50 best colleges on the East Coast

These top universities stand out as being among the best on the East Coast of the US.

Bryan Pollard / Shutterstock

By MoneyWise Oct. 05, 2021

Considering the United States was birthed from a revolution waged along the Eastern Seaboard, it makes sense that the roots of the country's higher education system were planted there as well. Harvard University came first, founded in 1636, predating the Declaration of Independence by 140 years. The nation's oldest institution of higher learning was followed by a slew of state and public universities throughout the 13 colonies.

The East Coast remains home to a number of private and public colleges that consistently top “best of" lists, highlighted by the prestigious Ivy League eight. Stacker combed through Niche's 2021 Best Colleges in America list (current as of February 2021) in order to discover the top 50 East Coast schools, old and new, are the cream of the crop.

Niche ranks colleges by analyzing student and alumni reviews, as well as data on academic, admissions, and student life culled from the U.S. Department of Education. Stacker filtered its list to include schools in the District of Columbia and states that border the Atlantic Ocean within 100 miles of their eastern borders: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

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50. Lafayette College

Skillman Library on the campus of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania — Cynthia Farmer / Shutterstock

Location: Easton, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,603
Student to faculty ratio: 10:1
Acceptance rate: 31%
Graduation rate: 88%
Six-year median earnings: $68,600
Two-year employment rate: 93%
Overall rank: #72

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49. Smith College

Location: Northampton, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,490
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 32%
Graduation rate: 89%
Six-year median earnings: $46,200
Two-year employment rate: 88%
Overall rank: #71

48. University of Miami

Location: Coral Gables, FL
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,484
Student to faculty ratio: 12:1
Acceptance rate: 27%
Graduation rate: 83%
Six-year median earnings: $60,100
Two-year employment rate: 90%
Overall rank: #70

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47. Bates College

Location: Lewiston, ME
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,832
Student to faculty ratio: 10:1
Acceptance rate: 12%
Graduation rate: 91%
Six-year median earnings: $59,200
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #69

46. Vassar College

Location: Poughkeepsie, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,442
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 24%
Graduation rate: 91%
Six-year median earnings: $54,600
Two-year employment rate: 93%
Overall rank: #67

45. Villanova University

Location: Villanova, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,565
Student to faculty ratio: 11:1
Acceptance rate: 28%
Graduation rate: 90%
Six-year median earnings: $77,900
Two-year employment rate: 95%
Overall rank: #64

44. Lehigh University

Location: Bethlehem, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,982
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 32%
Graduation rate: 90%
Six-year median earnings: $81,900
Two-year employment rate: 95%
Overall rank: #63

43. University of Richmond

Location: Richmond, VA
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,040
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 28%
Graduation rate: 89%
Six-year median earnings: $64,500
Two-year employment rate: 95%
Overall rank: #62

42. Virginia Tech

Location: Blacksburg, VA
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,180
Student to faculty ratio: 14:1
Acceptance rate: 70%
Graduation rate: 86%
Six-year median earnings: $62,500
Two-year employment rate: 96%
Overall rank: #60

41. University of Georgia

Location: Athens, GA
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,947
Student to faculty ratio: 17:1
Acceptance rate: 45%
Graduation rate: 87%
Six-year median earnings: $50,500
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #59

40. University of Florida

Location: Gainesville, FL
Undergraduate enrollment: 32,209
Student to faculty ratio: 18:1
Acceptance rate: 37%
Graduation rate: 88%
Six-year median earnings: $56,000
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #56

39. Boston University

Boston University sign and crowd of students walking by in early spring — Jorge Salcedo / Shutterstock

Location: Boston, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 17,396
Student to faculty ratio: 10:1
Acceptance rate: 19%
Graduation rate: 88%
Six-year median earnings: $65,300
Two-year employment rate: 93%
Overall rank: #55

38. William & Mary

William and Mary College — William Silver / Shutterstock

Location: Williamsburg, VA
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,300
Student to faculty ratio: 11:1
Acceptance rate: 38%
Graduation rate: 90%
Six-year median earnings: $58,500
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #54

37. Hamilton College

Location: Clinton, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,991
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 16%
Graduation rate: 93%
Six-year median earnings: $60,200
Two-year employment rate: 91%
Overall rank: #53

36. Wesleyan University

Location: Middletown, CT
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,928
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 16%
Graduation rate: 92%
Six-year median earnings: $54,700
Two-year employment rate: 90%
Overall rank: #52

35. New York University

Location: New York, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 25,725
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 16%
Graduation rate: 85%
Six-year median earnings: $61,900
Two-year employment rate: 91%
Overall rank: #51

34. Northeastern University

Location: Boston, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 13,864
Student to faculty ratio: 14:1
Acceptance rate: 18%
Graduation rate: 89%
Six-year median earnings: $67,400
Two-year employment rate: 95%
Overall rank: #50

33. Boston College

Location: Chestnut Hill, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 9,696
Student to faculty ratio: 13:1
Acceptance rate: 27%
Graduation rate: 94%
Six-year median earnings: $72,500
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #49

32. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Undergraduate enrollment: 18,526
Student to faculty ratio: 13:1
Acceptance rate: 23%
Graduation rate: 91%
Six-year median earnings: $55,600
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #48

31. Davidson College

Location: Davidson, NC
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,843
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 18%
Graduation rate: 91%
Six-year median earnings: $58,900
Two-year employment rate: 88%
Overall rank: #47

30. Colgate University

Location: Hamilton, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,936
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 23%
Graduation rate: 91%
Six-year median earnings: $63,600
Two-year employment rate: 93%
Overall rank: #45

29. Wake Forest University

Location: Winston-Salem, NC
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,171
Student to faculty ratio: 10:1
Acceptance rate: 30%
Graduation rate: 88%
Six-year median earnings: $63,800
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #44

28. Wellesley College

Aerial view of Wellesley College Tower Court in Wellesley, Massachusetts MA, USA. — Wangkun Jia / Shutterstock

Location: Wellesley, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,391
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 22%
Graduation rate: 91%
Six-year median earnings: $60,800
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #43

27. Swarthmore College

Location: Swarthmore, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,554
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 9%
Graduation rate: 94%
Six-year median earnings: $56,700
Two-year employment rate: 85%
Overall rank: #42

26. Barnard College

Location: New York, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,519
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 12%
Graduation rate: 92%
Six-year median earnings: $57,900
Two-year employment rate: 90%
Overall rank: #41

25. Emory University

Location: Atlanta, GA
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,985
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 16%
Graduation rate: 90%
Six-year median earnings: $66,000
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #40

24. Middlebury College

Fall at Middlebury College — Margaret Berry / Shutterstock

Location: Middlebury, VT
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,551
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 15%
Graduation rate: 93%
Six-year median earnings: $58,200
Two-year employment rate: 87%
Overall rank: #38

23. Amherst College

Location: Amherst, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,855
Student to faculty ratio: 7:1
Acceptance rate: 11%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $65,000
Two-year employment rate: 90%
Overall rank: #37

22. Washington & Lee University

Washington Hall, Washington and Lee University in Lexington — Bram Reusen / Shutterstock

Location: Lexington, VA
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,825
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 19%
Graduation rate: 94%
Six-year median earnings: $76,100
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #36

21. Colby College

Location: Waterville, ME
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,000
Student to faculty ratio: 10:1
Acceptance rate: 10%
Graduation rate: 89%
Six-year median earnings: $58,100
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #35

20. Haverford College

Location: Haverford, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,308
Student to faculty ratio: 8:1
Acceptance rate: 16%
Graduation rate: 90%
Six-year median earnings: $60,700
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #34

19. Williams College

Hopkins Hall and First Congregational Church at Williams College in Williamstown, Massahusetts on a beautiful summer's day. — Colin D. Young / Shutterstock

Location: Williamstown, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,042
Student to faculty ratio: 6:1
Acceptance rate: 13%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $59,000
Two-year employment rate: 90%
Overall rank: #33

18. United States Military Academy at West Point

Military Academy West Point — Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock

Location: West Point, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,589
Student to faculty ratio: 7:1
Acceptance rate: 12%
Graduation rate: 85%
Six-year median earnings: null
Two-year employment rate: null
Overall rank: #32

17. Tufts University

Autumn Colors at Tufts University — Kevin D. Walsh / Shutterstock

Location: Medford, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,508
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 15%
Graduation rate: 94%
Six-year median earnings: $75,800
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #31

16. University of Virginia

Location: Charlottesville, VA
Undergraduate enrollment: 15,990
Student to faculty ratio: 15:1
Acceptance rate: 24%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $61,200
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #29

15. Georgia Institute of Technology

Location: Atlanta, GA
Undergraduate enrollment: 14,318
Student to faculty ratio: 18:1
Acceptance rate: 21%
Graduation rate: 90%
Six-year median earnings: $79,100
Two-year employment rate: 95%
Overall rank: #27

14. Bowdoin College

Location: Brunswick, ME
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,825
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 9%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $65,500
Two-year employment rate: 93%
Overall rank: #26

13. Georgetown University

Location: Washington, DC
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,990
Student to faculty ratio: 11:1
Acceptance rate: 14%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $93,500
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #25

12. Carnegie Mellon University

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,343
Student to faculty ratio: 10:1
Acceptance rate: 15%
Graduation rate: 90%
Six-year median earnings: $83,600
Two-year employment rate: 91%
Overall rank: #22

11. Johns Hopkins University

Walkway and buildings at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. — Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

Location: Baltimore, MD
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,595
Student to faculty ratio: 7:1
Acceptance rate: 11%
Graduation rate: 93%
Six-year median earnings: $73,200
Two-year employment rate: 91%
Overall rank: #21

10. Cornell University

Location: Ithaca, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 15,175
Student to faculty ratio: 9:1
Acceptance rate: 11%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $77,200
Two-year employment rate: 93%
Overall rank: #18

9. Dartmouth College

Location: Hanover, NH
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,357
Student to faculty ratio: 7:1
Acceptance rate: 8%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $75,500
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #13

8. Columbia University

Location: New York, NY
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,666
Student to faculty ratio: 6:1
Acceptance rate: 5%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $83,300
Two-year employment rate: 89%
Overall rank: #12

7. University of Pennsylvania

Location: Philadelphia, PA
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,605
Student to faculty ratio: 6:1
Acceptance rate: 8%
Graduation rate: 96%
Six-year median earnings: $85,900
Two-year employment rate: 91%
Overall rank: #10

6. Brown University

Location: Providence, RI
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,735
Student to faculty ratio: 6:1
Acceptance rate: 7%
Graduation rate: 96%
Six-year median earnings: $67,500
Two-year employment rate: 91%
Overall rank: #9

5. Princeton University

Location: Princeton, NJ
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,321
Student to faculty ratio: 5:1
Acceptance rate: 6%
Graduation rate: 98%
Six-year median earnings: $74,700
Two-year employment rate: 87%
Overall rank: #6

4. Duke University

Location: Durham, NC
Undergraduate enrollment: 6,659
Student to faculty ratio: 6:1
Acceptance rate: 8%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $84,400
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #5

3. Yale University

Location: New Haven, CT
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,939
Student to faculty ratio: 6:1
Acceptance rate: 6%
Graduation rate: 97%
Six-year median earnings: $83,200
Two-year employment rate: 92%
Overall rank: #4

2. Harvard University

Location: Cambridge, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,210
Student to faculty ratio: 7:1
Acceptance rate: 5%
Graduation rate: 97%
Six-year median earnings: $89,700
Two-year employment rate: 89%
Overall rank: #2

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Location: Cambridge, MA
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,557
Student to faculty ratio: 3:1
Acceptance rate: 7%
Graduation rate: 95%
Six-year median earnings: $104,700
Two-year employment rate: 94%
Overall rank: #1

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