The Best Research Universities in the USA

Columbia University

• Columbia University in New York City is an Ivy League institution that ranks No. 1 in the 2009 CMUP survey of top research universities. Columbia's graduate programs in law, education, medicine, business and other areas are also consistently ranked as the best or near the top of graduate school rankings by "U.S. News & World Report." It is affiliated and shares resources with Barnard College, an elite women's school. Columbia, founded in 1754, has an endowment of $7 billion. More than 23,000 students attended the university in 2010. Undergraduate tuition and fees for 2010-2011 totaled $53,396.

  Columbia University
  2960 Broadway
  New York, NY 10027
  212-854-2522
  columbia.edu

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge is second on the CMUP survey and is home to top engineering, computer science, chemistry and management programs. Its research centers including the MIT Media Lab are world-renowned for ground-breaking discoveries and innovative programs to serve populations in poor countries, including the One Laptop Per Child project. Founded in 1861, MIT has an endowment of $10 billion. More than 10,000 students were enrolled at the school in 2010. Undergraduate tuition and fees for 2009-2010 totaled $37,782.

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

Stanford University

• Stanford University in California ranks third on the CMUP list of the nation's best research universities. Founded in 1891, the picturesque campus of Spanish-style architecture has top-ranked law, engineering and business schools and championship athletic teams of Olympic athletes. Graduates of the university founded famous companies in nearby Silicon Valley such as Google, Yahoo! and Hewlett-Packard. Stanford's endowment is over $17 billion. Nearly 18,500 students were enrolled at the institution in 2010. Undergraduate tuition and fees for 2009-2010 totaled nearly $38,000.

  Stanford University
  Stanford, CA 94305
  650-723-2091
  stanford.edu

Harvard University

• The nation's oldest and richest university is the No. 4 school on the CMUP list. Founded in 1636 during the Colonial era, Harvard's endowment of nearly $26 billion outstrips its closest competitor by $9 billion. The university has the world's largest academic library and a diverse assortment of renowned think tanks, science laboratories and medical facilities. The school's highly ranked graduate programs include law, medicine, business, education and public affairs. Approximately 20,000 students were enrolled at Harvard in 2010. Undergraduate tuition and fees for 2009-2010 totaled $48,868.

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