Looking to go to class amidst the urban sprawl? Here are the colleges for you.
Each of these colleges and universities is located in a major metropolitan area, with some even being dispersed right among the downtown.
Students seek out best urban college campuses for a number of reasons, but often it’s the campus proximity to nightlife, arts, culture, and dining that proves to be the real draw. While many colleges offer all of the amenities you “need”, some students like the ability to explore off-campus more readily to find shopping or food options not normally found in the college setting.
These colleges are ranked based on the quality of the institutions based on factors like selectivity and endowment per student.
Here are the Top 25 Urban Colleges in the US:
25. University of Southern California
“Doheny” by Padsquad19 at the English language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,445
24. Brandeis University
Source: Flickr user khargrav.
Waltham, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,614
Learn more about Brandeis University
23. Boston College
Source: Flickr user masstransit.
Boston, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,698
Learn more about Boston College
22. University of California-Los Angeles
“Royce Hall post rain” by Alton – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
Los Angeles, CA
Undergraduate enrollment: 28,674
21. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“UNC South Building” by Yeungb – Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Commons.
Chapel Hill, NC
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,370
Learn more about University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
20. Barnard College
Source: Flickr user eager.
New York, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,489
Learn more about Barnard College
19. Wesleyan University
“Wesolin” by Original uploader was Ychennay at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.
Middletown, CT
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,906
Learn more about Wesleyan University
18. Johns Hopkins University
“View from Levering Plaza” by Iracaz – iPhone photo. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikipedia.
Baltimore, MD
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,117
Learn more about Johns Hopkins University
17. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Source: Flickr user beckstei.
Ann Arbor, MI
Undergraduate enrollment: 28,283
16. University of California-Berkeley
“UCBerkeleyCampus” by brainchildvn on Flickr – Flickr. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Commons.
Berkeley, CA
Undergraduate enrollment: 25,951
15. Georgetown University
“Georgetown Riverview” by Patrickneil – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
Washington, DC
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,636
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14. Cornell University
Source: Flickr user 30416747@N00.
Ithaca, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 14,393
Learn more about Cornell University
13. Rice University
“Lovett Hall” by The original uploader was AniRaptor2001 at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.
Houston, TX
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,965
Learn more about Rice University
12. University of Virginia-Main Campus
Source: Flickr user marc_buehler.
Charlottesville, VA
Undergraduate enrollment: 16,087
Learn more about the University of Virginia
11. Vanderbilt University
“Bensontower” by Dansan4444 – Own work. Licensed under CC0 via Commons.
Nashville, TN
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,835
10. Brown University
Source: Flickr user dlthurston.
Providence, RI
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,455
Learn more about Brown University
9. Duke University
Source: Flickr user OHinOZ.
Durham, NC
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,646
8. Northwestern University
By Rdsmith4 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 2.5], via Wikimedia Commons
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,283
7. California Institute of Technology
Source: Flickr user joebehr.
Pasadena, CA
Undergraduate enrollment: 977
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
Source: Flickr user skinnylawyer.
New York, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,970
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 11,525
Learn more about the University of Pennsylvania
4. University of Chicago
“Harper Library from the Midway Plaisance” by IceUnshattered – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Commons.
Chicago, IL
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,703
Learn more about the University of Chicago
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Source: Flickr user infanticida.
Cambridge, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,528
2. Yale University
Source: Flickr user 29457092@N07.
New Haven, CT
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,430
1. Harvard University
Source: Flickr user 127687091@N07.
Cambridge, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,534
About our methodology
Colleges are ranked based on a combination of factors, including graduation rates, campus diversity, endowment per student, and other data as reported via the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the most recently-available enrollment year. Some colleges may have been excluded from rankings based on certain criteria, including specialization and classification. Learn about our full methodology
View all of the 2016 Best Colleges rankings from College Raptor
