What are the top 10 ten oldest colleges in US?

Defining "oldest" can be tricky – it depends on whether you mean the date of founding, the date of receiving a charter, or the date of continuous operation. There's no single, universally agreed-upon ranking. However, based on various interpretations and common listings, here are 10 colleges frequently cited among the oldest in the US, keeping in mind the nuances mentioned above:

1. Harvard University (Cambridge, MA): Generally considered the oldest, founded in 1636.

2. College of William & Mary (Williamsburg, VA): Founded in 1693, the second oldest.

3. Yale University (New Haven, CT): Founded in 1701.

4. Princeton University (Princeton, NJ): Founded in 1746 (originally the College of New Jersey).

5. University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA): Founded in 1740 (originally the Academy and Charitable School). Note that its status as a university came later.

6. Brown University (Providence, RI): Founded in 1764 (originally Rhode Island College).

7. Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ): Founded in 1766 (originally Queen's College).

8. Dartmouth College (Hanover, NH): Founded in 1769.

9. Washington & Lee University (Lexington, VA): Founded in 1749 (with a complex history involving mergers and name changes).

10. Columbia University (New York, NY): Founded in 1754 (originally King's College).

It's important to note that the exact order within this list, particularly after the top few, can be debated depending on the criteria used for "oldest." Some institutions might claim a prior founding date based on earlier charters or precursor institutions, leading to discrepancies in various rankings.