Considering getting an undergraduate degree? Learn about the top ten undergraduate schools in the U.S., which offer bachelor’s degrees in business, engineering, the humanities and social science, among other fields of study.
To find the best undergraduate university or college in the nation, we’ve done the hard work and compiled a list of the Best Undergraduate Schools. Each of these schools offers a wide variety of undergraduate majors in liberal arts and/or engineering.
Discover our given list of the best top undergraduate schools or universities and choose the best one according to your need or educational budget. Good luck!!
Table of Contents
Princeton University
Princeton’s commitment to undergraduate education is profound. As a student, you benefit from the extraordinary resources of a world-class teaching and research university, and our low student-to-faculty ratio means you are able to develop close working relationships with professors who are leaders in their fields. The University curriculum encourages students to explore many disciplines and to develop a deep understanding in one area of concentration.
Students apply to Princeton University, not to individual departments, programs or schools. Once enrolled, students may pursue either the Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) or B.S.E. degree. Within these degree programs, students can choose from among 37 concentrations (computer science offers both A.B. and B.S.E.) and 55 interdepartmental certificate programs. The estimated* cost of attendance for 2019-20 is $73,450 and includes tuition, room charge, board rate, residential college fee, and estimated miscellaneous expenses.
Founded In:1746
Ranking:1st
Tuition & Fees Approximately:$51,870
Admission Office Contact:609-258-3060, Fax: 609-258-6743, uaoffice@princeton.edu
Apply Now:https://www.princeton.edu/academics/studying-princeton
Harvard University
If you already possess a bachelor’s degree, you may not pursue another at Harvard University. Add Harvard to your undergraduate experience by spending a year or term studying as a visiting undergraduate student.70% of Harvard students receive some form of financial aid. A Harvard education is more affordable than a state school for 90% of American families. Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. With an enduring dedication to the pursuit of excellence, Harvard University offers unparalleled student experiences across a broad spectrum of academic environments. The total 2018-2019 cost of attending Harvard College without financial aid is $46,340 for tuition and $67,580 for tuition, room, board, and fees combined.
Founded In:1636
Ranking:2nd
Tuition & Fees Approximately:$67,580
Admission Office Contact:Tel: (617) 495-1551, Fax: (617) 495-8821, (617) 495-1581-Financial Aid
Apply Now:https://www.harvard.edu/about-harvard
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is non-profit research university composed of the College, various graduate programs and interdisciplinary committees organized into five academic research divisions and seven professional schools. The university currently enrolls 5,971 undergraduate students and 16,016 students overall. The College of the University of Chicago grants Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in 51 academic majors and 33 minors. The college’s academics are divided into five divisions: the Biological Sciences Collegiate Division, the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division, the Social Sciences Collegiate Division, the Humanities Collegiate Division, and the New Collegiate Division. Undergraduate students are required to take a distribution of courses to satisfy the university’s general education requirements, commonly known as the Common Core.
Founded In: 1890
Ranking: 3rd
Tuition & Fees Approximately:
Admission Office Contact:773.702.1234
Apply Now:https://www.uchicago.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The Institute is traditionally known for its research and education in the physical sciences and engineering, but more recently in biology, economics, linguistics, and management as well. The four-year, full-time undergraduate program maintains a balance between professional majors and those in the arts and sciences. MIT offers 44 undergraduate degrees across its five schools. All undergraduates are required to complete a core curriculum called the General Institute Requirements (GIRs). The largest undergraduate degree programs were in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (Course 6–2), Computer Science and Engineering (Course 6–3), Mechanical Engineering (Course 2), Physics (Course 8), and Mathematics (Course 18). A substantial majority of undergraduates participate.
Founded In: 1861
Ranking: 4th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 46,704 USD
Admission Office Contact: 617-253-1000
Apply Now: http://web.mit.edu/
Yale University
Yale is organized into fourteen constituent schools: the original undergraduate college, the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and twelve professional schools. Almost all faculties teach undergraduate courses, more than 2,000 of which are offered annually. Popular among undergraduates, the program sought to instruct them in the fundamentals of American civilization and thereby instill a sense of nationalism and national purpose. All undergraduates attend Yale College, an intimate learning environment offering instruction in the liberal arts and sciences. With access to Yale’s extensive collections and resources, their undergraduates have discovered new species, patented products, and co-authored original research.
Founded In: 1701
Ranking:5th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 47,600 USD
Admission Office Contact: 203-432-4771
Apply Now: https://www.yale.edu/
Columbia University
Columbia is organized into twenty schools, including many undergraduate and graduate schools. Columbia University received 36,292 applications for its undergraduate class of 2020. Scholarships are also given to undergraduate students by the admissions committee. Columbia University announced a $400m to $600m donation from media billionaire alumnus John Kluge to be used exclusively for undergraduate financial aid. The University offers an outstanding and comprehensive array of academic programs. These include three undergraduate schools. Its undergraduate acceptance rate was 5.5%
Founded In: 1754
Ranking:6th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 53,000 USD
Admission Office Contact: +1 212-854-1754
Apply Now: https://www.columbia.edu/
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Stanford University
Stanford is known for its academic strength, wealth, proximity to Silicon Valley, and ranking as one of the world’s top universities. Stanford’s undergraduate program is one of the top three most selective in the United States by acceptance rate. The full-time, four-year undergraduate program has arts and sciences focus with high graduate student coexistence. The schools of Humanities and Sciences (27 departments), Engineering (9 departments), and Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences (4 departments) have both graduate and undergraduate programs while the Schools of Law, Medicine, Education, and Business have graduate programs only. It offers more than 65 major fields of undergraduate study programs. Approximately 7,000 undergraduate students attend Stanford. Stanford Undergrad is your guide to undergraduate academics and opportunities run by the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.
Founded In: 1891
Ranking:7th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 46,320 USD
Admission Office Contact: +1 650-723-2300
Apply Now: https://www.stanford.edu/
Duke University
Duke holds a top-ten position in various national rankings. Duke offers 46 arts and sciences majors, four engineering majors, 52 Minors (including two in engineering) and Program II, which allows students to design their own interdisciplinary major in arts & sciences, and IDEAS, which allows students to design their own engineering major. The school emphasizes undergraduate research—opportunities for hands-on experiences arise through internships, fellowship programs, and the structured curriculum. More than 27 percent of Pratt undergraduates study abroad, small compared to about half of Trinity undergraduates, but much larger than the recent national average for engineering students (3.2%). Eighty-five percent of undergraduates enroll in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, while the rest are in the Pratt School of Engineering.
Founded In:1838
Ranking:8th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 49,241 USD
Admission Office Contact: (919) 684-3214
Apply Now: https://www.duke.edu/
The University of Pennsylvania
Penn is one of 14 founding members of the Association of American Universities and one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. The College of Arts and Sciences is the undergraduate division of the School of Arts and Sciences. Other schools with undergraduate programs include the School of Nursing and the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). Penn’s “One University” policy allows undergraduates access to courses at all of Penn’s undergraduate and graduate schools, except the medical, veterinary and dental schools. Undergraduates at Penn may also take courses at Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore, under a reciprocal agreement known as the Quaker Consortium. Penn’s arts and science programs are all well regarded, with many departments ranked among the nation’s top 10. at the undergraduate level. Twelve percent of the undergraduate Class of 2018 was international students.
Founded In: 1740
Ranking:9th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 49,536 USD
Admission Office Contact: (215) 898-5000
Apply Now: https://www.upenn.edu/
Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University is considered the first research university in the United States. It’s The Krieger School offers more than 60 undergraduate majors and minors and more than 40 graduate programs. The Whiting School contains 14 undergraduate and graduate engineering programs and 12 additional areas of study. The full-time, four-year undergraduate program is “most selective” with low transfer-in and a high graduate coexistence. The university’s undergraduate programs are highly selective: in 2018, the Office of Admissions accepted 8.4% of its 27,091 Regular Decision applicants. Johns Hopkins offers a number of degrees including BA and BS for an undergraduate student and MA, MS, and Ph.D. The opportunity to participate in important research is one of the distinguishing characteristics of Hopkins’ undergraduate education. About 80 percent of undergraduates perform independent research, often alongside top researchers. Each professor must be a leader in interdisciplinary research and be active in undergraduate education.
Founded In: 1876
Ranking:10th
Tuition & Fees Approximately: 48,710 USD
Admission Office Contact: 410-516-8000
Apply Now: https://www.jhu.edu/
