Based on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best National Universities rankings
Choosing a college is one of the biggest decisions a student and family will make. U.S. News evaluates hundreds of schools on factors such as graduation rates, faculty resources, student outcomes, and academic reputation. Below is the highest-ranked national university in each state according to the 2026 list.
Top Schools by State
| State | Best School | National Rank | Score |
|-------|-------------|---------------|-------|
| **Alabama** | Auburn University (Auburn) | #102 (tie) | 64 |
| **Alaska** | University of Alaska Fairbanks | #395–434 | Bottom 25% |
| **Arizona** | Arizona State University (Tempe) | #117 (tie) | 62 |
| **Arkansas** | University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) | #183 (tie) | 53 |
| **California** | Stanford University | #4 (tie) | 95 |
| **Colorado** | Colorado School of Mines (Golden) | #80 (tie) | 68 |
| **Connecticut** | Yale University (New Haven) | #4 (tie) | 95 |
| **Delaware** | University of Delaware (Newark) | #88 (tie) | 66 |
| **Florida** | University of Florida (Gainesville) | #30 (tie) | 82 |
| **Georgia** | Emory University (Atlanta) | #24 (tie) | 86 |
| **Hawaii** | University of Hawaii at Manoa (Honolulu) | #169 (tie) | 55 |
| **Idaho** | University of Idaho (Moscow) | #183 (tie) | 53 |
| **Illinois** | University of Chicago | #6 | 94 |
| **Indiana** | University of Notre Dame | #20 (tie) | 87 |
| **Iowa** | University of Iowa (Iowa City) | #102 (tie) | 64 |
| **Kansas** | University of Kansas (Lawrence) | #143 (tie) | 58 |
| **Kentucky** | University of Kentucky (Lexington) | #143 (tie) | 58 |
| **Louisiana** | Tulane University (New Orleans) | #69 (tie) | 71 |
| **Maine** | University of Maine (Orono) | #257 (tie) | 45 |
| **Maryland** | Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore) | #7 (tie) | 93 |
| **Massachusetts** | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge) | #2 | 98 |
| **Michigan** | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | #20 (tie) | 87 |
| **Minnesota** | University of Minnesota–Twin Cities | #59 (tie) | 73 |
| **Mississippi** | University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) | #169 (tie) | 55 |
| **Missouri** | Washington University in St. Louis | #20 (tie) | 87 |
| **Montana** | Montana State University (Bozeman) | #318 (tie) | 40 |
| **Nebraska** | Creighton University (Omaha) | #117 (tie) | 62 |
| **Nevada** | University of Nevada–Reno | #192 (tie) | 52 |
| **New Hampshire** | Dartmouth College (Hanover) | #13 (tie) | 90 |
| **New Jersey** | **Princeton University** | **#1** | **100** |
| **New Mexico** | New Mexico State University (Las Cruces) | #222 (tie) | 48 |
| **New York** | Cornell University (Ithaca) | #12 | 91 |
| **North Carolina** | Duke University (Durham) | #7 (tie) | 93 |
| **North Dakota** | North Dakota State University (Fargo) | #232 (tie) | 47 |
| **Ohio** | The Ohio State University (Columbus) | #41 (tie) | 78 |
| **Oklahoma** | University of Oklahoma (Norman) | #110 (tie) | 63 |
| **Oregon** | University of Oregon (Eugene) | #110 (tie) | 63 |
| **Pennsylvania** | University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) | #7 (tie) | 93 |
| **Rhode Island** | Brown University (Providence) | #13 (tie) | 90 |
| **South Carolina** | Clemson University | #75 (tie) | 69 |
| **South Dakota** | South Dakota State University (Brookings) | #257 (tie) | 45 |
| **Tennessee** | Vanderbilt University (Nashville) | #17 (tie) | 88 |
| **Texas** | Rice University (Houston) | #17 (tie) | 88 |
| **Utah** | Brigham Young University (Provo) | #110 (tie) | 63 |
| **Vermont** | University of Vermont (Burlington) | #132 (tie) | 60 |
| **Virginia** | University of Virginia (Charlottesville) | #26 (tie) | 85 |
| **Washington** | University of Washington (Seattle) | #42 (tie) | 77 |
| **West Virginia** | West Virginia University (Morgantown) | #222 (tie) | 48 |
| **Wisconsin** | University of Wisconsin–Madison | #36 (tie) | 80 |
| **Wyoming** | University of Wyoming (Laramie) | #222 (tie) | 48 |
Quick Highlights
- National #1: Princeton University (New Jersey)
- #2: MIT (Massachusetts)
- Several states are led by elite private schools (Stanford, Yale, Chicago, Notre Dame, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Penn, Rice, Vanderbilt, etc.)
- Strong public flagships top many lists: Florida, Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Washington, and others
- Note: These rankings focus on national universities and do not include pure liberal-arts colleges or regional universities
**Source**: Business Insider analysis of U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best National Universities rankings (updated August 25, 2026).
Rankings are one data point among many. Fit, cost, program strength, campus culture, and personal goals matter just as much when choosing a school.