9 New Hampshire Colleges, Universities Among Best, U.S. News Says In New Ranking

NEW HAMPSHIRE — Nine New Hampshire colleges and universities were ranked among the top 100 in the country, according to new 2025 Best Colleges rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

The digital media company said in a news release the rankings evaluated 1,500 colleges and universities using more than a dozen measures of academic quality. This year, in its rankings, U.S. News prioritized social mobility — that is, its record in enrolling and graduating students from all backgrounds with manageable debt — and post-graduate success, including earnings.

Here are the rankings for New Hampshire schools nationally:

• Dartmouth College was tied for 15th with another university.
• The University of New Hampshire was tied for 109th, along with 11 other colleges.

Two New Hampshire schools were ranked in the National Liberal Arts Colleges list: Saint Anselm College, which was tied for 90th with four other schools, and UNH-Manchester, which was tied for 147th with five other colleges.

Franklin Pierce University, Plymouth State University, and Rivier University were all tied for 142nd in the North regional rankings. New England College and Southern New Hampshire University were ranked between 151st-165th in the regional rankings.

Included in the 2025 report are specialized rankings such as the best value schools, most innovative colleges, top performers on social mobility and historically Black colleges and universities, as well as universities with the greatest commitment to undergraduate teaching. Other specialty rankings include programs that enhance student experiences, including first-year experiences, service learning, studying abroad and undergraduate research and creative projects.

The top national universities are:

1. Princeton University in New Jersey
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Harvard University in Massachusetts
4. Stanford University in California
5. Yale University in Connecticut

The top national liberal arts colleges are:

1. Williams College in Massachusetts
2. Amherst College in Massachusetts
3. Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania
4. United States Naval Academy in Maryland
5. Bowdoin College in Maine and Pomona College in California (tie)