Best Universities in the United States of America: What are the Ranking Criteria?
Studying in the US is a major ambition of many students. It is a land full of education and career possibilities. There is no interest that is not catered in the US. Everything is up gor grabs, there are no limits. It is a country high on capitalism and respects the work of the market.
Thinking about pursuing higher education in the US? This thought can be overwhelming because there are so many options. Which is the top-ranked universities in the United States? Where are the top universities in the United States?
There are 183 US universities with many of them ranked to be some of the highest in the world. Wherever you want to study in the US, a top university will most likely be offering it. These top ranking universities can be found across the country. Each state has a great quality university.
The universities ranking at the very top of the table are concentrated in these popular destinations, which are well known for their higher education opportunities; the top four are based in California and Massachusetts.
Detailed Look at the Ranking Factors
Universities are ranked according to stringent criteria below are some of the factors that affect university rankings:
- Research output: The number of research projects executed by the faculty of the university, the number of books published. This shows that the faculty is of high quality.
- Employability: How easy was it for graduates to find jobs? This is something measured in surveys dones by various institutions such as the Financial Times. The easier it is for students to get jobs after they are done with the degree is something that improves the rankings of all universities.
- Campus Facilities: The facilities offered to students include everything from the green spaces to, libraries and access to sports facilities and other recreational activities. The better the quality of the campus the higher the ranking
- Consultancies: The ability to link industry with academia is a major goal all over the world. The idea is to bridge the gap between “bookish” knowledge and practical knowledge. This is something that a lot of universities try to do through consultancy projects and collaborations between firms and universities. The top ranking institutes all over the world try their best to create these linkages between industry and academia. This is the reason why most developing countries rely on their universities for research and input when it comes to solving major problems. The higher the industry linkages the better the ranking.
Based on some of these criterias and other factors below is a list of top rated universities in the US. These are the universities that most high achieving students aspire to go to.
Top 5 universities in the US 2022
5. Princeton University
It is one of the oldest universities in the US. This provides Princeton University much heritage and prestige. It is part of the prestigious group of Ivy League universities. The university is known for high quality research output and professional faculty. On top of all this the University is one of the most beautiful campuses in the US, with well known architects having made valuable and must see contributions to the university. Alumni who have won a Nobel prize include the physicists Richard Feynman and Robert Hofstadter and chemists Richard Smalley and Edwin McMillan. Tww American presidents James Madison and Woodrow Wilson are also Princeton alumni. Other distinguished graduates include Michelle Obama, actors Jimmy Stewart and Brooke Shields, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Apollo astronaut Pete Conrad.
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
MIT is known for its great contribution to science and technology. It is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. A degree from MIT automatically makes you into a genius, and rightly so because the criteria to get into this university is also very tough. MIT is a highly diverse campus with around 33% students coming from over 154 countries. This makes the experience of studying in MIT highly rewarding, educational and fun. Famous alumni include astronaut Buzz Aldrin (second man on the moon), former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and physicist Richard Feynman. MIT cultivates a strong entrepreneurial culture, which has seen many alumni founding notable companies such as Intel, Dropbox and Zipcar. One of the unique aspects of the university is that the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at MIT are not wholly separate; many courses can be taken at either level.
3. Stanford University
Known for numerous faculty members, students and alumni having founded successful technology companies and start-ups, including Google, Snapchat and Hewlett-Packard. 22% of the students at Stanford are from foreign countries. Located in Palo Alto, right beside Silicon Valley, Stanford University has had a prominent role in encouraging the region’s tech industry to develop. Companies founded by Stanford alumni make $2.7 trillion (£2.2 trillion) each year.
2. Harvard University
A name associated with prestige, intelligence and success. Harvard university has become a successful brand amongst all these major universities. The Faculty of Harvard not only are involved in some great research they also rung journals and the prestigious magazine Harvard Business Review. The law, business and economics departments of Harvard are known to be some of the most advanced in the world. Founded in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest higher education institution in the US.
1. California Institute of Technology (CalTech)
Comprising six faculties CalTech, there is a focus on science and engineering. CalTech has a great number of successful graduates and affiliates, including 39 Nobel laureates, six Turing Award winners and four Fields Medallists