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MIT named the nation’s top university by U.S. News for 2026-27

The Institute’s undergraduate engineering, computer science, and economics programs are No. 1; its business program is No. 2.

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U.S. News and World Report has designated MIT as the No. 1 school in its annual rankings of the nation’s best universities, announced today.
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Credit: Gretchen Ertl

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Caption:
U.S. News and World Report has designated MIT as the No. 1 school in its annual rankings of the nation’s best universities, announced today.
Credits:
Credit: Gretchen Ertl

U.S. News and World Report has designated MIT as the top school in its annual rankings of the nation’s best universities, announced today. 

Among the academic specialties that U.S. News evaluates, MIT’s engineering program continues to lead the rankings of undergraduate engineering programs at a doctoral institution. The Institute’s undergraduate computer science and economics programs also ranked No. 1, and its undergraduate business program ranked No. 2.

U.S. News ranked MIT highly in several other categories: The Institute is No. 1  for undergraduate research and creative projects, No. 2 on the list of most innovative schools, and No. 3 on the list of best value schools.

MIT placed first in five engineering specialties: aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering; chemical engineering; electrical/electronic/communication engineering; materials engineering; and mechanical engineering. It placed second in computer engineering.

Other schools in the top five overall for undergraduate engineering programs are Georgia Tech, Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, and Caltech. 

In computer science, MIT placed first in three specialties: biocomputing/bioinformatics/biotechnology (tied with Carnegie Mellon University); computer systems (tied with Carnegie Mellon); and theory. It placed second in three other disciplines: artificial intelligence, data analytics/science; and programming languages.

Other schools in the top five overall for undergraduate computer science programs are Carnegie Mellon and Stanford (both tied with MIT at No. 1), as well as UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech, Princeton University, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

In economics, MIT placed first in four specialties: development economics; econometrics; industrial organization (tied with Northwestern University); and microeconomics. It placed second in macroeconomics (tied with UC Berkeley).

Other schools in the top five overall for undergraduate economics programs are Harvard University, Princeton, and University of Chicago (all tied with MIT at No. 1), as well as Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Yale University.

Among undergraduate business specialties, the MIT Sloan School of Management led in three categories: analytics; production/operations management; and quantitative analysis. It placed second in entrepreneurship.  

Other undergraduate business programs ranking in the top five include the University of Pennsylvania, UC Berkeley, New York University, and the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. 

Press Mentions

MassLive

MIT was listed as the No. 1 national university in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 “Best Colleges Rankings,” “based upon the analysis of more than 1,700 colleges and universities nationwide across 17 key measures,” writes MassLive’s Claudia Dimuro. “These measures included ‘First-year retention rates,’ ‘Earnings by major,’ ‘Faculty salaries,’ and ‘Student-faculty ratio,’ notes Dimuro.  

The Boston Globe

MIT has been named the No. 1 national university in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 “Best Colleges Rankings,” writes Chloe Craft for The Boston Globe. MIT is proud to be “part of a strong network of excellent colleges and universities across the nation, dedicated to educating students and pursuing curiosity-driven research. America’s economic strength, scientific leadership, and national security depend on world-class education and research institutions.” 

Boston.com

The U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 “Best Colleges Rankings” honors MIT as the No.1 national university, writes Elizabeth Mehler for Boston.com. “The rankings are based on up to 17 weighted measures of academic quality and success, including graduation and retention rates, social mobility for low-income students, post-graduate earnings, academic peer assessment, and faculty resources,” writes Mehler. 

The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe’s Chloe Craft highlights MIT being ranked No. 1 in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 “Best Colleges Rankings.” “Take a look at the rankings of U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 lists of the nation’s best universities and liberal arts colleges, released Tuesday, and you’ll find lots of schools from New England near the top of the charts,” writes Craft. “MIT, ranked No. 1 for the first time ever.” 

Boston 25 News

For Boston 25, reporter Alexis Rossi details MIT’s selection as the No. 1 national university in U.S. News & World Report’s 2027 “Best Colleges Rankings.” “MIT was also ranked first for undergraduate research and creative projects, second on the list of most innovative schools, and third on the list of best value schools,” writes Rossi.  

7 News

7 News Boston spotlights MIT being named the No. 1 national university by U.S. News and World Report for its 2027 “Best College Rankings.” The ranking highlighted MIT’s “high enrollment of just over 4,500 students in 2025, its student faculty ratio of 8-1 and its 4-1 academic calendar.”  

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