Best United States Universities To Choose From In 2024

Finding the right college in the US can be a daunting task. Choosing the perfect university can make all the difference. There are so many options to choose from and almost all of them can be considered the “best universities in the USA”. Our list of top universities in the US is based on the Times Higher Education World Ranking 2024.

There are over 180 universities and colleges throughout the USA. They are known as the best colleges throughout the globe and if you want to study in the top universities then choosing the top colleges in the US can help you do so. California is the most represented state among the best US universities, with 15 institutes that are followed by 13 universities in New York, 12 universities in Texas, and 10 in Massachusetts.

Top Universities In US 2024

The top 5 United States-based universities are the dream of millions of students globally because of their prestige and standard of education. Let’s start with our list of the best universities & colleges. 

1. Stanford University – Best USA University

Based in Palo Alto, right beside Silicon Valley, Stanford University has the main hand in the growth of the tech industry in the region. Several faculty members, students, and alumni have found a few of the biggest tech startups known to the world including Google, Snapchat, and Hewlett-Packard. 

A lot of people call the university a farm, as it is built atop the Stanford family’s Palo Alto stock farm. The campus is spread over 8,180 acres of land and it is one of the best US universities. As expected, Stanford is highly competitive and tough to get in, the admission rate is just over 5%. 22 percent of students who live on the campus are international.

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

MIT is one of the best US universities that cultivates a strong entrepreneurial culture. A few of the most notable companies built by the alumni are Intel and Dropbox. 

The undergraduate program at MIT is one of the country’s most selective and admits only 8 percent of applicants. Engineering and computer science programs are a few of the most popular among undergraduates.

Almost 33% of all the students are international, coming from 154 countries. Top Alumni include astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and physicist Richard Feynman. 

3. Harvard University – Top University in the USA

Harvard is one of the top universities in the US and all over the world. This University ranks on topmost years in “Times Higher Education Reputation Rankings.” Founded in 1636, Harvard is the oldest higher education institution in the USA. Almost 21,000 students are enrolled every year and a quarter of them are international. 

Keep in mind that the tuition is extremely expensive but Harvard’s financial endowment offers plenty of financial aid for students. The Harvard Library system is one of the largest academic libraries in the world. Unlike most universities in the USA, Harvard is equally famous for its arts and humanities courses as it is for science and tech. 

4. California Institute of Technology (CalTech)

Even though the number of students in the university is relatively low, CalTech has an impressive number of successful graduates and faculty members. There are around 2,200 students at CalTech and the main campus is near Los Angeles covers 124 acres, almost all the undergraduates live on campus.

Out of all the six faculties, the main focus is on science and engineering. The university has the highest proportion of students who complete a Ph.D., and a lot of CalTech graduates have made their way into the pop-culture industry. It is one of the top colleges in the USA if you’re looking to pursue a course in Science. 

5. University of California, Berkeley

The University of California, Berkeley is a public research university that is situated in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. It is part of the University of California system and it is one of the oldest campuses within the system, it was founded in 1868.

Berkeley is one of the “best United States Universities” with an impressive catalog of achievements counting 107 Nobel laureates, 25 Turing Award winners, 19 Academy Award winners, and 207 Olympic medals. All of this is enough to help you make your decision. 

There are over 1,000 student groups at the university, and they cover interests like sports, politics, and arts & crafts.