Where are the best colleges in the DC region?

Not much changes at the top of this list.

According to the US News and World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges Rankings, Princeton University in New Jersey retained its place as the best university in the country.

MIT came in second, followed by Harvard University, Stanford University and Yale.

According to LaMont Jones, editor in chief of education at U.S. News, there are no major changes in this year’s rankings, especially in the top 10.

“As part of our mission, we continue to provide information that can help students and their families make the best possible decision regarding a school’s academic reputation, their own personal situation, their family’s finances and their personal preferences,” Jones said.

In the Washington DC region, Johns Hopkins University is ranked highest at 6th place.

American University, meanwhile, is tied at 91st place, having previously ranked 105th.

“This is based on slightly improved performance in student-to-faculty ratios and faculty research performance,” Jones said.

Howard University has climbed back into the top 100 and is now tied with five other universities at number 86. The rise is due to the improved graduation rate, including among students from low-income families, Jones said.

The University of Virginia and Georgetown are tied at 24th place, George Washington University is at 63rd place and Catholic University is at 171st place, seven places higher than last year.

The University of Maryland ranks 44th.

In compiling the rankings, Jones said, the institute takes into account, among other things, social mobility, graduate debt, recruitment, retention and graduation of low-income students, and student-to-faculty ratios.

“We look at peer evaluation in terms of how universities rank each other in different categories, how academic experts view other universities and what resources faculty have, for example in terms of their salaries,” Jones said.

The standardized test results of admitted students are also taken into account.

The magazine evaluated about 1,500 colleges and universities based on 17 different factors.

D’Youville University recorded the largest increase, improving by 61 places.

The full list is available online.