarthmore College (PA)
5. (tied) Bowdoin College (ME)
5. (tied) United States Air Force Academy (CO)
7. (tied) Claremont McKenna College (CA)
7. (tied) Pomona College (CA)
7. (tied) Wellesley College (MA)
10. (tied) Carleton College (MN)
10. (tied) Harvey Mudd College (CA)
10. (tied) United States Military Academy at West Point (NY)
13. (tied) Barnard College (NY)
13. (tied) Davidson College (NC)
13. (tied) Grinnell College (IA)
13. (tied) Hamilton College (NY)
13. (tied) Middlebury College (VT)
13. (tied) Smith College (MA)
13. (tied) Vassar College (NY)
13. (tied) Wesleyan University (CT)
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.
