The East Coast of the United States is home to some of the nation’s most prestigious and sought-after colleges and universities. From Ivy League giants to public research powerhouses, the region offers a wide array of academic options for students seeking a world-class education.
Ivy League Universities
Brown University
- Location: Providence, Rhode Island
- Founded: 1764
- Enrollment: 7,082
- Acceptance Rate: 8%
- Notable Alumni: John F. Kennedy, Conan O’Brien, Emma Watson
Brown University is known for its open curriculum, which allows students to design their own academic programs. It offers strong programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Columbia University
- Location: New York City, New York
- Founded: 1754
- Enrollment: 33,299
- Acceptance Rate: 6%
- Notable Alumni: Barack Obama, Warren Buffett, Seth Meyers
Columbia University is one of the most selective and renowned universities in the world. It boasts a diverse faculty and student body, and its academic offerings span a wide range of disciplines.
Cornell University
- Location: Ithaca, New York
- Founded: 1865
- Enrollment: 24,680
- Acceptance Rate: 14%
- Notable Alumni: Bill Nye, David Byrne, Mary Tyler Moore
Cornell University is a land-grant research university with a strong emphasis on experiential learning. It offers innovative programs in engineering, life sciences, and business.
Dartmouth College
- Location: Hanover, New Hampshire
- Founded: 1769
- Enrollment: 4,432
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Notable Alumni: Nelson Rockefeller, Madeleine Albright, Ken Burns
Dartmouth College is a liberal arts college with a focus on undergraduate education. It offers rigorous academics in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Harvard University
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Founded: 1636
- Enrollment: 22,865
- Acceptance Rate: 4%
- Notable Alumni: Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Natalie Portman
Harvard University is the oldest and most prestigious university in the United States. It offers a comprehensive range of academic programs, from the humanities to the sciences.
Princeton University
- Location: Princeton, New Jersey
- Founded: 1746
- Enrollment: 8,249
- Acceptance Rate: 5%
- Notable Alumni: Woodrow Wilson, Michelle Obama, Elon Musk
Princeton University is a private research university with a strong focus on undergraduate education. It offers a rigorous academic program in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
University of Pennsylvania
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Founded: 1740
- Enrollment: 27,000
- Acceptance Rate: 8%
- Notable Alumni: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Amy Schumer
The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university with a long history of academic excellence. It offers a wide range of academic programs, from the humanities to the sciences.
Public Research Universities
Boston University
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Founded: 1839
- Enrollment: 35,074
- Acceptance Rate: 26%
- Notable Alumni: Alexander Graham Bell, Julia Child, Howard Stern
Boston University is a private research university with a diverse student body from around the world. It offers a wide range of academic programs, from the humanities to the sciences.
University of California, Berkeley
- Location: Berkeley, California
- Founded: 1868
- Enrollment: 43,199
- Acceptance Rate: 15%
- Notable Alumni: Steve Wozniak, Lawrence Berkeley, LeVar Burton
The University of California, Berkeley is a public research university with a global reputation for academic excellence. It offers a wide range of academic programs, from the humanities to the sciences.
University of Chicago
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Founded: 1890
- Enrollment: 17,303
- Acceptance Rate: 8%
- Notable Alumni: Barack Obama, Milton Friedman, Michelle Yeoh
The University of Chicago is a private research university with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research and teaching. It offers a wide range of academic programs, from the humanities to the sciences.
Johns Hopkins University
- Location: Baltimore, Maryland
- Founded: 1876
- Enrollment: 26,445
- Acceptance Rate: 10%
- Notable Alumni: Woodrow Wilson, Michael Bloomberg, Anthony Fauci
Johns Hopkins University is a private research university with a world-renowned medical school. It offers a wide range of academic programs, from the humanities to the sciences.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Founded: 1861
- Enrollment: 12,439
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Notable Alumni: Buzz Aldrin, Tim Berners-Lee, Kofi Annan
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university with a strong focus on science, technology, and engineering. It offers groundbreaking research and academic programs in a variety of fields.
University of Maryland, College Park
- Location: College Park, Maryland
- Founded: 1856
- Enrollment: 41,846
- Acceptance Rate: 44%
- Notable Alumni: Diane Rehm, Stephen Colbert, Kwame Alexander
The University of Maryland, College Park is a public research university with a strong focus on undergraduate education. It offers a wide range of academic programs, from the humanities to the sciences.
Private Liberal Arts Colleges
Amherst College
- Location: Amherst, Massachusetts
- Founded: 1821
- Enrollment: 1,898
- Acceptance Rate: 7%
- Notable Alumni: Henry Ward Beecher, Emily Dickinson, Wallace Stevens
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college with a prestigious reputation for academic excellence. It offers rigorous academics in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Bowdoin College
- Location: Brunswick, Maine
- Founded: 1794
- Enrollment: 1,847
- Acceptance Rate: 9%
- Notable Alumni: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, William Howard Taft
Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts college with a focus on undergraduate education. It offers a wide range of academic programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Bryn Mawr College
- Location: Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
- Founded: 1885
- Enrollment: 1,350
- Acceptance Rate: 22%
- Notable Alumni: Katharine Hepburn, M. Carey Thomas, Margaret Mead
Bryn Mawr College is a private liberal arts college for women with a strong focus on the liberal arts. It offers a wide range of academic programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Colgate University
- Location: Hamilton, New York
- Founded: 1819
- Enrollment: 3,000
- Acceptance Rate: 25%
- Notable Alumni: Brad Paisley, Laura Branigan, Jennifer Lawrence
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college with a focus on undergraduate education. It offers a wide range of academic programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Haverford College
- Location: Haverford, Pennsylvania
- Founded: 1833
- Enrollment: 1,350
- Acceptance Rate: 14%
- Notable Alumni: Herbert Hoover, T.S. Eliot, John Ashbery
Haverford College is a private liberal arts college that emphasizes research and scholarship. It offers a wide range of academic programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Middlebury College
- Location: Middlebury, Vermont
- Founded: 1800
- Enrollment: 2,500
- Acceptance Rate: 13%
- Notable Alumni: Alexander Calder, Elizabeth Bishop, Bob Woodward
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college with a focus on undergraduate education. It offers a wide range of academic programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Williams College
- Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts
- Founded: 1793
- Enrollment: 2,100
- Acceptance Rate: 10%
- Notable Alumni: Henry Cabot Lodge, Norman Rockwell, E.B. White
Williams College is a private liberal arts college with a focus on undergraduate education. It offers a wide range of academic programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Making the Right Choice
Choosing the right college is a major life decision. Here are some factors to consider when evaluating colleges in the East Coast:
- Academic offerings: What academic programs does the college offer? Are there specific majors or areas of study that interest you?
- Campus life: What is the college’s campus like? Do you prefer a large or small campus? Are there opportunities for extracurricular activities and social life?
- Location: Where is the college located? Do you prefer to be in a city, suburb, or rural area? Consider the