By Rajwa Quasim
After 15 years at the top, Princeton University has been pushed out of the No. 1 spot, replaced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
MIT ranked No. 1 among U.S. National Universities in the 2027 Best Colleges rankings released Tuesday. Princeton moved to No. 2, while Harvard University ranked third.
The ranking ended Princeton’s consecutive run at No. 1, which began with the 2012 edition. MIT had ranked second for the past five years before moving into the top position this year.
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“MIT is part of a strong network of excellent colleges and universities across the nation, dedicated to educating students and pursuing curiosity-driven research. America’s economic strength, scientific leadership, and national security depend on world-class education and research institutions, and MIT is proud to be one of them,” MIT said in a statement.
One of the biggest changes in this year’s rankings is the introduction of an “Earnings by Major” measure. The metric uses data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard to examine how much graduates earn four years after completing their degrees.
The measure compares earnings among students who studied similar subjects rather than comparing the overall salaries of graduates. The new measure replaced the graduate indebtedness factor and reflects growing attention to the return on investment of a college degree.
U.S. News Managing Editor for Education LaMont Jones said the publication aims to provide families with data as they weigh the cost and potential return of a college degree.
“With families increasingly scrutinizing the true cost and return on investment of a college degree, our goal is to provide clear, actionable data,” Jones said.
“The 2027 Best Colleges rankings serve as a vital decision-making tool for prospective students and parents, offering transparent metrics on outcomes, affordability and academic quality to help families make fully informed financial and educational investments,” Jones added.
According to U.S. News & World Report, the rankings are based on 17 indicators that emphasize student outcomes, academic resources and expert opinion.
In the Best National Universities ranking, Yale University ranked fourth, followed by the California Institute of Technology at No. 5 and Stanford University at No. 6. The University of Pennsylvania and Duke University ranked seventh and eighth, respectively.
Three universities tied for ninth: Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.
Columbia University and Dartmouth College tied for 12th, while Carnegie Mellon University and Cornell University tied for 14th.
Private institutions dominated the top 19 spots on the list. The University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles, tied as the highest-ranked public universities at No. 20.
Among notable changes, Stevens Institute of Technology ranked No. 59, up 21 spots from No. 80. Rowan University ranked No. 191, down from No. 169.
While some schools have begun declining to provide U.S. News with information requested for the rankings, many continue to use the list to attract students’ attention and remain visible to prospective applicants.
U.S. News introduced additional categories in its 2027 rankings, including undergraduate economics and “Best Value Schools for In-State Students.” The latter evaluates public universities based on academic quality and affordability for in-state residents.
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill topped the new category, followed by the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Florida; and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The publication expanded its rankings following changes to the Carnegie Classification system. As a result, about one-fifth of schools moved into new comparison groups. Several specialized schools focused on business, engineering and health became eligible for overall rankings for the first time.
Princeton retained the No. 1 position in the U.S. News Best Value Schools category.