Ranking The Top 50 Universities In America From Worst To Best—According To Data

February 20, 2026 | Jesse Singer

Ranking The Top 50 Universities In America From Worst To Best—According To Data

Institutions Of Higher And Highest Learning

What makes one university better than another? If you ask Times Higher Education, it’s not a philosophical question—it’s a spreadsheet with opinions. They ranked more than 150 American universities from worst to best, and we’re zooming in on the top 50.

Have you been to any of the schools on the list? And do their rankings feel spot-on—or totally off the rails.

woman-in-red-coat-holding-notebooks-and-coffee-cup- Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels

Methodology

Before we get started, for those curious about how they came up with their ranking—their scoring system is based on five key areas, each with a weighted value:

Teaching (the learning environment): 29.5%

Includes: Teaching reputation: 15%, Staff-to-student ratio: 4.5%, Doctorate-to-bachelor’s ratio: 2%, Doctorates-awarded-to-academic-staff ratio: 5.5%, Institutional income: 2.5%

Research environment: 29%

Includes: Research reputation: 18%, Research income: 5.5%, Research productivity: 5.5%

Research quality: 30%

Includes: Citation impact: 15%, Research strength: 5%, Research excellence: 5%, Research influence: 5%

International outlook: 7.5%

Includes: Proportion of international students: 2.5%, Proportion of international staff: 2.5%, International collaboration: 2.5%

Industry: 4%

Includes: Industry income: 2%, Patents: 2%

Cheerful multiethnic students having high five with teacher Kampus Production, Pexels

50: University Of Virginia (Main Campus)

Located In: Charlottesville, Virginia

Overall: 60.9

Teaching: 49.3

Research Environment: 42.2

Research Quality: 87.3

Industry: 85.2

International Outlook: 60.1

The Lawn at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA - 2010 Troy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

49: Case Western Reserve University

Located In: Cleveland, Ohio

Overall: 61.2

Teaching: 51.1

Research Environment: 40.3

Research Quality: 88.6

Industry: 70.9

International Outlook: 66.3

The Case Western Reserve University campus, July, 2005 Rdikeman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

48: University Of Colorado Boulder

Located In: Boulder, Colorado

Overall: 62.2

Teaching: 47.0

Research Environment: 52.6

Research Quality: 86.6

Industry: 73.3

International Outlook: 56.3

Macky Auditorium on the University of Colorado at Boulder campus. MECU, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

47: Texas A&M University

Located In: College Station, Texas

Overall: 62.2

Teaching: 52.7

Research Environment: 57.3

Research Quality: 74.3

Industry: 73.2

International Outlook: 64.3

Texas A&M University - University's Academic Building. Library of Congress, Picryl

46: University Of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Located In: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Overall: 62.3

Teaching: 48.6

Research Environment: 45.7

Research Quality: 93.0

Industry: 76.2

International Outlook: 49.8

William Pitt Union, University Of Pittsburgh, Oakland, Pittsburgh PA w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

45: University Of Arizona

Located In: Tucson, Arizona

Overall: 62.7

Teaching: 48.0

Research Environment: 52.8

Research Quality: 86.3

Industry: 81.0

International Outlook: 54.5

University Of Arizona May 2019 Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

44: University Of Florida

Located In: Gainesville, Florida

Overall: 63.6

Teaching: 54.4

Research Environment: 56.8

Research Quality: 79.1

Industry: 89.9

International Outlook: 50.7

Florida State University College Of Medicine - 2012 Ayzmo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

43: University Of Rochester

Located In: Rochester, New York

Overall: 63.9

Teaching: 50.8

Research Environment: 44.5

Research Quality: 87.8

Industry: 91.6

International Outlook: 80.1

Campus View At The University Of Rochester Tomwsulcer, Wikimedia Commons

42: Michigan State University

Located In: East Lansing, Michigan

Overall: 64.7

Teaching: 54.9

Research Environment: 53.5

Research Quality: 83.5

Industry: 70.0

International Outlook: 69.1

Msu Computer Center Lovelac7, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

41: Ohio State University (Main Campus)

Located In: Columbus, Ohio

Overall: 65.2

Teaching: 55.0

Research Environment: 51.7

Research Quality: 87.6

Industry: 83.6

International Outlook: 58.4

University Hall, The Ohio State University (Columbus, Ohio) Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

40: University Of Maryland, College Park

Located In: College Park, Maryland

Overall: 65.4

Teaching: 49.0

Research Environment: 57.7

Research Quality: 92.1

Industry: 71.6

International Outlook: 49.4

Mckeldin Library Mall - University Maryland College Park Blacktupelo, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

39: Rice University

Located In: Houston, Texas

Overall: 65.4

Teaching: 55.1

Research Environment: 46.1

Research Quality: 88.4

Industry: 72.5

International Outlook: 85.2

Rice University - Rice Statue With Lovett Hall Daderot, Wikimedia Commons

38: Penn State (Main Campus)

Located In: State College, Pennsylvania

Overall: 66.2

Teaching: 54.5

Research Environment: 62.3

Research Quality: 83.0

Industry: 70.9

International Outlook: 57.6

Main entrance of Old Main, at Penn State University in University Park, Pennsylvania - 2006 George Chriss, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

37: Emory University

Located In: Atlanta, Georgia

Overall: 66.3

Teaching: 53.9

Research Environment: 46.2

Research Quality: 95.3

Industry: 83.6

International Outlook: 67.4

Emory University - Administration Building - 2011 Daniel Mayer, CC BY-SA 3.0,Wikimedia Commons

36: Vanderbilt University

Located In: Nashville, Tennessee

Overall: 67.3

Teaching: 53.3

Research Environment: 49.0

Research Quality: 95.9

Industry: 95.0

International Outlook: 63.5

Old Gym at Vanderbilt University - 2020 BugsMeanee, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

35: University Of California, Irvine

Located In: Irvine, California

Overall: 67.3

Teaching: 48.3

Research Environment: 53.2

Research Quality: 92.9

Industry: 97.6

International Outlook: 78.1

Biological Science III, School of Biological Sciences Yartsun, Wikimedia Commons

34: University Of Minnesota

Located In: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Overall: 67.8

Teaching: 58.4

Research Environment: 59.6

Research Quality: 86.0

Industry: 99.9

International Outlook: 46.2

Akerman Hall at the University of Minnesota - 2023 SavagePanda845, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

33: University Of Massachusetts

Located In: Boston, Massachusetts

Overall: 68.0

Teaching: 58.6

Research Environment: 52.1

Research Quality: 87.9

Industry: 87.4

International Outlook: 76.0

UMass at Amherst, picture taken from the W.E.B. Dubois Library Lion Hirth, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

32: Purdue University West Lafayette

Located In: West Lafayette, Indiana

Overall: 69.9

Teaching: 63.0

Research Environment: 68.9

Research Quality: 73.8

Industry: 86.2

International Outlook: 77.2

Frederick L Hovde Hall Of Administration Purdue University 2016 Julian Herzog, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

31: Boston University

Located In: Boston, Massachusetts

Overall: 70.6

Teaching: 60.5

Research Environment: 56.2

Research Quality: 93.2

Industry: 71.2

International Outlook: 75.3

A panorama of Marsh Plaza at Boston University. Brian Chang-Yun Hsu, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

30: University Of Southern California

Located In: Los Angeles, California

Overall: 71.0

Teaching: 58.3

Research Environment: 60.4

Research Quality: 92.8

Industry: 75.0

International Outlook: 73.2

University Of Southern California - 2019 FASTILY, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

29: University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill

Located In: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Overall: 71.6

Teaching: 63.3

Research Environment: 62.3

Research Quality: 93.3

Industry: 75.7

International Outlook: 50.9

Morehead Planetarium at the University of North Carolina - 2012 Yeungb, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

28: Washington University In St Louis

Located In: St Louis, Missouri

Overall: 72.2

Teaching: 59.8

Research Environment: 56.9

Research Quality: 97.5

Industry: 78.4

International Outlook: 74.8

Washington University In St. Louis Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons

27: University Of California, Santa Barbara

Located In: Santa Barbara, California

Overall: 72.7

Teaching: 49.6

Research Environment: 65.5

Research Quality: 96.7

Industry: 96.8

International Outlook: 81.9

The view of Storke Tower and the University Center from the other side Coolcaesar, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

26: University Of California, Davis

Located In: Davis, California

Overall: 73.5

Teaching: 63.8

Research Environment: 67.8

Research Quality: 86.1

Industry: 89.4

International Outlook: 75.4

Earth And Physical Sciences Building - University Of California, Davis Daderot, Wikimedia Commons

25: Brown University

Located In: Providence, Rhode Island

Overall: 73.8

Teaching: 71.8

Research Environment: 60.9

Research Quality: 89.4

Industry: 68.6

International Outlook: 71.6

Brown's Open Curriculum 50 years picnic Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 3.0 , Wikimedia Commons

24: University Of Wisconsin-Madison

Located In: Madison, Wisconsin

Overall: 74.8

Teaching: 69.7

Research Environment: 70.2

Research Quality: 86.3

Industry: 81.4

International Outlook: 63.5

Science Hall, University Of Wisconsin Madison - 2014 John Kees, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

23: University Of Texas At Austin

Located In: Austin, Texas

Overall: 75.9

Teaching: 66.1

Research Environment: 76.3

Research Quality: 91.3

Industry: 82.6

International Outlook: 47.2

Main Building (University Of Texas At Austin) Daderot, CC0, Wikimedia Commons

22: University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign

Located In: Champaign, Illinois

Overall: 76.5

Teaching: 66.4

Research Environment: 81.0

Research Quality: 84.1

Industry: 86.7

International Outlook: 63.2

Main Library Urbana Illinois - 2008 Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0 US, Wikimedia Commons

21: Georgia Institute Of Technology

Located In: Atlanta, Georgia

Overall: 78.3

Teaching: 60.0

Research Environment: 77.7

Research Quality: 92.9

Industry: 99.2

International Outlook: 83.4

Georgia Tech's library from 1907 till 1953 James Emery, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

20: University Of California, San Diego

Located In: San Diego, California

Overall: 79.9

Teaching: 64.9

Research Environment: 75.8

Research Quality: 97.4

Industry: 100.0

International Outlook: 73.9

Panorama photograph of the west side of the building containing California College San Diego RightCowLeftCoast, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

19: New York University

Located In: New York City, New York

Overall: 80.3

Teaching: 72.0

Research Environment: 76.8

Research Quality: 94.3

Industry: 71.7

International Outlook: 75.3

NYU, Greenwich Village, NYC Ajay Suresh, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

18: Northwestern University

Located In: Evanston, Illinois

Overall: 81.4

Teaching: 71.8

Research Environment: 75.8

Research Quality: 97.8

Industry: 92.3

International Outlook: 69.4

Aerial Photograph of Northwestern University from above Lake Michigan - 2022 Joshsukoff, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

17: Duke University

Located In: Durham, North Carolina

Overall: 83.4

Teaching: 77.7

Research Environment: 75.6

Research Quality: 96.2

Industry: 100.0

International Outlook: 75.5

Entrance to the Medical Center at Duke University - 2006 self, Wikimedia Commons

16: University Of Washington

Located In: Seattle, Washington

Overall: 83.8

Teaching: 74.6

Research Environment: 81.3

Research Quality: 98.0

Industry: 84.7

International Outlook: 72.1

University Of Washington Quad, Spring 2007 Punctured Bicycle, Wikimedia Commons

15: Carnegie Mellon University

Located In: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Overall: 85.7

Teaching: 73.1

Research Environment: 85.1

Research Quality: 99.0

Industry: 85.4

International Outlook: 84.2

Carnegie Mellon Cohon University Center 2016 Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

14: University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Located In: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Overall: 87.7

Teaching: 84.3

Research Environment: 88.8

Research Quality: 95.4

Industry: 82.5

International Outlook: 68.2

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Law Quadrangle - 2004 jeffwilcox, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

13: Cornell University

Located In: Ithaca, New York

Overall: 89.2

Teaching: 83.2

Research Environment: 91.1

Research Quality: 96.8

Industry: 69.5

International Outlook: 85.5

Willard Straight Hall, Cornell University in 2007. Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

12: University Of California, Los Angeles

Located In: Los Angeles, California

Overall: 89.8

Teaching: 84.9

Research Environment: 92.1

Research Quality: 96.6

Industry: 89.0

International Outlook: 73.4

Royce Hall, UCLA's landmark building Alton, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

11: Columbia University

Located In: New York City, New York

Overall: 89.8

Teaching: 86.4

Research Environment: 88.8

Research Quality: 96.9

Industry: 75.9

International Outlook: 85.4

Panorama of Columbia University in New York City - 2009 Getty Hall, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

10: Johns Hopkins University

Located In: Baltimore, Maryland

Overall: 90.7

Teaching: 83.7

Research Environment: 91.3

Research Quality: 97.3

Industry: 100.0

International Outlook: 83.6

Johns Hopkins' Historic Dome - 2011 Art Anderson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

9: University Of Pennsylvania

Located In: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Overall: 90.9

Teaching: 87.1

Research Environment: 90.7

Research Quality: 96.9

Industry: 98.3

International Outlook: 79.3

Penn campus - 2005 Bryan Y.W. Shin, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

8: The University Of Chicago

Located In: Chicago, Illinois

Overall: 90.9

Teaching: 88.4

Research Environment: 90.0

Research Quality: 97.4

Industry: 86.2

International Outlook: 81.1

Harper Midway Chicago Urban~commonswiki, Wikimedia Commons

7: Yale University

Located In: New Haven, Connecticut

Overall: 94.1

Teaching: 93.7

Research Environment: 95.0

Research Quality: 97.8

Industry: 86.5

International Outlook: 82.3

Branford Court Spring at Yale University, New Haven, CT Nick Allen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

6: University Of California, Berkeley

Located In: Berkeley, California

Overall: 94.5

Teaching: 87.2

Research Environment: 98.9

Research Quality: 99.0

Industry: 99.5

International Outlook: 86.4

South Hall, University of California, Berkeley - 2007 User:Falcorian, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

5: California Institute Of Technology

Located In: Pasadena, California

Overall: 96.3

Teaching: 95.2

Research Environment: 97.5

Research Quality: 97.3

Industry: 100.0

International Outlook: 89.7

Beckman Institute Reflection Beckman Institute Canon.vs.nikon, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

4: Stanford University

Located In: Stanford, California

Overall: 97.2

Teaching: 97.5

Research Environment: 97.3

Research Quality: 99.6

Industry: 100.0

International Outlook: 85.1

Stanford University Campus In 2016 Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

3: Princeton University

Located In: Princeton, New Jersey

Overall: 97.5

Teaching: 98.3

Research Environment: 98.0

Research Quality: 98.9

Industry: 96.9

International Outlook: 87.4

Cannon Green And Nassau Hall, Princeton University Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

2: Harvard University

Located In: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Overall: 97.7

Teaching: 97.3

Research Environment: 99.9

Research Quality: 99.3

Industry: 85.7

International Outlook: 90.1

Harvard University,. November, 2019. David Adam Kess, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

1: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

Located In: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Overall: 98.1

Teaching: 99.2

Research Environment: 96.0

Research Quality: 99.7

Industry: 100.0

International Outlook: 93.8

Great Dome, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, Aug 2019 Mys 721tx, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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Ranking The Top 50 Universities In America From Worst To Best—According To Data

Ranking The Top 50 Universities In America From Worst To Best—According To Data

Institutions Of Higher And Highest Learning

Methodology

50: University Of Virginia (Main Campus)

49: Case Western Reserve University

48: University Of Colorado Boulder

47: Texas A&M University

46: University Of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

45: University Of Arizona

44: University Of Florida

43: University Of Rochester

42: Michigan State University

41: Ohio State University (Main Campus)

40: University Of Maryland, College Park

39: Rice University

38: Penn State (Main Campus)

37: Emory University

36: Vanderbilt University

35: University Of California, Irvine

34: University Of Minnesota

33: University Of Massachusetts

32: Purdue University West Lafayette

31: Boston University

30: University Of Southern California

29: University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill

28: Washington University In St Louis

27: University Of California, Santa Barbara

26: University Of California, Davis

25: Brown University

24: University Of Wisconsin-Madison

23: University Of Texas At Austin

22: University Of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign

21: Georgia Institute Of Technology

20: University Of California, San Diego

19: New York University

18: Northwestern University

17: Duke University

16: University Of Washington

15: Carnegie Mellon University

14: University Of Michigan-Ann Arbor

13: Cornell University

12: University Of California, Los Angeles

11: Columbia University

10: Johns Hopkins University

9: University Of Pennsylvania

8: The University Of Chicago

7: Yale University

6: University Of California, Berkeley

5: California Institute Of Technology

4: Stanford University

3: Princeton University

2: Harvard University

1: Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

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