Ranking the best public universities—and more

When it comes to ranking the best public universities in the nation, the University of California, Berkeley is unmatched.

That’s according to U.S. News & World Report’s new 2026 Best Colleges ranking of the top public universities nationwide. Universities were ranked in 10 categories: best universities, best liberal arts colleges, top public schools, top Historically Black Colleges and Universities, top performers on social mobility, top schools for veterans and best regional universities (North, South, West and Midwest).

Best colleges of 2026

Now, let’s dive into the rankings for each category. For brevity, we will highlight only the top three universities in each category.

2026 Best National Universities

1. Princeton University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Harvard University

2026  Best National Liberal Arts Colleges

1. Williams College
2. Amherst College
3. United States Naval Academy

2026 Top Public Schools: National Universities

1. University of California, Berkeley
2. University of California, Los Angeles
3. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

2026 Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities

1. Spelman College
2. Howard University
3. Morehouse College

2026 Top Performers on Social Mobility: National Universities

1. Florida International University
2. University of California, Riverside
3. California State University, Long Beach

2026 Top Schools for Veterans: National Universities

1. University of Chicago
2. Cornell University
3. Brown University

2026 Best Regional Universities: North

1. Bentley University
2. Providence College
3. Rhode Island School of Design

2026 Best Regional Universities: South

1. Citadel Military College of South Carolina
2. Rollins College
3. Appalachian State University

2026 Best Regional Universities: Midwest

1. Butler University
2. John Carroll University
3. Milwaukee School of Engineering

2026 Best Regional Universities: West

1. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
2. University of Portland
3. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

The rankings come at a time when higher ed faces continuous scrutiny from both the Trump administration and critics of the traditional college ranking system.

For instance, U.S. News published an article ahead of its new rankings, clarifying how it evaluated Columbia University’s inclusion in the current list. The university was found to have submitted false data to the news organization in recent years and was removed from the 2022 Best Colleges ranking.

According to U.S. News, it will continue to review the university’s submissions for accuracy.

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