New Delhi: Massachusetts Institute of Technology is now the top university in the US, according to U.S. News & World Report.
MIT has dethroned Princeton, which had ranked number one for 15 consecutive years.
U.S. News & World Report comes out with annual rankings for the best universities. This year, the report introduced a new feature, “earnings by major.”
Under this new method, comparisons were drawn between individual majors within a school and the national average.
According to U.S. News managing editor LaMont Jones, this new feature intends to be a “more fair and accurate factor.”
MIT, Princeton and Harvard — a close call
MIT welcomes the new ranking and celebrates its win as an elite institution.
“MIT is part of a strong network of excellent colleges and universities across the nation, dedicated to educating students and pursuing curiosity-driven research. America’s economic strength, scientific leadership, and national security depend on world-class education and research institutions, and MIT is proud to be one of them,” the university said in a statement.
In the final ranking, Princeton lost to MIT by one point. While the Cambridge-based university scored 100, Princeton ended up with 99 points, followed by Harvard University with 96 points.
Jones, in an interview with The Daily Princetonian, said that the earlier system of calculating graduate indebtedness is difficult to manage alongside low earnings.
“One could argue that depending on how good your earnings are, that could help mitigate the effects of whatever debt you have. On the contrary, if your earnings aren’t great, even if your debt isn’t great, it’s difficult to manage with low earnings,” he said.
Private universities dominate the top
Private universities crowded the top positions, starting with the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California.
Ranked at 20, California State University, Los Angeles, was the only state university that made the list.
The report has influenced students’ decisions in choosing a college; however, The Hill reported that the impact has been gradually “waning”.
“The 2027 Best Colleges rankings serve as a vital decision-making tool for prospective students and parents, offering transparent metrics on outcomes, affordability and academic quality to help families make fully informed financial and educational investments,” Jones told The Daily Princetonian.
Edited by Maryam Hassan