College Guide

Rankings

Below are the Washington Monthly's 2011 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	University of California—San Diego (CA)*	100	35%	72%	84%	19	$842	5	42	365	23	1.6%	6	4.5%	8	40	214	20%	66	4	124
2	University of California—Los Angeles (CA)*	99	26%	75%	89%	12	$871	4	32	546	6	1.0%	27	2.5%	17	26	160	19%	79	3	52
3	University of California—Berkeley (CA)*	98	24%	81%	90%	40	$592	16	18	678	1	2.0%	3	9.5%	2	21	194	23%	48	92	89
4	Stanford University (CA)	93	15%	94%	95%	118	$688	10	4	499	12	1.2%	18	8.8%	4	51	201	30%	19	60	46
5	University of California—Riverside (CA)*	85	42%	49%	65%	7	$130	99	163	142	79	1.1%	22	0.6%	74	200	210	58%	3	1	154
6	Harvard University (MA)	83	13%	98%	98%	133	$453	30	9	465	16	3.2%	1	9.0%	3	72	207	29%	27	155	155
7	Case Western Reserve University (OH)	83	19%	83%	81%	166	$416	34	19	173	65	1.3%	15	1.3%	38	16	206	35%	10	14	16
8	University of California—Davis (CA)*	81	30%	65%	80%	8	$643	13	57	426	19	0.9%	36	1.1%	43	46	177	27%	30	52	115
9	Jackson State University (MS)*	78	72%	27%	47%	3	$43	154	165	20	207	0.2%	169	0.0%	154	250	50	11%	176	72	32
10	University of Michigan—Ann Arbor (MI)*	77	12%	81%	89%	42	$876	3	27	652	2	0.9%	45	1.5%	33	22	107	12%	164	42	60
11	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MA)	76	17%	96%	91%	195	$660	12	2	564	4	0.9%	44	5.5%	6	172	42	16%	109	155	155
12	University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill (NC)*	76	13%	80%	85%	73	$526	22	41	335	28	1.1%	24	1.1%	46	5	127	10%	196	9	22
13	University of California—Santa Barbara (CA)*	76	28%	66%	80%	9	$204	74	45	244	44	0.7%	63	4.7%	7	44	190	12%	162	12	99
14	Syracuse University (NY)	74	20%	65%	83%	5	$38	159	154	89	108	0.6%	88	0.4%	87	47	124	20%	69	37	1
15	Texas A&M; University—College Station (TX)*	74	18%	68%	80%	20	$582	18	97	463	17	0.8%	54	0.9%	51	128	1	32%	14	155	155
16	University of Notre Dame (IN)	74	8%	96%	96%	126	$97	113	21	128	89	1.4%	10	0.3%	96	38	7	20%	65	62	20
17	Cornell University (NY)	74	11%	90%	92%	108	$459	29	11	447	18	0.9%	38	2.2%	21	12	151	21%	57	64	95
18	South Carolina State University (SC)*	68	72%	23%	36%	17	$8	214	175	0	244	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	229	10	19%	78	155	155
19	University of Texas—Austin (TX)*	68	23%	71%	81%	30	$493	26	54	513	11	1.1%	26	2.5%	16	67	158	28%	29	155	155
20	Johns Hopkins University (MD)	67	11%	91%	91%	131	$1,681	1	17	382	22	1.2%	17	2.3%	19	18	117	8%	221	155	155
21	University of Pennsylvania (PA)	66	10%	95%	95%	135	$708	8	24	362	24	0.6%	80	2.2%	22	105	191	39%	5	97	130
22	Rice University (TX)	66	12%	93%	93%	139	$74	126	3	142	79	1.5%	8	1.9%	23	13	173	11%	179	87	62
23	University of Washington (WA)*	66	18%	71%	81%	29	$765	7	71	480	13	1.5%	7	2.9%	11	42	116	13%	154	155	155
24	College of William and Mary (VA)*	65	8%	86%	91%	68	$55	144	14	29	189	0.6%	87	0.0%	154	3	130	13%	160	22	39
25	University of Chicago (IL)	65	15%	96%	92%	187	$357	40	8	247	42	0.7%	61	1.6%	28	9	226	31%	18	155	155
26	Columbia University (NY)	65	13%	96%	93%	175	$549	20	23	340	26	1.2%	19	3.1%	10	50	220	17%	93	85	120
27	Duke University (NC)	65	9%	95%	95%	140	$767	6	12	246	43	0.6%	93	1.6%	30	35	46	7%	246	80	98
28	University of Florida (FL)*	65	22%	74%	82%	43	$584	17	49	525	7	0.5%	103	0.5%	75	41	75	14%	133	99	153
29	University of Wisconsin—Madison (WI)*	65	10%	77%	81%	85	$882	2	38	579	3	1.0%	31	2.3%	20	36	145	15%	117	84	102
30	Georgetown University (DC)	63	10%	91%	93%	101	$143	93	28	82	114	0.5%	101	0.5%	81	6	143	9%	205	20	23
31	Princeton University (NJ)	63	10%	99%	97%	170	$195	79	7	255	40	2.4%	2	7.5%	5	236	174	13%	159	155	155
32	Emory University (GA)	63	15%	91%	88%	171	$441	31	30	136	84	0.6%	77	0.8%	58	8	221	13%	151	48	27
33	Michigan State University (MI)*	63	19%	64%	77%	14	$357	41	94	303	31	0.6%	78	0.3%	101	55	115	20%	68	51	34
34	Brown University (RI)	63	12%	93%	95%	105	$158	84	6	141	81	1.3%	16	1.6%	29	28	248	8%	230	68	51
35	Tufts University (MA)	61	10%	96%	91%	194	$140	95	25	115	95	0.8%	58	1.1%	44	14	172	14%	139	88	6
36	Wake Forest University (NC)	61	9%	80%	90%	26	$200	75	31	60	134	0.4%	139	0.2%	119	32	73	10%	191	33	14
37	Fordham University (NY)	61	19%	73%	79%	62	$7	217	96	51	149	0.1%	195	0.3%	97	133	69	14%	141	6	5
38	University of Illinois—Urbana-Champaign (IL)*	60	15%	78%	83%	70	$501	25	44	560	5	1.3%	13	2.4%	18	64	105	17%	94	155	155
39	Yale University (CT)	60	12%	100%	98%	156	$487	27	5	261	39	0.9%	39	2.7%	14	33	232	8%	231	155	155
40	Tennessee State University (TN)*	59	61%	29%	40%	21	$12	201	200	11	218	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	244	93	13%	146	155	18
41	George Washington University (DC)	59	10%	79%	81%	102	$157	85	88	138	83	0.7%	65	0.6%	68	4	60	26%	31	138	90
42	Ohio State University—Columbus (OH)*	59	15%	74%	75%	122	$703	9	117	520	8	0.4%	130	0.8%	57	84	87	31%	15	86	127
43	Virginia Tech (VA)*	59	10%	72%	80%	46	$373	38	64	327	30	0.4%	134	0.6%	64	90	4	12%	169	55	84
44	New York University (NY)	59	16%	82%	86%	79	$311	48	91	194	56	0.7%	74	1.0%	48	75	234	29%	25	44	59
45	University of Minnesota—Twin Cities (MN)*	59	19%	70%	68%	160	$683	11	82	470	14	0.6%	92	1.0%	50	70	157	29%	24	58	118
46	Brandeis University (MA)	59	15%	87%	87%	137	$50	146	10	60	134	1.6%	5	2.7%	13	31	244	10%	199	102	108
47	Pennsylvania State University—University Park (PA)*	58	12%	71%	85%	10	$620	14	60	514	10	0.7%	75	0.8%	59	97	40	24%	40	155	155
48	University of San Francisco (CA)	58	20%	61%	70%	35	$1	236	158	3	235	1.0%	28	0.0%	154	103	41	15%	126	24	12
49	Marquette University (WI)	57	13%	71%	80%	38	$10	204	72	45	158	0.1%	193	0.0%	154	49	9	7%	251	15	28
50	University of Southern California (CA)	57	14%	86%	88%	106	$520	24	77	392	21	0.8%	54	1.6%	31	87	119	30%	22	155	155
51	North Carolina State University—Raleigh (NC)*	56	17%	68%	73%	64	$366	39	102	351	25	0.7%	71	1.0%	49	142	38	19%	74	49	74
52	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey—New Brunswick (NJ)*	56	24%	67%	77%	28	$298	49	70	269	36	1.1%	25	1.5%	32	123	162	15%	121	135	107
53	University of Virginia (VA)*	56	8%	85%	93%	45	$258	62	29	211	52	1.0%	32	1.3%	37	7	57	14%	136	155	155
54	Georgia Institute of Technology (GA)*	56	10%	84%	79%	196	$522	23	39	470	14	1.9%	4	2.9%	12	85	52	12%	165	122	151
55	Widener University (PA)	56	27%	48%	57%	37	$0	246	256	4	232	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	186	43	35%	11	19	21
56	Clark University (MA)	56	15%	69%	78%	34	$5	220	37	32	183	0.5%	110	1.4%	35	2	200	7%	247	90	37
57	University of Rochester (NY)	56	17%	82%	80%	158	$375	37	15	176	62	0.5%	100	1.3%	39	25	118	12%	167	98	126
58	Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey—Newark (NJ)*	55	38%	52%	65%	16	$19	187	187	45	158	0.2%	179	0.0%	154	245	222	15%	122	119	9
59	Vanderbilt University (TN)	55	8%	94%	91%	173	$423	33	26	212	51	0.8%	53	0.7%	63	63	70	16%	112	31	150
60	University of California—Irvine (CA)*	55	24%	66%	82%	6	$325	47	83	328	29	1.3%	12	1.7%	26	134	203	11%	174	155	155
61	Tulane University (LA)	55	6%	84%	73%	233	$153	86	43	81	117	0.8%	48	0.1%	141	39	33	19%	77	11	8
62	St. John's University (NY)	55	38%	54%	58%	76	$2	231	233	31	186	0.1%	193	0.0%	154	246	165	18%	88	47	10
63	Boston College (MA)	55	10%	85%	91%	61	$41	158	47	60	134	0.4%	129	0.3%	95	19	153	21%	58	43	77
64	University of San Diego (CA)	54	11%	72%	74%	97	$1	243	106	10	219	0.5%	102	0.0%	154	20	17	15%	127	5	45
65	Mississippi State University (MS)*	54	26%	57%	61%	81	$211	72	134	63	133	0.2%	186	0.1%	143	227	81	26%	33	73	7
66	SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (NY)*	54	32%	63%	64%	125	$26	174	85	17	210	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	15	229	10%	186	10	41
67	Northwestern University (IL)	53	7%	96%	95%	150	$484	28	20	301	33	1.4%	9	1.7%	27	29	217	13%	147	155	155
68	Iowa State University (IA)*	53	18%	64%	69%	72	$224	71	67	269	36	0.4%	142	0.4%	88	139	66	55%	4	155	155
69	California Institute of Technology (CA)	53	9%	100%	89%	235	$273	54	1	193	57	1.3%	14	11.2%	1	129	250	5%	256	155	155
70	University of California—Santa Cruz (CA)*	52	25%	63%	73%	31	$135	98	33	125	92	1.3%	11	1.1%	45	30	249	16%	108	155	155
71	Miami University—Oxford (OH)*	52	10%	70%	83%	13	$25	177	55	42	168	0.6%	86	0.0%	154	34	92	16%	110	26	80
72	Carnegie Mellon University (PA)	52	9%	91%	84%	202	$211	73	16	220	48	0.3%	148	2.6%	15	60	132	23%	47	53	139
73	Howard University (DC)	52	36%	57%	62%	71	$36	164	68	71	126	0.3%	164	0.7%	61	82	21	20%	71	155	155
74	Dartmouth College (NH)	52	12%	95%	94%	145	$187	81	13	77	121	1.1%	20	1.8%	25	11	205	8%	219	155	155
75	Stony Brook University—SUNY (NY)*	51	30%	67%	67%	130	$253	65	125	197	54	1.0%	30	0.7%	60	205	233	10%	188	100	24
76	University at Albany—SUNY (NY)*	51	29%	57%	65%	50	$270	57	100	81	117	0.5%	111	0.2%	129	126	198	14%	137	23	97
77	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY)	50	13%	86%	82%	185	$77	124	34	119	94	0.7%	64	1.4%	34	149	8	10%	197	91	121
78	Indiana State University (IN)*	50	35%	39%	41%	110	$2	230	198	21	206	0.2%	178	0.0%	154	218	83	15%	120	32	4
79	Purdue University—West Lafayette (IN)*	50	14%	66%	69%	93	$430	32	107	517	9	0.9%	37	0.9%	54	118	48	18%	89	106	137
80	Baylor University (TX)	49	18%	68%	70%	103	$10	205	59	42	168	0.1%	202	0.0%	154	146	26	33%	12	56	73
81	Colorado State University (CO)*	49	15%	63%	64%	117	$295	50	116	177	61	0.9%	35	0.5%	79	23	34	17%	92	96	83
82	Florida A&M; University (FL)*	49	58%	33%	39%	63	$24	179	126	9	221	0.3%	151	0.0%	154	224	23	7%	245	155	155
83	Spalding University (KY)	48	42%	40%	64%	1	$0	247	119		244	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	153	211	19%	81	155	155
84	Duquesne University (PA)	48	16%	62%	76%	11	$10	207	90	34	181	0.2%	176	0.0%	154	152	95	19%	75	16	75
85	University of Connecticut (CT)*	48	13%	72%	78%	60	$110	108	135	197	54	0.7%	69	0.1%	150	106	146	24%	38	39	101
86	Clarkson University (NY)	48	21%	65%	70%	74	$18	189	35	22	202	0.8%	47	0.0%	154	124	2	6%	255	155	155
87	University of Southern Mississippi (MS)*	48	48%	43%	45%	98	$47	151	89	40	171	0.3%	160	0.0%	154	183	58	16%	105	143	142
88	Loyola University Chicago (IL)	48	21%	69%	68%	153	$35	165	103	45	158	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	77	133	24%	39	21	36
89	University of Georgia (GA)*	48	12%	73%	80%	53	$350	42	99	264	38	0.3%	145	0.3%	91	76	126	9%	217	27	94
90	University of La Verne (CA)	48	41%	44%	67%	2	$0	247	201		244	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	250	250	25%	35	155	155
91	University of Pittsburgh (PA)*	47	14%	76%	78%	107	$596	15	61	296	34	0.8%	52	0.6%	66	56	108	16%	106	155	155
92	University of Maryland—College Park (MD)*	47	11%	80%	82%	109	$395	36	65	401	20	0.7%	60	0.9%	53	71	138	11%	182	78	140
93	Auburn University (AL)*	47	9%	70%	67%	172	$147	91	129	158	72	0.5%	106	0.1%	145	197	12	36%	9	45	81
94	St. Louis University (MO)	46	16%	76%	73%	174	$57	143	114	59	137	0.3%	166	0.1%	146	147	142	8%	220	2	30
95	Pepperdine University (CA)	46	11%	74%	80%	58	$1	244	46	3	235	0.0%	211	0.0%	154	17	195	21%	59	40	44
96	Illinois Institute of Technology (IL)	46	26%	74%	66%	212	$23	182	62	66	132	0.2%	173	0.7%	62	166	5	9%	214	150	67
97	Clark Atlanta University (GA)	46	57%	30%	43%	15	$7	216	162	10	219	0.0%	211	0.5%	78	184	179	9%	212	155	155
98	North Carolina A&T; State University (NC)*	46	56%	33%	37%	87	$29	169	199	7	229	0.2%	182	0.0%	154	220	20	8%	226	155	155
99	University of Idaho (ID)*	46	27%	55%	56%	115	$82	120	133	55	142	0.3%	159	0.0%	154	114	22	18%	83	81	48
100	University of Oregon (OR)*	46	15%	60%	70%	32	$67	129	130	102	100	1.0%	29	0.6%	73	24	147	13%	149	77	105

For items 101-258, click here »