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Written by Mark Bennett
Are you contemplating pursuing a Masters degree in the USA? Wondering if American universities are up to par for a graduate study programme? We're here to clear your doubts and guide you in the right direction!
What you’ll find on this page:
Want to know more? Keep reading to find out where in the rankings your institution sits!
If you’ve been thinking about studying a postgraduate course in the USA, the sheer size and scope can be daunting. Over 4,300 American higher education providers cater to the ever-growing population of students. Even though only around 1,000 of them offer Masters/PhD-level degrees (which narrows things down slightly) there's still a huge variety of institutions to choose from.
In this guide we talk about the different kinds of institutions, university organisations and some of the top picks for postgraduate study in the USA according to international ranking tables.
Americans often use the term ‘college’ as an equivalent term for ‘university’; so, ‘going to university’ becomes ‘going to college’. However, ‘college’ is more often used to refer to undergraduate education. With some exceptions, colleges are usually smaller, with a focus on a few, specific subject areas and do not generally offer postgraduate programmes.
There are two common types of colleges in the US:
In the US, universities are primarily higher education institutions offering both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees
Normally, to be classed as a university, an institution has to include a certain number of faculties or schools. These can either focus on specific subjects or a particular level of teaching. It's common for a large American university to include dedicated undergraduate colleges alongside more advanced graduate schools.
Universities are where most of the academic research happens in the USA. This means they have the expertise and facilities to deliver advanced degrees such as Masters and PhD qualifications.
Individual universities in the USA can either be public or private, depending on their funding status.
Colleges in the US almost always refer to tertiary education (undergraduate or over) whereas colleges in the UK can deliver academic or vocational courses to students aged 16–18, in order to prepare them for university or employment. Read more about the distinction between colleges and universities on our guide.
Often existing as part of larger universities, graduate schools offer only Masters and PhD level qualifications. You may hear students go from ‘college’ to ‘graduate school’ (or ‘grad school’).
An individual university may have more than one graduate school, specialising in different subject areas. Some graduate schools focus on professional training like in Business, Medicine and Law. They may sometimes also be referred to as ‘professional schools’.
The US higher education system is home to various organisations and groups of universities, some of which are internationally famous. It’s worth knowing a little about organisations like this as you decide where you want to study in the USA.
We may as well start with the big one! The Ivy League is probably the most famous university association in the world. Its name is shorthand for academic excellence and student prestige.
Formed of eight of the country’s highest-ranking universities, the Ivy League are some of the most sought after by students. However, you must remember that admission is highly competitive, and you shouldn’t think they are the be-all and end-all of American educational excellence. There are many top-ranking universities that aren’t members!
You can find more information on our Ivy League guide.
The private nature of the Ivy League has led some top public universities in the US to be referred to as 'Public Ivies'. The Public Ivies aren't a formal association (and their 'membership' is completely unofficial), but the term is still a meaningful mark of respect.
The Association of American Universities is a membership organisation comprising leading public and private North American research universities. It includes 60 US institutions (including seven of the eight Ivies!) as well as two in Canada. In practice, the AAU is similar to the UK’s Russell Group. Membership serves as a badge of quality and allows universities to collectively lobby on higher education issues.
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education system is based on the number of programmes US institutions offer at different levels, and the dominance of different subject areas in their research and training activity. The Basic Classification groups institutions according to the level and size of their degree programmes. Where a university offers postgraduate programmes, you can also use its Graduate Instructional Program Classification to see which disciplines predominate in its provision.
The following table gives the top 20 universities in the USA, based on global university rankings.
This information is based on the latest rankings tables, researched and published by Times Higher Education, QS and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). For more information on using international rankings as a postgraduate, see our guide.
University | THE 2054 | QS 2026 | ARWU 2024 |
---|---|---|---|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Harvard University | 3 | 5 | 1 |
Stanford University | 6 | 3 | 2 |
Princeton University | 4 | =25 | 7 |
California Institute of Technology | 7 | 10 | 8 |
University of California, Berkeley | 8 | =17 | 5 |
Yale University | 10 | 21 | 11 |
University of Chicago | =14 | 13 | 10 |
Johns Hopkins University | 16 | 24 | 17 |
University of Pennsylvania | =14 | 15 | 14 |
Columbia University | =18 | =38 | 8 |
University of California, Los Angeles | =18 | 46 | 15 |
Cornell University | 20 | 16 | 12 |
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | =22 | 45 | 30 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 24 | 52 | 101-150 |
University of Washington | 25 | 81 | 18 |
Duke University | 27 | 62 | 39 |
New York University | 33 | 55 | 31 |
Northwestern University | 28 | =42 | 33 |
University of California, San Diego | 34 | 66 | 18 |
Information in this table is based on the latest Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS World University Rankings and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Visit their websites for more information. |
There are a wide range of domestic rankings that only include universities in the USA. Most are produced by American media outlets and similar organisations. Domestic rankings don't compare US universities internationally; instead, they rank US institutions against each other. While this is useful if you're narrowing your search to the USA, it’s less helpful if you're still comparing a range of options for postgraduate study abroad.
We haven't summarised specific US university rankings here, but significant examples include:
Think USA is the place for you? Read our comprehensive guides on Masters applications, funding and student visas.
Ready to start looking for your ideal study abroad opportunity? Browse and compare Masters degrees in the USA on FindAMasters.com.
Mark joined FindAMasters to develop our first ever advice articles in 2013 and now serves as our Director of Audience & Editorial, making sure our websites and information are as useful as possible for people thinking about Masters and PhD study. He has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Sheffield, as well as Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Kent and the University of South Wales.
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