According to U.S. News & World Report, the current top National U.S. universities are:

1. Harvard University- Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Princeton University- Princeton, New Jersey
3. Yale University- New Haven, CT
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology- Cambridge, Mass
5. Stanford University- Stanford, California
6. California Institute of Technology- Pasadena, CA
7. University of Pennsylvania- Philadelphia
8. Columbia University- New York, NY
9. Duke University- Durham, North Carolina
10. University of Chicago- Chicago, Illinois
Source(s):
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-search

Permalink | Report

Since I remember you talking about going for a medical degree of some kind I thought you might like the top 10 Medical Schools in the US. :)

Also, while not on these list I will personally recommend Case Western Reserve as an option, I have several friends that have gone to this school and had great success. It is partnered with the Cleveland Clinic which is one of the top medical systems in the world.

Top 10 medical schools (research)

1. Harvard University
2. Johns Hopkins University
Washington University in St. Louis
4. Duke University
University of Pennsylvania
6. University of California San Francisco
7. Columbia U. College of Physicians and Surgeons
8. Stanford University
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
10. Yale University

Top 10 medical schools (primary care)

1. University of Washington
2. Oregon Health & Science University
3. University of California San Francisco
4. Mich. State U. Coll. of Osteopathic Medicine
5. University of Minnesota Duluth
6. University of California San Diego
University of New Mexico
University of Wisconsin Madison
9. University of Iowa (Roy J. & Lucille A. Carver)
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
University of Rochester
Source(s):
http://www.studentdoc.com/top-10-medical-schools.html

Permalink | Report

The question cannot have a 'best answer' because the 'best' college depends upon what a person wants to do, values in an experience, and can afford. The rankings by organizations such as 'U.S. News & World Report' are very generic and meant, only, to sell magazines. They compare institutions using criteria that may be irrelevant to a young (or not-so-young) person.

If you are searching for a 'best college', you would do well to specify what you are looking for.
Source(s):
http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/28/pf/college/collegeguide_newmath/
http://www.ehow.com/how_4481753_choose-best-college.html
http://college.tips.net/Pages/T6569_Choosing_the_Best_College_for_You.html

Permalink | Report

I agree with millerj. The notion of "Best College" is very vague, misleading, and in some ways incorrectly answered. Most services rank Universities and Colleges in competition with each other.

The Merriam Webster online dictionary points out that a "college" is a subset of a University. So a University shouldn't qualify as an answer here. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/college

picky picky picky -- ok. I guess the real answer goes back to "What is it you are looking for to advance your education?"

Some considerations:
> Cost - is it affordable (tuition, books, room & board, travel to and from "home," etc., etc.)
> Quality of learning experience - will you be taught by experts (faculty) or by students (graduate student teaching/research assistants)
> Outcome - do you want degree from Big Name institution or do you want particular learning experience or just a quick and easy certificate of study
> Other experiences - some institutions offer differ forms of study, some offer great social life (sports, greeks, and parties in general)

I think you get the idea. Easy way is to write down the Institution on blank sheet of paper or word processor file. Add a little general info about it. Then make two colums: Pros & Cons. Begin asking and answering your own questions in the appropriate column. Do this for a couple Colleges and you should have a better answer than this one.
Source(s):
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/college

Permalink | Report

The best colleges are the ones that don't treat students as nothing more than numbers.
Source(s):
(others have provided great answers above, so consider this my lil rant ;-)

Permalink | Report

You should look at more than just the top schools, and not decide on what everyone else believes is best, yet what is the best college for you. The U.S. News and World Reports ranks the colleges and universities. The top 50 tier 1 colleges and universities are the best national universities. If I were you, I would look beyond just the top 10, as there are plenty of schools in the top 50 that are great! Even schools that are in the top 100 are great to look at, as you may find a school that has your program.

Here is the list, according to U.S. News and World Reports:

1. Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey
3. Yale University in New Haven, CT
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass
5. Stanford University in Stanford, California
6. California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA
7. University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia
8. Columbia University in New York, NY
9. Duke University in Durham, North Carolina
10. University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois
11. Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH
12. Northwestern University in Evanston, IL
13. Washington University in St. Louis in St. Louis, MO
14. Cornell University in Ithaca, NY
15. Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD
16. Brown University in Providence, RI
17. Rice University in Houston, TX
18. Emory University in Atlanta, GA
19. University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN
20. Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN
21. University of California--Berkeley in Berkeley, CA
22. Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA
23. Georgetown University in Washington, DC
24. University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA
25. University of California--Los Angeles in Los Angeles, CA
26. University of Michigan--Ann Arbor in Ann Arbor, MI
27. University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA
28. Tufts University in Medford, MA
29. Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC
30. University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC
31. Brandeis University in Waltham, MA
32. College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA
33. New York University in New York, NY
34. Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA
35. Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA
36. Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA
37. University of California--San Diego in La Jolla, CA
38. University of Rochester in Rochester, NY
39. University of Wisconsin--Madison in Madison, WI
40. University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, IL
41. Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH
42. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY
43. University of Washington in Seattle, WA
44. University of California--Davis in Davis, CA
45. University of California--Irvine in Irvine, CA
46. University of California--Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara, CA
47. Pennsylvania State University--University Park in University Park, PA
48. University of Texas--Austin in Austin, TX
49. University of Florida in Gainesville, FL
50. Yeshiva University in New York, NY

If you're looking to go to an Ivy League school, not all Ivy's are in the top 10, at least not according to U.S. News and World Report. There are technically only 8 Ivy League Universities:

1. Harvard
2. Princeton
3. Yale
4. University of Pennsylvania
5. Columbia
6. Dartmouth
7. Cornell
8. Brown

Websites for high school students to review colleges and universities:

http://www.campusexplorer.com
http://www.collegecarrot.com
http://www.collegeclicktv.com
http://www.collegeconfidential.com
http://www.collegeknowitall.com
http://www.collegeprowler.com
http://www.localschools.com
http://www.stuvu.com
http://www.theu.com
http://www.unigo.com
http://www.yollege.com
http://www.yourcampus360.com
http://www.zinch.com

Best of luck with your college search!
Source(s):
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/college/national-search http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League

Permalink | Report

Find out where people you respect went to college. What do you want to study? Who do you look up to in that field? Where did they go to college.

This can help you determine what schools might be best for you.
Permalink | Report