Princeton University
Every year, members of the higher ed community—whether prospective students, parents, educators, and administrators—anticipate the release of the U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges Rankings with varying degrees of excitement and dread. These rankings have long shaped perceptions of top schools in the U.S., providing insight into the value of institutions as academic and financial investments. While the 2024 ranking saw significant methodological changes that impacted the ranking system, the methodology largely remained the same this year, save a few minor revisions.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings:
1. Ranking systems have lost some of their sway—but still remain influential
After years of controversy, the publication’s rankings have lost much of their former sheen—and U.S. News is not the only ranking system to fall in public esteem. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal released their 2025 rankings to widespread furor, and dramatic shifts in universities’ standings led the Duke Chronicle to lambast the system as “a bewildering mess.” Despite recent criticisms of ranking systems, universities continue to pour millions of dollars into participating in the U.S. News and World Report rankings and hotly contest any dip in their results. Prospective students and their families continue to look to the rankings for guidance as they build their college lists.
2. Princeton ranks #1 for the 14th consecutive year
Princeton University has claimed the top spot in the 2025 rankings, continuing its streak as the highest-ranked national university for the 14th year in a row. The university is followed by MIT in the #2 spot and Harvard University as #3, following the same order as the 2024 rankings. Known for its world-class faculty, rigorous academic programs, and generous financial aid offerings, Princeton’s consistent placement at the top of the list reflects not only its reputation for excellence, but its globally renowned output of research and opportunities for students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.
3. Socioeconomic factors remain critical to the rankings
After receiving backlash and a spate of departures from its law and business school rankings, U.S. News and World Report made changes to its methodology for the 2024 rankings to better reflect socioeconomic concerns that are central to the value of higher education institutions. These changes introduced, among other things, metrics related to the proportion of first-generation students that the school graduates, graduation rates of Pell Grant recipients, and the income of graduates compared to their peers without college degrees. This year’s rankings removed the 6-year graduation rate of first-generation students from consideration due to data collection issues. Despite this minor change, according to a U.S. News & World Report press release: “More than 50% of an institution’s ranking includes varying outcome measures related to its success in enrolling and graduating students from all backgrounds with manageable debt as well as earnings of post graduates.” Top performers in the Social Mobility category include Florida International University, UC Riverside, and California State University—Long Beach.
4. Brown falls out of the top 10
While the top tier of the rankings largely remained the same this year, Brown University saw a drop in its standing, falling from #9 to #13. While the university occupied a spot in the top 10 in last year’s rankings, it has returned to the same spot it held in the 2023 rankings at #13. A range of factors could have impacted this shift, whether slight alterations to the importance of socioeconomic factors or changes in the assessment of standardized scores. Regardless of the cause, U.S. News and World Report emphasizes that a one-year dip does not indicate a trend, and that a university’s ranking should be evaluated in the context of its place in the overall rankings, the average year-over-year shift for all schools on the list, and its placement over the course of the last few cycles.
5. Schools in the middle of the rankings saw the most mobility
While Brown’s drop shakes up the top 10 rankings, the majority of movement occurred in the middle of the rankings, with some schools moving by 30 or more spots. The median range of mobility for the overall rankings was +/-7, which amounts to moving ahead or behind a mere 1.6% of the total number of universities in the ranking system. Schools that saw the most dramatic increases include the following:
D’Youville University (NY) +61
University of Texas – San Antonio +49
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University +49
Andrews University (MI) +47
Eastern Kentucky University +41
Dominican University New York +40
Union University (TN) +40
University of North Texas +40
Winston-Salem State University (NC) +40
Despite its flaws, the ranking system can lend valuable insights into the world of higher education and simplify the dense and complex landscape of college admissions. At the same time, families and students should consider the whole picture, weighing factors such as campus culture, academic offerings, and financial aid opportunities when building college lists and making their ultimate college choice.