New global rankings reveal the top colleges in the Pittsburgh area.

The Pittsburgh area houses several prestigious universities, as highlighted in the “2024-2025 Best Global Universities Rankings” released by U.S. News and World Report. 

The U.S. News and World Report rankings included institutions from the U.S. and more than 100 other countries to compile a list of the top 2,250 universities. 

Best Colleges in the Pittsburgh Area 

In the Pittsburgh area, the University of Pittsburgh stands out, ranking 50th in the global rankings. Carnegie Mellon University and Duquesne University followed, ranking 134th and 1,885th respectively.

Top Colleges in Pennsylvania 

Statewide, the University of Pennsylvania took the top spot, ranking 14th globally. The Ivy League institution is located in Philadelphia, while Penn State University in University Park ranked 96th.

Top Ranking Global Universities

Globally, Harvard University leads the pack, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and the University of California Berkley following suit.

U.S. News and World Report evaluated all the schools on 13 indicators, considering their academic research performance and their global and regional reputations to compile the rankings.