US News 2025 best colleges list: These NY, NJ, CT schools made the top 20

NEW YORK - U.S. News & World Report released its annual ranking of the best colleges and universities in the country, and six schools from the Tri-State Area made it into the top 20.

The publication looked at nearly 1,500 schools using up to 17 measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, first-year retention rates, graduation rate performance, and student debt.

Here's a look at where some of the top schools in the Tri-State area landed in the 2025 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.

Top 10 National Universities

1. Princeton University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Harvard University
4. Stanford University
5. Yale University
6. California Institute of Technology (tie) 

       6. Duke University (tie) 

       6. Johns Hopkins University (tie) 

       6. Northwestern University (tie) 

      10. University of Pennsylvania 

Best colleges in New York

New York missed the top 10 with Cornell University at #11, but had four schools in the top 50. 

• #11 Cornell University
• #13 Columbia University
• #44 University of Rochester
• #30 New York University

Best colleges in New Jersey

New Jersey came out on top with Princeton ranked #1 among the best national universities and The College of New Jersey ranked #1 in the best regional universities north. Also, worth noting, Rutgers University came in at #41 among national universities. 

• #1 Princeton University
• #41 Rutgers University

Best colleges in Connecticut

Connecticut's United States Coast Guard Academy 

• #5 Yale University

Massachusetts had two colleges in the top 10, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology #2 and Harvard University at #3. California fared well with Stanford University at #4 and California Institute of Technology tied with Duke University at #6.

Top 20 national universities

       1. Princeton University

       2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

       3. Harvard University

       4. Stanford University

       5. Yale University

       6. California Institute of Technology (tie)

       6. Duke University (tie) 

       6. Johns Hopkins University (tie) 

       6. Northwestern University (tie) 

      10. University of Pennsylvania

      11. Cornell University (tie)

      11. University of Chicago (tie)

      13. Brown University (tie)

      13. Columbia University (tie)

      15. Dartmouth College (tie)

      15. University of California, Los Angeles 

      17. University of California, Berkeley

      18. Rice University (tie)

      18. University of Notre Dame (tie)

      18. Vanderbilt University (tie)

Click here for the full list.