what colleges are considered prestigious

Stanford University

• Stanford University, located near Palo Alto, California, was founded in 1885. As a large institution with an enrollment of 16,424 undergraduate students , the typical class size is about 500 students . Stanford University has a student-faculty ratio of 7:1 and its average class size is 25 students .
• Admissions are highly competitive, with an acceptance rate of 4%.

California Institute of Technology

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech, or Caltech) is a private institution that was founded in 1891. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 986, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 124 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar.

What makes Caltech so great?

With an acceptance rate of only 8%, Caltech can be pretty tough to get into. So, what exactly are they looking for? As you might imagine from such an elite institution, there isn’t an easy answer to this question. But if we had to guess at some key factors for the admissions team to consider when evaluating applicants, we’d jump straight to your extracurricular involvement and your essay responses (including those on the Think and Write portions of either the SAT or ACT exams). The former will demonstrate your passion for learning outside of classes; the latter will help provide insight into who you are as a student and future scholar. Plus you’ll never know unless you try—so go ahead and apply!

What happens after I’m accepted?

When you’re accepted, you’ll be invited to attend one of their three annual Admit Days (fall Interim Admission Day in December; spring Open House in March; summer Preview Day in June) where admissions staff will give prospective students a tour of campus and answer any questions they may have about how best to prepare for life at Caltech. How many other schools offer this kind of personal invitation? Additionally, each class holds Reunion Weekend every November where past students come back to campus for panels with current professors as well as tours led by members from each year’s graduating class.

Harvard University

Harvard University is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Chartered in 1636 and located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard is the leading research university and consistently ranks among the best universities in the world. With over 21,000 students and over 1400 faculty members, it’s also one of the largest.

Harvard was founded by John Harvard, a wealthy Englishman who donated half his estate to create an institution of higher learning in America. Founded in 1636, Harvard was originally known as “The College at Newetowne.” It was renamed “Harvard College” in honor of its largest benefactor seven years after its founding.

Newetowne’s first president Henry Dunster arrived with nine students on a charter from England dated November 23rd, 1636. The school moved to larger quarters within several years and has been based there ever since. The College’s original site is now occupied by Mt. Auburn Cemetery; where Dunster built his house across from Holyoke Center (now known as Memorial Hall).

Harvard gained prominence both academically and politically under John Eliot, its second president who greatly expanded its curriculum to include non-religious courses such as Latin grammar and rhetoric; Greek literature; mathematics; physics; astronomy; natural history (mostly botany); philosophy; architecture and music theory. Its tenets spread throughout New England and into other colonies via many graduates who went on to serve their new communities as doctors or starting towns like Hartford- Connecticut or Princeton NJ .

Princeton University

Princeton was founded in 1746 by Scotsman John Witherspoon, a prominent theologian who wanted to create a Christian educational institution that would form the intellectual elite of New Jersey. Today, it is one of only two Ivy League universities in the state, along with Rutgers University. Princeton’s roster of notable alumni includes Ulysses S. Grant, Woodrow Wilson and John D. Rockefeller.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT is a premier research university among the world’s finest institutions of higher learning. Founded in 1861, MIT is known for its large academic staff, and its proximity to Boston, which makes it popular with many students and their families. The university’s history stretches almost 300 years, beginning as an institution of higher learning in Boston’s West End (now Downtown) neighborhoods. In the 1950s, MIT moved to Cambridge and developed several satellite campuses throughout the metropolitan area.

MIT has retained its leading role in academia despite its recent expansion (it now has over 23,000 students). Its undergraduate programs are widely regarded as some of the best in America. For example, approximately 80% of all Massachusetts Institute of Technology undergraduates receive full tuition scholarships under a program known as “free tuition.”

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a private research university located in Chicago, Illinois. The university has an enrollment of 5,000 students and offers over 60 different programs and concentrations. It has a strong tradition of academic excellence, with most classes having fewer than 25 students. It’s also one of the nation’s most diverse universities , with nearly half of its student body being made up of students of color.

These six universities are considered the most prestigious.

Top U.S. colleges have become a real battleground for students, so you need to know some key details to decide where to attend. In case it isn’t obvious already, this list is based on surveys and rankings that are constantly changing, so keep in mind that the average student has different needs from the average college student.

• The most prestigious university in the world: Harvard University was ranked No.1 by US News and World Report. There are many reasons why Harvard won’t be your final choice of school, but the top one is the prestige factor (which is what makes other schools look bad). The next most respectable university is Columbia University at No. 5—not only because it’s one of the best private universities in America, but also because it has a very high acceptance rate when it comes to freshmen and offers plenty of scholarships with generous amounts of financial aid as well. It’s no wonder that these two institutions sit at or near top spots on every list of colleges in North America!
• Top public schools: These campuses typically require hundreds or thousands fewer credits than their private counterparts and offer more generous financial aid packages as well as more grants and loans for those who qualify for need-based programs like federal Pell Grants or Stafford Loans (for all you freshman!). That means students can attend these schools without needing a full scholarship from a private lender like Sallie Mae or Discover Card . Some public colleges also offer less-competitive admissions requirements—like having grades in certain classes or high SAT scores—meaning you could qualify for free tuition if you’re admitted despite not meeting their standards!