College Guide

Rankings

Below are the Washington Monthly's 2010 national universities rankings. We rate schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country). For an explanation of each category, click here. For more information about the overall goals of the rankings, click here. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Use the above dropdown menu to switch to different categories of schools. Click on the "sort" button at the top of each column to sort schools by that category. You can also sort the list by state or by name of college. * Indicates a public school.

sort	Institution sort a-z sort by state		Social Mobility sort				Research sort									Service sort

		Overall Score	Students receiving Pell grants	Predicted grad rate Actual grad rate Rank			Research expenditures, in millions Rank		Bachelor's to PhD rank	Science & engineering PhD's awarded Rank		Faculty receiving significant awards Rank		Faculty in national academies Rank		Peace Corps Rank	ROTC Rank	Federal work-study funds spent on service Rank		Community service participation and hours served Rank	Service staff, courses and financial aid support Rank
1	Univ. of California, San Diego*	100	36%	73%	85%	16	$799	5	43	403	20	1.6%	6	5.0%	7	52	223	23%	44	16	116
2	University of California, Berkeley*	97	26%	83%	90%	50	$552	18	17	705	1	2.3%	3	9.8%	2	15	197	25%	34	138	138
3	Univ. of California, Los Angeles*	93	25%	78%	89%	19	$823	3	32	551	8	0.9%	37	2.3%	20	48	163	12%	162	1	46
4	Stanford University (CA)	87	12%	96%	94%	158	$688	9	6	503	10	1.2%	17	8.9%	4	50	201	34%	10	107	65
5	University of Texas, Austin*	83	23%	72%	78%	57	$447	29	55	557	6	1.0%	24	2.5%	16	62	162	31%	16	3	93
6	University of California, Davis*	81	33%	64%	81%	2	$601	13	42	444	18	0.6%	77	1.2%	44	34	157	25%	33	77	134
7	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor*	79	11%	81%	88%	49	$809	4	29	591	2	1.0%	23	1.5%	33	28	118	14%	124	29	22
8	Syracuse University (NY)	78	22%	66%	80%	7	$36	158	102	111	96	0.4%	120	0.4%	87	70	129	26%	30	24	1
9	Harvard University (MA)	78	13%	100%	98%	166	$451	26	10	465	14	3.1%	1	9.1%	3	121	186	18%	84	138	138
10	College of William and Mary (VA)*	77	8%	86%	91%	74	$50	144	20	28	182	0.8%	51	0.0%	153	2	37	20%	69	12	33
11	Univ. of California, Santa Barbara*	76	25%	67%	81%	8	$191	75	54	256	38	0.8%	50	4.7%	8	55	188	15%	109	6	117
12	University of Chicago	75	13%	94%	92%	162	$322	46	8	233	46	0.8%	52	1.7%	27	3	221	27%	27	52	127
13	U. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill*	74	13%	81%	86%	76	$477	23	37	401	22	1.0%	22	1.1%	47	7	115	12%	165	9	75
14	South Carolina State University*	74	71%	26%	45%	1	$4	222	187	0	241	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	250	9	22%	50	138	138
15	Massachusetts Inst. of Technology	72	14%	99%	94%	198	$614	12	2	560	5	0.9%	40	5.2%	6	158	69	16%	104	138	138
16	University of Washington*	72	19%	69%	77%	39	$757	7	61	465	14	1.2%	16	3.0%	10	17	127	13%	131	115	78
17	Case Western Reserve Univ. (OH)	71	21%	81%	81%	135	$372	36	19	178	64	1.0%	29	1.4%	36	75	202	26%	32	99	5
18	Rutgers, St. U. of N.J., Newark*	71	62%	50%	59%	32	$21	180	192	29	180	0.8%	46	0.0%	153	226	232	13%	144	131	7
19	Georgetown University (DC)	71	10%	87%	93%	62	$132	94	35	73	121	1.1%	20	0.5%	78	8	79	12%	175	21	12
20	Texas A&M U., Col. Station*	68	16%	68%	78%	27	$544	20	119	459	17	0.6%	74	0.8%	54	143	1	28%	23	138	138
21	Dartmouth College (NH)	67	14%	96%	95%	146	$193	73	9	81	118	1.4%	12	1.5%	32	10	181	9%	211	63	70
22	Johns Hopkins University (MD)	66	12%	92%	89%	171	$1,554	1	14	377	23	1.2%	18	2.4%	18	27	77	10%	205	138	138
23	Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison*	66	10%	77%	81%	81	$841	2	36	584	3	1.3%	13	2.4%	19	32	147	12%	155	78	87
24	Princeton University (NJ)	65	9%	100%	96%	182	$189	78	3	226	49	2.6%	2	7.8%	5	206	133	10%	198	138	138
25	Rice University (TX)	65	15%	94%	93%	153	$70	126	7	163	68	1.3%	14	2.1%	23	20	178	13%	132	108	53
26	SUNY Col. of Envir. Sci. & For. (NY)*	64	53%	61%	71%	26	$24	175	78	22	195	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	6	212	11%	187	138	138
27	U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign*	64	16%	78%	82%	87	$474	24	38	578	4	1.6%	7	2.5%	17	67	113	23%	41	138	138
28	Tennessee State University*	64	69%	29%	36%	54	$12	198	180	13	213	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	244	152	20%	71	80	21
29	Duke University (NC)	63	9%	96%	95%	154	$782	6	12	260	37	0.9%	43	1.6%	29	69	47	7%	248	68	97
30	University of Rochester (NY)	63	16%	83%	84%	115	$373	35	16	194	60	0.5%	97	1.3%	38	29	51	21%	57	90	103
31	Fordham University (NY)	63	21%	72%	78%	60	$6	215	143	49	151	0.4%	116	0.3%	102	73	32	19%	75	8	23
32	Marquette University (WI)	63	12%	70%	76%	66	$10	202	71	39	160	0.3%	147	0.0%	153	26	3	8%	235	13	15
33	Yale University (CT)	62	11%	100%	97%	174	$449	28	4	265	35	1.0%	25	2.8%	13	11	243	8%	239	138	138
34	University of Pennsylvania	62	10%	95%	95%	131	$648	10	28	272	34	0.6%	81	2.2%	22	58	193	21%	59	103	48
35	Pennsylvania State U., University Park*	61	13%	69%	85%	4	$582	15	49	484	12	0.7%	60	0.8%	57	89	41	22%	48	138	138
36	Washington University in St. Louis	61	5%	99%	94%	193	$573	16	22	203	58	1.0%	27	1.6%	30	93	171	17%	92	4	76
37	Vanderbilt University (TN)	61	11%	93%	89%	188	$399	32	24	205	56	0.9%	36	0.7%	62	38	29	18%	83	27	136
38	Cornell University (NY)	61	12%	92%	93%	118	$449	27	11	402	21	0.6%	84	2.2%	21	18	132	11%	188	138	138
39	Univ. of Southern California	60	13%	88%	88%	137	$508	22	123	358	24	0.4%	113	1.4%	35	88	96	35%	8	119	82
40	Univ. of California, Riverside*	60	40%	50%	64%	10	$128	96	96	168	67	0.5%	91	0.4%	80	155	199	40%	4	138	138
41	California Institute of Technology	60	10%	100%	88%	234	$285	52	1	185	63	1.7%	4	11.5%	1	49	243	8%	226	138	138
42	University of Florida*	60	21%	77%	82%	73	$593	14	52	557	6	0.4%	109	0.5%	76	45	99	12%	173	109	133
43	U. of Minnesota, Twin Cities*	60	19%	70%	66%	180	$624	11	79	486	11	0.5%	93	0.8%	55	59	156	32%	14	42	81
44	University of Virginia*	59	8%	84%	93%	35	$230	63	31	248	41	0.9%	32	1.3%	37	9	65	11%	184	105	128
45	Jackson State University (MS)*	59	65%	30%	43%	11	$37	156	91	11	217	0.3%	154	0.0%	153	250	39	14%	119	138	138
46	Ohio State Univ., Columbus*	59	17%	74%	73%	145	$720	8	133	536	9	0.7%	72	0.7%	59	86	81	25%	35	75	109
47	New York University	59	16%	85%	85%	138	$298	50	92	211	54	0.6%	80	1.1%	46	77	225	30%	18	33	51
48	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)	59	10%	91%	87%	185	$197	72	15	235	45	0.7%	69	2.7%	15	39	141	21%	60	49	73
49	Michigan State University*	58	19%	63%	75%	17	$361	39	110	286	29	0.5%	105	0.3%	97	41	139	12%	170	66	24
50	University of California, Irvine*	58	26%	65%	81%	5	$310	48	122	297	27	1.3%	15	1.8%	25	97	228	15%	106	138	138
51	Clark University (MA)	58	15%	69%	73%	92	$5	216	48	32	176	1.5%	10	1.0%	49	4	179	9%	215	20	50
52	Virginia Tech*	58	10%	70%	78%	46	$367	37	62	251	39	0.8%	55	0.7%	63	92	11	14%	126	41	94
53	Tufts University (MA)	58	12%	94%	92%	164	$131	95	27	90	107	1.4%	11	1.0%	48	31	182	15%	118	79	25
54	Iowa State University*	57	19%	61%	67%	64	$217	66	74	247	42	0.3%	158	0.4%	82	110	54	65%	3	138	138
55	University of San Diego	56	10%	69%	75%	59	$1	239	84	10	221	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	43	4	12%	164	11	28
56	Widener University (PA)	56	20%	46%	56%	29	$0	243	252	8	229	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	223	12	34%	11	26	14
57	University of Notre Dame (IN)	56	8%	93%	96%	104	$77	119	23	142	74	0.7%	71	0.3%	92	35	10	19%	79	138	138
58	Rutgers, St. U. of N.J., New Brun.*	55	28%	67%	75%	42	$281	53	82	282	32	0.9%	33	1.5%	31	161	148	13%	144	130	101
59	Boston College	55	10%	85%	91%	67	$39	152	56	68	125	0.4%	110	0.3%	93	14	110	14%	122	28	63
60	Tulane University (LA)	55	11%	85%	74%	232	$137	90	47	84	113	0.1%	208	0.1%	142	40	19	12%	160	15	4
61	Clark Atlanta University (GA)	55	66%	33%	45%	14	$9	208	137	6	230	0.4%	119	0.4%	84	113	160	3%	255	138	138
62	Clemson University (SC)*	55	14%	72%	79%	53	$212	68	128	129	90	0.8%	56	0.1%	147	138	21	12%	168	45	19
63	Brown University (RI)	55	12%	95%	94%	148	$153	83	5	139	81	1.7%	5	1.7%	28	19	241	7%	245	138	138
64	Georgia Institute of Technology*	54	11%	84%	77%	210	$473	25	51	438	19	1.1%	19	2.9%	11	68	49	15%	108	93	110
65	Northwestern University (IL)	54	9%	96%	94%	161	$443	30	21	279	33	1.6%	8	1.8%	26	25	196	12%	161	138	138
66	St. John's University (NY)	54	36%	54%	60%	56	$2	230	232	18	201	0.9%	41	0.0%	153	247	122	14%	120	40	17
67	Columbia University (NY)	53	12%	96%	93%	168	$546	19	18	322	25	0.9%	34	2.9%	12	57	224	11%	181	138	138
68	University of Idaho*	52	36%	54%	57%	96	$83	116	104	57	136	0.1%	198	0.0%	153	87	28	13%	129	102	30
69	Azusa Pacific University (CA)	52	19%	55%	63%	41	$0	243	241	0	241	0.3%	160	0.0%	153	72	33	8%	227	46	2
70	Howard University (DC)	51	38%	61%	65%	85	$38	155	66	65	127	0.1%	211	0.6%	68	130	26	21%	56	138	138
71	George Washington Univ. (DC)	51	8%	80%	81%	122	$126	97	75	115	94	0.9%	39	0.6%	65	5	27	12%	163	133	80
72	Duquesne University (PA)	51	19%	60%	74%	9	$9	207	109	17	203	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	183	38	18%	86	14	59
73	University of San Francisco	51	21%	63%	67%	83	$1	235	136	1	240	0.3%	159	0.0%	153	120	15	12%	158	51	13
74	Florida A&M University*	51	52%	35%	41%	68	$17	188	156	9	225	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	222	14	13%	153	134	108
75	Wake Forest University (NC)	51	7%	83%	88%	77	$186	79	25	56	138	0.5%	99	0.2%	118	56	36	8%	238	37	43
76	N.C. State Univ., Raleigh*	50	16%	65%	71%	70	$332	44	108	283	30	0.6%	87	1.0%	50	147	42	12%	172	47	54
77	University of Dayton (OH)	49	11%	66%	75%	31	$74	122	129	15	208	0.3%	153	0.0%	153	47	24	13%	146	35	27
78	Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst. (NY)	49	13%	84%	83%	156	$77	120	26	142	74	0.2%	186	1.4%	34	213	8	12%	174	88	104
79	SUNY, Binghamton (NY)*	49	22%	76%	78%	112	$35	160	58	76	120	0.7%	67	0.2%	128	84	195	13%	143	17	114
80	Clarkson University (NY)	49	22%	64%	70%	71	$17	186	40	25	190	0.9%	42	0.0%	153	115	2	7%	251	138	138
81	Miami Univ., Oxford (OH)*	49	11%	68%	81%	12	$24	176	69	35	174	0.1%	204	0.0%	153	24	94	13%	148	22	86
82	Brandeis University (MA)	48	12%	88%	89%	128	$57	135	13	60	133	0.8%	49	2.7%	14	13	243	12%	171	138	138
83	Purdue U., W. Lafayette (IN)*	48	16%	64%	72%	43	$415	31	116	484	12	0.3%	133	0.9%	51	129	53	22%	49	138	138
84	Colorado State University*	47	14%	59%	63%	89	$288	51	105	171	65	0.3%	134	0.4%	81	30	89	16%	101	31	49
85	Spalding University (KY)	47	59%	34%	35%	125	$0	243	251	0	241	0.0%	214	0.0%	153	135	214	34%	9	138	138
86	American University (DC)	47	10%	76%	76%	139	$3	224	94	39	160	0.2%	189	0.0%	153	1	86	14%	125	110	111
87	Emory University (GA)	47	14%	90%	87%	173	$398	33	30	121	92	0.6%	83	0.7%	60	22	229	21%	55	138	138
88	North Carolina A&T State Univ.*	47	57%	32%	38%	58	$24	174	165	9	225	0.2%	175	0.0%	153	219	52	15%	113	138	138
89	St. Louis University	47	18%	72%	74%	111	$54	138	121	60	133	0.0%	214	0.1%	148	149	180	11%	186	2	37
90	Loyola University Chicago	47	23%	69%	66%	177	$35	161	77	54	142	0.1%	196	0.0%	153	105	97	24%	39	23	60
91	U. of Maryland, College Park*	46	11%	78%	82%	84	$360	40	63	461	16	0.5%	100	0.9%	52	82	169	9%	220	64	120
92	Univ. of Missouri*	46	14%	66%	69%	97	$229	64	80	189	61	0.3%	149	0.2%	120	103	66	33%	12	114	98
93	U. of California, Santa Cruz*	46	23%	62%	72%	24	$125	98	45	105	98	0.6%	75	1.1%	45	21	243	13%	135	138	138
94	University of Georgia*	45	13%	71%	79%	45	$333	43	76	236	44	0.4%	126	0.3%	91	63	142	9%	219	58	83
95	University of Arizona*	45	19%	58%	57%	150	$532	21	68	316	26	0.8%	48	1.2%	42	66	88	26%	31	138	137
96	Univ. of S.C., Columbia*	45	14%	67%	67%	136	$159	82	169	152	72	0.8%	54	0.2%	121	85	45	22%	51	32	121
97	University of Connecticut*	45	14%	69%	76%	55	$109	106	124	232	47	0.8%	58	0.2%	113	108	155	20%	66	81	84
98	Polytechnic Inst. of New York U.	45	46%	62%	53%	221	$14	192	85	29	180	1.5%	9	3.8%	9	250	226	10%	200	138	138
99	SUNY, Stony Brook (NY)*	45	32%	66%	61%	194	$268	55	89	264	36	0.5%	102	0.7%	61	163	216	15%	110	125	52
100	University of Memphis*	45	40%	49%	38%	230	$44	149	197	53	144	0.1%	205	0.0%	153	239	64	13%	136	55	3

For items 101-258, click here »