To reach the top national or international position, universities are rated in accordance with their learning environment. Four-fifths of the ranking are based on the university’s academic reputation, the strength of the research citations, the ratio of students to academic staff, the Industry income, and the international outlook.

U.S. News and World Report reveals this year’s best colleges in the US.  

Princeton University, located in Princeton, New Jersey, tops the ranking. The campus covers an area of 600 acres with 5,422 undergraduate enrollments. Princeton University follows a semester based academic calendar in a suburban setting. It has no religious affiliation, and the student-faculty ratio is 5:1, meaning 5 students per teacher. Princeton University stands out from other universities in the following majors: Social Sciences, Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Public Administration and Social Services Professions.

Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts wins the silver medal. A total of 6,755 undergraduate students are enrolled at Harvard. They study following a semester based academic calendar. The campus is located in an urban area. With an excellent student-teacher ratio of 6:1 and Harvard’s most popular majors include General Social Sciences, General Biological and Biomedical Sciences, General Mathematics, Computer Science and General History. The campus extends over 5,076 acres.

Columbia University in the New York City takes the third spot. Within an urban setting, the academic year of Columbia University is based on semestral patterns. The Columbia campus measures 36 acres. They count 6,245 undergraduate students enrolled, with an exceptional student-faculty ratio of 6:1. Social Sciences, Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts are Columbia’s most famous majors.

The fourth position is a tie between Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT is a private institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. Unlike the first three universities, MIT applies a 4-1-4 system: two four month-long semesters, with a month-long mini session in between. With the lowest student-faculty ratio in this ranking, MIT is known as the leader in science and technology studies, with honorable mentions in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, General Mathematics, General Physics, Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The campus of MIT covers 168 acres and is attended by 4,530 undergraduate students.

The Yale University of New Haven, Connecticut has a semester-based academic calendar. Yale has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,092 and a ratio of students to academic staff of 6:1. The main majors which build Yale’s reputation include Social Sciences, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, History, Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics. Based in the city, the campus size reaches 373 acres.

Source: US News and world report