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The U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 Best Colleges rankings were recently out, and it placed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) at the No. 1 position, surpassing Princeton University to end its 15-year run at the top of the National Universities category. The rankings were released on September 22, 2026.
Princeton was followed by Harvard University at No. 3. Yale University is fourth, and Stanford University fifth. The change marks the first time since the 2012 edition that Princeton has not secured the top position, according to MarketWatch and U.S. News.
Top five National Universities in 2027
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton University
Harvard University
Yale University
Stanford University
The National Universities category includes institutions offering undergraduate and graduate programmes and depends on academic and student-outcome measures.
Change in Rankings
The shift is linked partly to a change in U.S. News’ methodology. The publication launched a new “Earnings by Major” measure that evaluates graduates’ earnings within individual domains of study. The new parameter adds more emphasis to graduates’ economic outcomes, changing how universities are assessed in the overall ranking.
Princeton had occupied the No. 1 position consecutively since the 2012 edition. Its move to the second spot does not signal a shift in the education offered by the two institutions. MarketWatch reported that the shift largely reflects adjustments to the ranking methodology rather than a sudden shift in academic quality.
Other Universities in the Top Rankings
Besides the above universities, University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is No. 7, followed by Duke University at No. 8. Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University are tied at No. 9.
The change in this year's rankings follows changes to the U.S. News methodology. The publication introduced an “Earnings by Major” measure that reviews graduates' earnings four years after graduation, alongside other student-outcome indicators.
How Many Ivy League Universities Feature?
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising these eight private universities; it is not a U.S. News ranking category. In the latest National Universities list, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Penn feature in the top 10, while Brown, Columbia, Cornell and Dartmouth are also included in the national rankings. Thus, all eight Ivy League institutions are represented in the U.S. News rankings.