Boston's Top Ten Universities
Boston Schools Continue to Lead Nation in Academic Excellence

As one of the nation's founding cities, Boston has long been a pioneer on several fronts – technology, medicine, and education, among them. That' why, when it comes to colleges, it's hard to beat the Boston area in top-tier choices for a quality education. Here are the Top 10 universities in the Boston area, based on academic excellence.

Harvard University http://www.harvard.edu/
86 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
A private institution founded in 1636, Harvard likely needs no introduction as it is the top-ranking school in the U.S. With an undergraduate enrollment that totals about 6,500, this Cambridge-based school costs close to $40,000 annually to attend.

What you get for your money includes the oldest and largest private library collection around. As part of the Ivy League, Harvard's football season culminates each year with The Game – an annual showdown with Yale.

Freshmen live on campus centered around the Harvard Yard, a campus hub. As sophomores and beyone, they move into one of the 12 undergraduate houses. Among Harvard's distinguished graduates are Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, Henry David Thoreau, Helen Keller, and Yo-Yo Ma.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) http://www.mit.edu/
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
Another Cambridge-based private school, MIT was founded in 1861 and hosts an undergraduate class of just over 4,000 on 168 acres. As the number seven college in the nation, MIT charges just about $40,000 in annual tuition fees. Freshmen must live on campus, but other students may choose not to, although 70% stay put.

Academically, the MIT focus is on scientific and technological research with specialties divided between five schools and one college. Notable alumni include Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, and Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke.

Wellesley College http://www.wellesley.edu/
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA 02481
Founded in 1870, the all-girl Wellesley College ranks as the number four best liberal arts school in the county. Undergraduate enrollment stands just over 2,300 spread across a 500-acre campus that boasts a lake and an arboretum, along with both woodlands and open meadows. Annual tuition fees come in around $40,000.

As one of the original Seven Sisters Colleges (which also includes Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Smith, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard), Wellesley is part of the Twelve College Exchange Program wherein students can study at another school for one semester. It also offers a cross-registration program with MIT and guaranteed housing for freshmen.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and news anchor Diane Sawyer all graduated from Wellesley.

Tufts University http://www.tufts.edu/
4 Colby Street
Medford, MA 02155
Tufts University, a private institution founded in 1852, schools over 5,000 undergraduates each year on its 150-acre Medford/Somerville campus just outside of downtown Boston. With annual fees coming in just over $41,000, Tufts ranks at number 28 in the country.

Both freshmen and sophomores must live in campus housing as they attend the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, School of Medicine, or one of the other Tufts academic tracks. Tufts claims among its graduates eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, Golden Globe-winning actor Peter Gallagher, and Guster guitarist and vocalist Adam Gardner.

Brandeis University http://www.brandeis.edu/
415 South Street
Waltham, MA 02454
Among Boston-area schools, Brandeis University is but a baby, founded in 1948. An undergraduate class of about 3,300 pays $40,000 a year to roam the university's 235 acres in Waltham, nine miles west of Boston.

Student-run TV and radio stations, plus various religious and performance groups, service organizations, cultural awareness groups, and more round out the campus experience. Housing is guaranteed for freshmen and the Shapiro Campus Center hosts student activities with its theater, bookstore, cafe, library, and student art gallery.

The Brandeis College of Arts and Sciences is complemented by four graduate schools. Almost 50 percent of Brandeis students join study abroad programs spread across some 70 countries. Both Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Thomas Friedman and Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Louis Dembitz Brandeis graduated from the school.

Boston College http://www.bc.edu/
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
One of the largest schools in town, Boston College was founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus. Continuing its Roman Catholic Jesuit religious affiliation, BC has an enrollment of just over 9,000 students on its 386 acres. Tuition and fees about $40,000 a year.

Though freshmen aren't required to live on campus, most do. About half of the students participate in an international study program prior to graduation. U.S. Senator John Kerry and former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Tip O’Neill are both BC alumni.

Boston University http://www.bu.edu/
1 Sherborn Street
Boston, MA 02215
Founded in 1839, Boston University is one of the largest independent, non-profit universities in the U.S. Annual tuition and fees for this private university come in just under $40,000. Freshmen must live on the campus that sits on 133 acres along the Charles River. BU claims renowned graduate programs in their School of Law, School of Management, School of Medicine, College of Engineering, and School of Education.

Notable graduates include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., actresses Julianne Moore and Geena Davis, television personality Bill O’Reilly, radio host Howard Stern, and Tipper Gore.

Emerson College http://www.emerson.edu
120 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116
Emerson College was founded in 1880 on eight acres in the heart of Beantown. With an undergraduate enrollment of over 3,500, Emerson costs about $31,000 per year to attend. The liberal arts school's mission is to be”a place for those unique students for whom thought and experience overlap: thinking is linked to doing.”

Nestled on Boston Common, Emerson hosts WERS-FM, the city's oldest non-commercial radio station, along with the historic, 1,200-seat Cutler Majestic Theatre and Ploughshares, the award-winning literary journal.

Northeastern University http://www.northeastern.edu
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
Since its founding in 1898, Northeastern University has grown to accommodate an undergraduate class that nears 13,000 students on only 73 acres. The private institution charges annual tuition and fees of nearly $37,000.

Work experience as education is a focus at Northeastern with 90 percent of undergraduates completing at least one professional co-op during their college years. Research grants flow in each year from both the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, along with the Departments of Homeland Security, Energy, and Defense. Graduates include Napster founder Shawn Fanning and talk show host Wendy Williams.

University of Massachusetts – Boston http://www.umb.edu
100 Morrissey Boulevard
Boston, MA 02125
The only public school to make the list, the University of Massachusetts – Boston was founded in 1964. Undergraduate enrollment tops 11,000 on a campus size of 175 acres. Massachusetts residents enjoy in-state tuition and fees of under $11,000 with out-of-staters paying almost $19,000.

With a focus on academics tailored to diverse populations, Umass Boston is nationally recognized as a model of excellence for urban universities.