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10 Best US universities

The United States has several private and public institutions of higher education. A majority of which are the world’s top universities.

There are also community and liberal arts colleges. These institutions have different admission policies, academic programs and tuition.

When selecting an institution of higher learning, there are several factors to consider. Do you want to join an ivy league university? A public university? Private university? A community college? get a sports scholarship?

Other common factors to consider are do you want to study in your state? Or out of state? What do these universities offer that the other does not? 

Well, public universities in the United States offer the most exceptional education to students from different backgrounds at an affordable tuition.

One of these institutions is the University of California-Berkley. It is a public university in the State of California that was ranked the best in America by Forbes.

There is a university of choice in any of the 50 states. For that reason, I have broken down the list by state.

Here is our pick of the 10 best US universities.

1. Harvard University – Massachusetts

Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash

Top of the list is Harvard University. This is a private Ivy League research university founded in 1636. It started as Harvard College which was named after its first patron, John Harvard.   

Harvard is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning and most prestigious in the United States and the world.

Its founder, who was a Puritan clergyman, purposed for it to train clergy after it was established. The curriculum changed later and a diverse pool of students was welcomed.

Today, Harvard University has a student population of 21,000. There are 10 faculties/schools that offer a different range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Some popular majors at Harvard University are Political Science and Government, Economics, Social Sciences, Evolutionary Biology, and Psychology.

Notable alumni from this Ivy League institution are President John F. Kennedy, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Natalie Portman, Michael Bloomberg, Richard Theodore Greener, President Barack Obama, former U.S First Lady Michelle Obama.

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2. Stanford University – California

Stanford University is also a private institution in the state of California that was founded in 1885. As one of the largest universities in California, it sits on 8,180 acres.

It was founded by Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane to encourage public welfare by exercising inspiration on behalf of humanity and development.

The current student enrolment at Stanford is 17,000. This university has been ranked among the best universities globally.

Stanford has seven schools: Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences; Education; Engineering; the Graduate School of Business; Humanities and Sciences; Law; and Medicine.

There are also 11 interdisciplinary research institutes. The most popular majors are Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; and Engineering.

The university is located at the centre of Northern California’s dynamic Silicon Valley. This is where you will find the big tech companies like Yahoo, Google, Hewlett-Packard.

Notable alumni from Stanford University are: Jennifer Connelly, Tiger Woods, and the 31st president of the United States, President Herbert Hoover

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3. Yale University – Connecticut

Photo by Henry Trotter – Wikimedia

Next on the list is the prestigious Yale University. It is a private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut.

This university was established in 1701 as the Collegiate School. Yale is the 3^rd oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Some of the buildings found on campus date back to the mid-18^th century.  

Yale is most famous for its excellent drama and music programs. There are 12 professional schools, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

At Yale, the students follow a liberal arts curriculum where they learn across disciplines. The students get to choose a major later on.  

Some notable alumni are Meryl Streep, Indira Nooyi, Fareed Zakaria, Urjit Patel, Jodie Foster.

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4. Columbia University – New York

Columbia University in New York was established in 1754. It was known as King’s College before it was renamed Columbia College in 1784 following the American Revolutionary War.

As a private Ivy League institution, its admission rate is highly competitive with the acceptance rate being 5.8%. Columbia is the 3^rd most selective university in the United States. 

The academic programs in Columbia expose students to a broad spectrum of ideas and perspectives in the fields of literature, history philosophy, music, art, and science.

Columbia also runs the highly distinguished Pulitzer Prize, an annual award for achievements in journalism, literature and musical composition.

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5. Howard University – Washington D.C

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Howard University is a private Black Ivy League school. This university was founded in 1867 with a mission to ensure students in the African American community receive a quality education.

The university played an important role in the Civil Rights Movement on a number of occasions.

There are more than 130 programs at Howard University offered from 13 schools and colleges namely: Arts & Sciences, Business, Communications, Dentistry, Divinity, Education, Engineering, Architecture & Computer Sciences.

 Howard also has graduate Schools for Law, Medicine, Nursing & Allied Health Sciences, Pharmacy and Social Work.

Notable alumni include Kamala Harris, Chadwick Boseman, Marllon Wayans, Thurgood Marshall, Toni Morrison and Phylicia Rashad.

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6. Xavier University – Louisiana

The Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, historically black, Catholic university. This is the only Catholic HBCU and the first Catholic university founded by a saint.

The Xavier University of Louisiana was named as one of the top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States.

Furthermore, it was voted as one with the best value among southern regional universities.

It is recognized as a national leader in the sciences and the liberal arts. This university has held its position as no.1 in producing the highest number of African-American medical school graduates.

Popular majors at Xavier include Biology, General; Psychology, General; Business Administration, Management and Operations; Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology; Public Health; Communication and Media Studies; Political Science and Government; Computer Science.

Notable alumni: Gary Carter, Jr., LaToya Cantrell, Jared Brossett, Candice Stewart.

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7. Princeton University – New Jersey

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Princeton is the 4^th oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. This private ivy league institution is among the 9 colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.

About 12% of the population at Princeton are international students. The enrolment at Princeton is currently about 10,000.

Some of the most popular majors at Princeton University include: Social Sciences; Engineering; Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Public Administration and Social Service Professions

Two US presidents went to Princeton, James Madison and Woodrow Wilson, former first lady Michelle Obama, Jimmy Stewart, David Duchovny, Eric Schmidt and Pete Conrad.

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8. The Ohio State University – Ohio

This is a public university in Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, it is considered a Public Ivy and is among the best public universities in the United States.

The university was founded in 1870. It is one of the largest universities in the US and focuses on various agricultural and mechanical disciplines.

It is the only school in North America that offers an ABET-accredited undergraduate degree in welding engineering.

Popular majors at Ohio State University include Finance, General; Psychology, General; Biology/Biological Sciences, General; Marketing/Marketing Management, General; Speech Communication and Rhetoric; Accounting; Computer Engineering, General; Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services.

The football program at Ohio State University is one of the most successful in the state.

Notable alumni are Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr., Jesse Owens, Lois McMaster Bujold.

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9. The University of Maryland, College Park – Maryland

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The University of Maryland was founded in 1856 and is a public research university.

The University has a highly ranked graduate program in education and the highly regarded A. James Clark School of Engineering.

There are 12 schools and colleges that offer over 200 degree-granting programs. These programs include 92 undergraduate majors, 107 master’s programs, and 83 doctoral programs.

This university has been regarded as Public Ivy because of its quality of education that is comparable to the private Ivy League.

Notable alumni: Steny Hoyer, Gayle King, Connie Chung.

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10. Purdue University – Indiana

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Purdue University is a world-famous public university that has greatly contributed to discoveries in science, medicine, technology, engineering and math.

There are 200 majors for undergraduates, over 69 masters and doctoral programs at Purdue University.

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