Top Universities & Colleges in America

Harvard University

• Harvard University is an elite private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that ranks first on both the "U.S. News and World Report" and "The Times" Higher Education (THE) rankings for colleges in 2009. In addition, the university has one of the most stringent admissions programs among international universities, accepting less than eight percent of applicants for the Fall 2008 semester. In 2009, Harvard registered more than 21,000 students, two-thirds of which were postgraduates.

  Harvard University
  86 Brattle St.
  Cambridge, MA 02138
  617-495-1551
  harvard.edu

University of Chicago

• The University of Chicago is a private university located in Hyde Park on the South Side of Chicago. The university, known primarily for its professional programs, had nearly 15,000 students enrolled as of the Fall 2009 semester, including 9,000 students in postgraduate and professional programs.

  Chicago's law and economic programs have gained particular acclaim worldwide. The school has also spent a significant amount of money on research programs, nearly doubling its research expenditures from 2000 to 2007, according to the National Science Foundation (NSF).

  University of Chicago
  5801 South Ellis Ave.
  Chicago, IL 60637
  773-702-1234
  uchicago.edu

California Institute of Technology

• The California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) is a small, private university in Pasadena, California. Cal Tech enrolled only 2,100 students in 2009---950 undergraduates and 1,150 postgraduates. The university ranks high on many international college lists despite its size; in 2009, it placed as the fourth best national university according to "U.S. News and World Report," and as the tenth best international university on THE's list.

  California Institute of Technology
  1200 E. California Blvd.
  Padadena, CA 91125
  caltech.edu

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, only two miles from Harvard University. Although MIT confers degrees from undergraduate to doctoral levels, the university places particular emphasis on its professional and research programs in science, engineering and technology. In 2009, 10,000 students enrolled at MIT, 4,000 at the undergraduate level.

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  77 Massachusetts Ave.
  Cambridge, MA 02139
  617-253-3400
  mit.edu

Stanford University

• Stanford University is a private research university in the Bay Area of Northern California. Stanford is known for diverse successes in technology, medicine and engineering. The school also has one of the largest endowments in the nation, estimated at $12.6 billion in 2009.

  More than 15,000 students were enrolled at Stanford in 2009. Many of Stanford's graduates have found fame in Silicon Valley, founding companies such as Google, Yahoo! and Sun Microsystems.

  Stanford University
  295 Galvez St.
  Stanford, CA 94305
  650-723-2300
  stanford.edu

Duke University

• Duke University is a private university located in Durham, North Carolina. According to the NSF, Duke is spent nearly $800 million on its research programs in 2007, with the majority of funds directed to the well-known Duke Medical Center.

  Duke has one of the highest acceptance rates among top universities, matriculating 22.4 percent of applicants in 2008. As of 2009, Duke has nearly 13,500 students enrolled, with 6,400 of them pursuing undergraduate degrees.

  Duke University
  2138 Campus Dr.
  Box 90586
  Durham, NC 27708
  919-684-8111
  duke.edu