Harvard University is America's oldest college, founded in 1636, and the No. 1 ranked private university on the U.S. News & World Report list. Harvard has the largest financial endowment (donations to the institution) in the world and claims 43 nobel laureates as past or current faculty members. Harvard offers a variety of academic programs in its schools of business, continuing education, dental, design, education, engineering, government, law, medicine, public health, and more. Harvard has a student body of nearly 20,000 and in 2010 tuition averages $33,696.
Harvard University
Massachusetts Hall
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-495-1000
harvard.edu
Princeton University is ranked as the second best private university, was founded in 1746. Almost three dozen faculty members or alumni have claimed Nobel Prizes in economics, physics and more. The school claims President Woodrow Wilson as a former staff member and writer Eugene O'Neill among its graduates. Princeton is most know for its School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, but also offers a variety of academic programs such as chemical engineering, anthropology, mathematics, physics, religion and many more. Princeton University has smaller student body of just about 8,000 and tuition averages $35,340.
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544
609-258-3000
princeton.edu
Yale University, founded in 1701, is ranked as the third best college in the United States, according to the 2010 list by U.S. News & World Report. In 2009, Thomas Steiz of Yale University's molecular biophysics and biochemistry department received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Yale offers a variety of academic programs in its three major academic components: Yale College for undergraduate studies, Yale's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and its many professional schools that include law, art, drama, architecture and many more. Yale University has a student body of nearly 12,000 and tuition averages $36,500.
Yale University
P.O. Box 208234
New Haven, CT 06520
203-432-9316
yale.edu
The California Institute of Technology or Caltech is ranked as the fourth best private university in the country according to the magazine. Caltech was founded in 1891 and offers a broad range of programs in its academic divisions of biology, chemistry and chemical engineering, engineering and applied science, humanities and social sciences, and more. Caltech boasts 31 Nobel laureates dating back to 1923 in the areas of chemistry and physics and more. Caltech has a student body of less than 2,500 and tuition averages $34,584.
California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91125
626-395-6341
caltech.edu
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was founded in 1861 and ties for fourth place with Caltech on the list of the best private universities in the country. MIT faculty and alumni have won Nobel Prizes in the areas of engineering, economics, and more. MIT offers academic programs in its schools of architecture and planning, engineering, humanities, arts and social sciences, management, science and its College of Health Sciences & Technology. MIT has a student body of more than 10,000 and tuition averages $37,782.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-253-3400
web.mit.edu
Stanford University completes the three-way tie for fourth place and is a renown research institution. Stanford was founded in 1885 and offers a large range of programs in its schools of business, earth sciences, education, engineering, humanities and sciences, law and medicine. Stanford's School of Medicine alone has three Nobel laureates and the physics department has many more. Stanford has a student body of nearly 18,000 and tuition averages $37,881.
Stanford University
450 Serra Mall
Stanford, CA 94305
650-723-2300
stanford.edu