For some students, the political landscape surrounding a school is an important part of the college decision process.
By taking a county-level look at voting results, students can often get a glimpse of the political climate on and around campus.
Overwhelmingly, the top 50 Best National Universities are located in counties that leaned Democrat in the 2016 presidential election. In fact, only two schools are located in counties that favored President-elect Donald Trump.
Here’s how the counties where the top National Universities are located voted:
| School (state) | Rank | County | Vote |
| Princeton University (NJ) | 1 | Mercer | Democratic |
| Harvard University (MA) | 2 | Middlesex | Democratic |
| University of Chicago | 3 (tie) | Cook | Democratic |
| Yale University (CT) | 3 (tie) | New Haven | Democratic |
| Columbia University (NY) | 5 (tie) | New York | Democratic |
| Stanford University (CA) | 5 (tie) | Santa Clara | Democratic |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 7 | Middlesex | Democratic |
| Duke University (NC) | 8 (tie) | Durham | Democratic |
| University of Pennsylvania | 8 (tie) | Philadelphia | Democratic |
| Johns Hopkins University (MD) | 10 | Baltimore | Democratic |
| Dartmouth College (NH) | 11 | Grafton | Democratic |
| California Institute of Technology | 12 (tie) | Los Angeles | Democratic |
| Northwestern University (IL) | 12 (tie) | Cook | Democratic |
| Brown University (RI) | 14 | Providence | Democratic |
| Cornell University (NY) | 15 (tie) | Tompkins | Democratic |
| Rice University (TX) | 15 (tie) | Harris | Democratic |
| University of Notre Dame (IN) | 15 (tie) | St. Joseph | Democratic |
| Vanderbilt University (TN) | 15 (tie) | Davidson | Democratic |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 19 | St. Louis County; St. Louis City | Democratic |
| Emory University (GA) | 20 (tie) | DeKalb | Democratic |
| Georgetown University (DC) | 20 (tie) | Washington, D.C. | Democratic |
| University of California–Berkeley | 20 (tie) | Alameda | Democratic |
| University of Southern California | 23 | Los Angeles | Democratic |
| Carnegie Mellon University (PA) | 24 (tie) | Allegheny | Democratic |
| University of California–Los Angeles | 24 (tie) | Los Angeles | Democratic |
| University of Virginia | 24 (tie) | Albemarle | Democratic |
| Tufts University (MA) | 27 (tie) | Middlesex | Democratic |
| University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | 27 (tie) | Washtenaw | Democratic |
| Wake Forest University (NC) | 27 (tie) | Forsyth | Democratic |
| University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | 30 | Orange | Democratic |
| Boston College | 31 | Middlesex | Democratic |
| College of William & Mary (VA) | 32 (tie) | Williamsburg City | Democratic |
| University of Rochester (NY) | 32 (tie) | Monroe | Democratic |
| Brandeis University (MA) | 34 (tie) | Middlesex | Democratic |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 34 (tie) | Fulton | Democratic |
| New York University | 36 | New York | Democratic |
| Case Western Reserve University (OH) | 37 (tie) | Cuyahoga | Democratic |
| University of California–Santa Barbara | 37 (tie) | Santa Barbara | Democratic |
| Boston University | 39 (tie) | Suffolk | Democratic |
| Northeastern University (MA) | 39 (tie) | Suffolk | Democratic |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) | 39 (tie) | Rensselaer | Republican |
| Tulane University (LA) | 39 (tie) | Orleans Parish | Democratic |
| University of California–Irvine | 39 (tie) | Orange | Democratic |
| Lehigh University (PA) | 44 (tie) | Northampton | Republican |
| University of California–Davis | 44 (tie) | Yolo | Democratic |
| University of California–San Diego | 44 (tie) | San Diego | Democratic |
| University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign | 44 (tie) | Champaign | Democratic |
| University of Miami | 44 (tie) | Miami-Dade | Democratic |
| University of Wisconsin–Madison | 44 (tie) | Dane | Democratic |
| Pennsylvania State University–University Park | 50 (tie) | Centre | Democratic |
| Pepperdine University (CA) | 50 (tie) | Los Angeles | Democratic |
| University of Florida | 50 (tie) | Alachua | Democratic |
| Villanova University (PA) | 50 (tie) | Delaware | Democratic |
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How Counties Where Best Colleges Are Located Voted in the 2016 Presidential Election originally appeared on usnews.com
