30 of the best colleges in the US today -

According to U.S. News & World Report, the 30 US colleges/universities highlighted in this gallery are considered the "Best National Universities." By clicking through, you can explore these seats of learning and discover more about each one, including campus size and estimated tuition and fees.

Ready to see which schools made the top 30? Read on!

All values in USD.

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30. New York University -

NYU has a 9% acceptance rate, and a campus size of 230 acres. It was founded in 1831, and its estimated tuition and fees are $62,796.

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29. University of California, San Diego -

UC San Diego was founded in 1960. Its estimated in-state tuition and fees are $16,815, and its acceptance rate is 25%. The school has a large 1,976-acre campus.

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27. University of Southern California (tie) -

USC was founded in 1880. Estimated tuition and fees are $71,647, and the school has a 10% acceptance rate. Its campus is 226 acres.

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27. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (tie) -

Founded in 1789, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is 729 acres large. It has a 19% acceptance rate, and the estimated in-state tuition and fees cost $9,003.

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24. University of Virginia (tie) -

The University of Virginia was founded in 1819 and is 1,682 acres large. In-state estimated tuition and fees cost $23,118, and the acceptance rate is 17%.

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24. Georgetown University (tie) -

Located in Washington, D.C., Georgetown was founded in 1789. Estimated tuition and fees are $68,016, and the acceptance rate is 13%. Its campus is relatively small at 104 acres.

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24. Emory University (tie) -

Emory, located in Atlanta, was founded in 1836. Its campus size is 631 acres, and the acceptance rate is 11%. Estimated tuition and fees here will cost you $64,280.

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21. Washington University in St. Louis (tie) -

The school was founded in 1853 and is 169 acres large. It has a 12% acceptance rate, and estimated tuition and fees run $65,790.

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21. University of Michigan (tie) -

The University of Michigan has an 18% acceptance rate and in-state estimated tuition and fees cost $18,848. It is 3,207 acres large.

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21. Carnegie Mellon University (tie) -

Carnegie Mellon was founded in 1900. Its estimated tuition and fees cost $65,636. The school's acceptance rate sits at 11%, and its campus size is 122 acres.

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18. Vanderbilt University (tie) -

Originally founded in 1873, Vanderbilt has a 6% acceptance rate and costs $67,498 in estimated tuition and fees. Its campus size is 333 acres.

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18. University of Notre Dame (tie) -

Founded in 1842, Notre Dame has a 12% acceptance rate and is 1,265 acres large. Estimated tuition and fees here cost $65,025.

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18. Rice University (tie) -

Founded in 1912 and located in Houston, Rice University has an 8% acceptance rate. Its estimated tuition and fees cost $60,709. Students can enjoy its 300-acre campus.

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17. University of California, Berkeley -

UC Berkeley was founded in 1868. Boasting a 1,232-acre campus, the school has a 12% acceptance rate and estimated fees and tuition will run you $16,832.

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15. University of California, Los Angeles (tie) -

UCLA is 419 acres large and has a 9% acceptance rate. Estimated tuition and fees are much more manageable here and run about $14,208.

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15. Dartmouth College (tie) -

Dartmouth College's estimated tuition and fees run $68,019. The school has an acceptance rate of 6%, and a campus of 237 acres.

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13. Columbia University (tie) -

Columbia was founded in 1754. Its campus is only 36 acres, and the acceptance rate is 4%. Estimated tuition and fees will cost $68,171.

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13. Brown University (tie) -

Founded in 1764 and sitting at only 146 acres, Brown has a 5% acceptance rate. The school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and costs $71,312 in estimated tuition and fees.

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11. University of Chicago (tie) -

The University of Chicago was founded in 1890. On the smaller side compared to other schools, the campus is 217 acres. It has a 5% acceptance rate and runs $69,324 in estimated tuition and fees.

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11. Cornell University (tie) -

Founded in 1865 and with a campus size of 745 acres, Cornell has an 8% acceptance rate. Estimated tuition and fees are $69,314.

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10. University of Pennsylvania -

Located in Philadelphia and founded in 1740, the University of Pennsylvania has a campus size of 299 acres. The acceptance rate stands at 6%, and estimated tuition and fees cost $68,686.

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6. Northwestern University (tie) -

Northwestern University was founded in 1851, and today students enjoy a 231-acre campus. Estimated tuition and fees here are $68,322; the acceptance rate is 7%.

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6. Johns Hopkins University (tie) -

Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore. Its campus is 140 acres, and its acceptance rate is 8%. Estimated tuition and fees are $65,230.

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6. Duke University (tie) -

Duke was founded in 1838. Today, the school has a campus size of 8,693 acres and an acceptance rate of 7%. Estimated tuition and fees will set you back $69,140.

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6. California Institute of Technology (tie) -

Caltech was founded in 1891, and is located in Pasadena. It has a low acceptance rate of 3%, and the estimated tuition and fees can add up to $65,898.

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5. Yale University -

Yale was founded in 1701. Its campus is 1,108 acres large and its estimated tuition and fees are $67,250. Yale has a 5% acceptance rate.

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4. Stanford University -

Founded in 1885, Stanford has a 4% acceptance rate. Its campus size is 8,180 acres. The estimated tuition and fees here will cost you $65,910.

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3. Harvard University -

Harvard was founded in 1636. Its campus is 5,667 acres and estimated tuition and fees cost $61,676. With an acceptance rate of only 3%, it can be tough to get into Harvard.

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2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology -

MIT was founded in 1861. Today, its campus is 168 acres large and the estimated tuition and fees are $62,396. The acceptance rate here is 5%.

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1. Princeton University -

Founded in 1746, Princeton is a private institution that has only a 4% acceptance rate. The campus is 690 acres and estimated tuition and fees will run you about $62,400.

Sources: (U.S. News & World Report)

See also: The most eye-wateringly expensive US colleges and universities 

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