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Top 10 private universities in the US

Scroll down for the full list of the best private universities in the US

Many of the US’ highest-ranked universities are classified as private universities, including Harvard University, theÌýMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University and Yale University.

These universities are funded primarilyÌýthrough student tuition fees, which are generally higher than those of public universities. Accordingly, private universities usually have better staff-to-student ratios and more income for resources, which may be one reason they rank higher than the country’s public universities.

All the institutions in the prestigious Ivy League group are private universities.

We’ve pulled together a list of the top 100 private colleges in the US, based on data from theÌýWall Street Journal/Times Higher EducationÌýUS College RankingsÌý2022. Private universities also dominated the top 100 of the overall ranking.

A number of liberal arts colleges including Williams College, Amherst College and Pomona College have also entered the top 100 private universities in the US.

The majority of private universities in the US are not-for-profit operations.

°Õ³ó±ðÌý°Â³§´³/°Õ±á·¡ÌýUS College Ranking is a more student-centred rankingÌýbecause of its emphasis on student outcomes and engagement. While previously we have used results from the USÌýStudent Survey for the ranking, we were unable to conduct a survey in 2020 and 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, we have used data from the 2019 survey to inform this year’s ranking.ÌýThe full methodology can be found here.

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Top 5 private universities in the US

5. Duke University

-Duke UniversityÌýis aÌýprivateÌýresearch universityÌýinÌýDurham, North Carolina and was founded byÌýMethodistsÌýandÌýQuakers inÌý1838.
-It was originally located in the town of Trinity before moving to Durham inÌý1892.

The original campus was rebuilt inÌýa Georgian architectural style and is now known as East Campus, after the 1930 addition of West Campus, Gothic in style and home to the impressive Duke Chapel tower.

There are 10 schools and colleges; the oldest is TrinityÌýCollege of Arts & Sciences, founded in 1859, and the youngest is the Nicholas School of the Environment, established just 25 years ago.

4. Yale University

-Notable graduates of Yale University include former US secretaries of state Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, and actor Meryl Streep.
-Alumni also include five US presidents, 20 Nobel prizewinners and 32 Pulitzer prizewinners.Ìý

Yale is famous for its secret societies, including Scroll and Key and Skull and Bones, which started admitting women only inÌý1991. There are also plenty of student societies that aren’t so secret,Ìýsuch as the mathematics society, Chinese students’ society, foosball club and the chamber orchestra.Ìý

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

-°Õ³ó±ðÌýMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyÌýhas more than 500 recognised student activity groups. One of these is the student newspaper,ÌýThe Tech, whichÌýis published in print and online.
-MIT also sponsors 31 varsity sports and has one of the broadest NCAA DivisionÌýIII athletic programmes.ÌýÌý

MIT has never awarded an honorary degree, nor does it award athletic scholarships. It has only twice awarded honorary professorships, to former British prime minister Winston Churchill in 1949 and to author Salman Rushdie inÌý1993.Ìý

2. Stanford University

-Stanford UniversityÌýwas founded in 1885 by Jane and Leland Stanford, in the heart of what is now Silicon Valley.
-Stanford counts 19 Nobel laureates within its community today, as well as numerous famous alumni in the worlds of art, social sciences, business, politics, humanities, media, sports and technology.Ìý

In total, companies founded by Stanford affiliates and alumni generate more than $2.7Ìýtrillion in annual revenue, which would be the 10thÌýlargest economy in the world. These companies include Google, Nike, Netflix, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Instagram and Charles Schwab.Ìý

1. Harvard University

-It’s no surprise that Harvard University tops this list, considering that it also took the top spot in the overall °Â³§´³/°Õ±á·¡ÌýUS College Ranking 2022.
-Harvard has also been a mainstay at the top of the °Õ±á·¡ÌýReputation Ranking for the past nineÌýyears.

The cost of attending Harvard is high, with tuition fees averaging about $43,000 aÌýyear. However, the university offers generous financial aid packages for less advantaged students.

According to the university’s website, it has stepped up financial aid by 75Ìýper cent since 2007, and is now offering about $170Ìýmillion aÌýyear toÌýstudents. In fact, 50Ìýper cent of students receive financial aid.

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Top 100 private universities in the US

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