U.S. News & World Report has puplished its annual university and college ranking: Princeton Tops U.S. News Rankings, Again. In each category, data on up to 15 indicators of academic quality are gathered from each school and tabulated. Schools are ranked within categories by their total weighted score.

For undergraduates looking for the top program in engineering physics, Cornell is the best place to go, according to U.S. News and World Report. The magazine has given the Cornell program top billing for the third year in a row in the category Engineering Science/Engineering Physics under Specialties for Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. In overall rankings for best national colleges and universities, Cornell took the 12th spot, tied with Washington University in St. Louis — the same ranking as last year.

The top 10 national universities:

  1. Princeton University
  2. Harvard University
  3. Yale University
  4. Stanford University
  5. California Institute of Technology
    University of Pennsylvania (tie)
  6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  7. Duke University
  8. Columbia University
    University of Chicago (tie)

Details of the U.S. News ranking: America’s Best Colleges 2008