| Rank | School | Tuition and Fees | Total enrollment | Fall 2012 acceptance rate | Average freshman retention rate | 6-year graduation rate | Classes with fewer than 20 students | SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile |
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | $45,890 | 21,339 | 12.60% | 98% | 96% | 69.20% | 1350-1540 |
| 2 | University of Michigan–Ann Arbor | in-state: $13,819, out-of-state: $40,496 | 43,426 | 36.60% | 96% | 91% | 45.70% | 28-32 |
| 3 | University of Texas–Austin | in-state: $9,790, out-of-state: $33,824 | 52,186 | 46.80% | 92% | 79% | 33.80% | 1130-1380 |
| 4 | Indiana University–Bloomington | in-state: $10,209, out-of-state: $32,350 | 42,133 | 74.40% | 89% | 75% | 35.00% | 1050-1280 |
| 5 | University of California–Berkeley | in-state: $13,836, out-of-state: $25,056 | 35,899 | 18.00% | 97% | 91% | 63.40% | 1220-1490 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill | in-state: $8,340, out-of-state: $30,122 | 29,278 | 27.60% | 97% | 89% | 36.50% | 1200-1400 |
| 7 | New York University | $44,848 | 44,516 | 35.00% | 92% | 85% | 62.60% | 1250-1450 |
| 8 | University of Virginia | in-state: $12,458, out-of-state: $39,844 | 23,907 | 29.60% | 97% | 93% | 54.40% | 1260-1460 |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin–Madison | in-state: $10,403, out-of-state: $26,653 | 42,820 | 54.60% | 95% | 83% | 45.70% | 26-30 |
| 10 | University of Southern California | $46,298 | 39,958 | 19.90% | 97% | 90% | 56.80% | 1270-1480 |
| 11 | University of Minnesota–Twin Cities | in-state: $13,555, out-of-state: $19,805 | 51,853 | 49.50% | 90% | 73% | 39.60% | 25-30 |
| 12 | University of Florida | in-state: $6,263, out-of-state: $28,541 | 49,913 | 44.10% | 96% | 85% | 48.70% | 1170-1360 |
| 13 | St. Joseph's University | $39,040 | 8,805 | 78.30% | 88% | 79% | 39.70% | 1020-1220 |
| 14 | Emory University | $44,008 | 14,236 | 26.30% | 95% | 90% | 58.00% | 1270-1460 |
| 15 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | $43,498 | 11,189 | 9.00% | 97% | 93% | 66.10% | 1410-1570 |
| 16 | Ohio State University–Columbus | in-state: $10,037, out-of-state: $25,757 | 56,387 | 64.00% | 93% | 82% | 29.70% | 26-30 |
| 16 | University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign | in-state: $15,258, out-of-state: $29,640 | 44,520 | 63.30% | 94% | 84% | 42.00% | 26-31 |
| 16 | University of Maryland–College Park | in-state: $9,162, out-of-state: $28,348 | 37,197 | 46.80% | 94% | 82% | 36.20% | 1190-1410 |
| 16 | Washington University in St. Louis | $44,841 | 13,952 | 17.90% | 97% | 94% | 66.00% | 1420-1560 |
| 20 | Cornell University | $45,359 | 21,424 | 16.60% | 96% | 93% | 55.20% | 1310-1520 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania State University–University Park | in-state: $16,992, out-of-state: $29,566 | 45,783 | 54.20% | 92% | 86% | 39.40% | 1090-1300 |
| 22 | Loyola Marymount University | $40,040 | 9,492 | 50.20% | 90% | 75% | 50.60% | 1110-1300 |
| 22 | University of Notre Dame | $44,605 | 12,126 | 23.30% | 98% | 95% | 53.10% | 31-34 |
| 22 | University of Washington | in-state: $12,383, out-of-state: $29,938 | 42,568 | 59.20% | 93% | 80% | 37.60% | 1100-1350 |