Johns Hopkins University ranks highest among D.C. area institutions of higher education, in a tie for No. 6., according to the 2025 Best Colleges rankings published by U.S. News and World Report.
American University, meanwhile, is tied at No. 91, up from being tied at No. 105.
“That’s based on slightly improved performance with the student-faculty ratio and faculty research output,” LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said.
There isn’t much changing at the top of this list. The global authority in education rankings retained Princeton University in New Jersey at its spot as the best college in the country.
MIT came in at No. 2, followed by Harvard University, Stanford University and Yale.
There’s not a lot of shifting in this year’s rankings, especially in the top 10.
“We are continuing, as part of our mission, to provide information that can help students and their families make the best decision they can in terms of a school’s academic reputation, in terms of their own personal, family finances and personal preferences,” Jones said.
Howard University rejoined the top 100, rising to a five-way tie for No. 86. The rise can be attributed to its improved graduation rate, including among students with low-income backgrounds, Jones said.
The University of Virginia and Georgetown are tied and ranked No. 24, George Washington University is tied at No. 63 and George Mason University tied at No. 109.
Catholic University is tied for No. 171, up seven spots from the year prior.
The University of Maryland is ranked No. 44.
In creating the rankings, Jones said the outlet considers social mobility, graduate indebtedness, recruitment, retainment and graduation of low-income students and student-faculty ratio, among other factors.
“We look at peer assessment in terms of how schools rank each other in various categories, how academic experts view other schools, faculty resources, such as faculty salaries,” Jones said.
Standardized test scores of students who are admitted are also considered.
The outlet evaluated about 1,500 colleges and universities using 17 different factors.
D’Youville University saw the biggest increase in its rank, rising 61 slots.
The full list is available online.
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