Harvard, Princeton and Yale are often mentioned in conversations about which colleges offer the best education, but elite institutions extend beyond the Ivy League schools.
Private universities make up the bulk of the top 20 National Universities — schools that emphasize research and offer undergraduate and graduate degree programs — in the U.S. News & World Report 2017 Best Colleges rankings. And while many state research universities are highly ranked, there are several notable differences between private and public universities.
[Learn what it takes to get accepted into Ivy League colleges. ]
Private universities are more selective about whom they admit and often have more stringent admissions standards than public universities, which cater to a larger, wider range of students. With smaller student populations and lower acceptance rates, the average student likely won’t be able to get an education at the elite institutions. Out of all the ranked schools, the top private institutions accept the fewest applicants.
Stanford University in California, for instance, only accepted 5 percent of the students who applied for the fall 2015 semester. In comparison, the University of California–Berkeley, the highest-ranked public school, accepted 15.3 percent of students in 2015.
Private universities likewise serve a smaller student body. Most of the top 20 private universities had less than 10,000 students enrolled in 2015. In comparison, the majority of the 20 top-ranked public institutions had between 15,000–46,000 undergraduate students enrolled in 2015.
Private universities also tend to receive large donations, which can cover costs associated with academic programs, student aid, campus resources and faculty. Public schools are less likely to receive hefty endowments and are supervised by the state and partially funded by tax dollars and state subsidies.
[See the 10 universities with the biggest endowments.]
Combined, the selective admissions, smaller student body and financial edge can lead to higher graduation and retention rates.
Private schools typically have higher tuition prices, frequently resembling the price of tuition and fees for out-of-state students at public universities. But private schools often offer generous financial aid packages to help students afford their education.
Rice University is the cheapest of the top 20 private schools. Tuition and fees for the 2016-2017 academic year were $43,918.
The table below shows the fall 2015 undergraduate total enrollment and acceptance rates as well as the 2016-2017 tuition and fees for the top 20 private universities. Ivy League schools and liberal arts colleges are excluded from this list.
| University name | U.S. News rank | Acceptance rate | 2016-2017 Tuition and fees | Enrollment |
| University of Chicago (IL) | 3 (tie) | 8% | $52,491 | 5,844 |
| Stanford University (CA) | 5 (tie) | 5% | $47,940 | 6,999 |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 7 | 8% | $48,452 | 4,527 |
| Duke University (NC) | 8 (tie) | 12% | $51,265 | 6,639 |
| Johns Hopkins University (MD) | 10 | 13% | $50,410 | 6,524 |
| California Institute of Technology | 12 (tie) | 9% | $47,577 | 1,001 |
| Northwestern University (IL) | 12 (tie) | 13% | $50,855 | 8,314 |
| Rice University (TX) | 15 (tie) | 16% | $43,918 | 3,910 |
| University of Notre Dame (IN) | 15 (tie) | 20% | $49,685 | 8,462 |
| Vanderbilt University (TN) | 15 (tie) | 12% | $45,610 | 6,883 |
| Washington University in St. Louis (MO) | 19 | 17% | $49,770 | 7,504 |
| Emory University (GA) | 20 (tie) | 24% | $47,954 | 6,867 |
| Georgetown University (DC) | 20 (tie) | 17% | $50,547 | 7,562 |
| University of Southern California | 23 | 18% | $52,217 | 18,810 |
| Carnegie Mellon University (PA) | 24 (tie) | 24% | $52,040 | 6,454 |
| Tufts University (MA) | 27 (tie) | 16% | $52,430 | 5,290 |
| Wake Forest University (NC) | 27 (tie) | 29% | $49,308 | 4,871 |
| Boston College (MA) | 31 | 29% | $51,296 | 9,192 |
| University of Rochester (NY) | 32 (tie) | 34% | $50,142 | 6,304 |
| Brandeis University (MA) | 34 (tie) | 34% | $51,570 | 3,621 |
Want to learn more about other top colleges? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find enrollment data, complete rankings and much more. Sign up for the U.S. News Extra Help: College Admissions free email newsletter to receive expert education advice twice a month.
U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for the 2016 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. The enrollment data above are correct as of June 1, 2017.
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Top 20 Private Universities That Aren’t Ivy League originally appeared on usnews.com
