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#1 Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA
Carnegie Mellon University is a private institution that was founded in 1900. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 7,073 (fall 2020), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 157 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Carnegie Mellon University's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #25. Its tuition and fees are $58,924.
Carnegie Mellon University, founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, is located in Pittsburgh and offers dining and entertainment options as well as professional sports teams including the Penguins (hockey), Steelers (football), and Pirates (baseball). Only freshmen are required to live on campus, but the university guarantees housing for all four years and the majority of students choose to remain on campus. Nearly 20 percent of the student population is affiliated with Greek life, which consists of more than 20 fraternities and sororities. The Carnegie Mellon Tartans compete in NCAA Division III competitions, and the Kiltie Band, which sports full Scottish regalia, performs at every home football game.
Estimated tuition fee: The average annual cost of studying at Carnegie Mellon is $58,924 .
Reputation Score 4.9
Georgia Institute of Technology is a public institution that was founded in 1885. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 16,561 (fall 2020), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 400 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Georgia Institute of Technology's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #38. Its in-state tuition and fees are $12,682; out-of-state tuition and fees are $33,794.
Georgia Tech, located in the heart of Atlanta, offers a wide range of student activities. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, an NCAA Division I team, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference and have a fierce rivalry with the University of Georgia. Since 1961, the football team has been led onto the field at home games by the Ramblin' Wreck, a restored 1930 Model A Ford Sport Coupe. Georgia Tech has a small but vibrant Greek community. Freshmen are offered housing, but aren't required to live on campus. In addition to its campuses in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia Tech has campuses in France, Ireland, Costa Rica, Singapore and China.
Tuition and Fees
$33,794(out-of-state)
$12,682(in-state)
Reputation Score 4.6
#3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Cambridge, MA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private institution that was founded in 1861. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,361 (fall 2020), its setting is urban, and the campus size is 168 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Massachusetts Institute of Technology's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #2. Its tuition and fees are $55,878.
Located outside Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT focuses on scientific and technological research and is divided into five schools. University research expenditures have exceeded $700 million a year, with funding from government agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense. MIT’s highly ranked graduate schools include the School of Engineering and Sloan School of Management, in addition to strong programs in economics, psychology, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, and mathematics. Freshmen are required to live on campus, and about 70% of all undergraduates live on campus. Architect Steven Holl designed one dorm, commonly called "The Sponge." The Independent Activities Program, a four-week term in January, offers special courses, lectures, competitions and projects. Distinguished alumni include Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and former Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke.
Tuition and Fees: $55,878
Reputation Score 4.9
#4 University of California, Berkeley - Berkeley, CA
University of California, Berkeley is a public institution that was founded in 1868. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 30,980 (fall 2020), its setting is a city, and the campus size is 1,232 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. The University of California, Berkeley's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #22. Its in-state tuition and fees are $14,361; out-of-state tuition and fees are $44,115.
The University of California—Berkeley, often referred to as Cal, is situated overlooking San Francisco Bay. Typically, 95 percent or more of incoming freshmen at Berkeley choose to live on campus. There are more than 1,000 student organizations, ranging from political groups to a hang gliding club and everything in between. Berkeley also has a thriving Greek life with dozens of fraternity and sorority chapters. The California Golden Bears, Berkeley’s athletic teams, compete in the Pac-12 Conference and are known for their traditional arch rivalry with Stanford University.
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Tuition and Fees:
$44,115(out-of-state)
$14,361(in-state)
Reputation Score 4.9
#5 Stanford University - Stanford, CA
Stanford University is a private institution that was founded in 1885. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,366 (fall 2020), its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 8,180 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Stanford University's ranking in the 2022 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #6. Its tuition and fees are $56,169.
Stanford University’s pristine campus is located in California’s Bay Area, about 30 miles from San Francisco. Stanford offers a wide range of student organizations, including the Stanford Pre-Business Association and Stanford Solar Car Project, which designs, builds and races a solar car every two years. The Stanford Cardinal are well known for the traditional "Big Game" against Cal, an annual football competition that awards the Stanford Axe — a sought-after trophy — to the victor. Stanford also has successful programs in tennis and golf. Only freshmen are required to live on campus, but students are guaranteed housing for all four years, and most choose to remain on campus. Greek life at Stanford represents approximately 25 percent of the student body.
Tuition and Fees: $56,169
Reputation Score 4.9