Best colleges in big cities

Ellen Wulfhorst
Martha Sandoval
Chapman Center at Moody Bible Institute under a clear blue sky.
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- Location: Chicago, IL
--- Population: 2,721,308
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,270
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 98%
- Typical SAT range: 990-1200

#50. Moody Bible Institute
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Nursing student taking notes.
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- Location: Irvine, CA
--- Population: 318,683
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,373
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 21:1
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Typical SAT range: not available

#49. Stanbridge University - Orange County
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San Diego State University banner on campus.
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- Location: San Diego, CA
--- Population: 1,404,452
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 30,228
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 23:1
- Acceptance rate: 34%
- Typical SAT range: 1090-1300

#48. San Diego State University
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The UH sign on the Ezekiel W. Cullen building on the University of Houston campus.
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- Location: Houston, TX
--- Population: 2,390,125
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 27,798
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 18:1
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1330

#47. University of Houston
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Aerial view of the campus including University Mall and Old Main Building.
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- Location: Tucson, AZ
--- Population: 554,013
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,237
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 86%
- Typical SAT range: 1160-1420

#46. University of Arizona
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Entrance sign and view of Walter Pyramid sports arena.
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- Location: Long Beach, CA
--- Population: 450,901
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,962
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 20:1
- Acceptance rate: 47%
- Typical SAT range: 1020-1240

#45. California State University - Long Beach
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Three students with laptops and books in library.
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- Location: Omaha, NE
--- Population: 489,265
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 502
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 44%
- Typical SAT range: not available

#44. College of Saint Mary
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Morning view of Thorne Hall at Occidental College.
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- Location: Los Angeles, CA
--- Population: 3,878,704
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,858
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 40%
- Typical SAT range: 1360-1500

#43. Occidental College
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Venteicher Mall on the campus of Creighton University.
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- Location: Omaha, NE
--- Population: 489,265
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,160
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 73%
- Typical SAT range: 1210-1400

#42. Creighton University
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Group of students working on a project together at table.
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- Location: Oklahoma City, OK
--- Population: 712,919
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,389
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Typical SAT range: not available

#41. Oklahoma City University
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Aerial view of The Immaculata Church at the University of San Diego.
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- Location: San Diego, CA
--- Population: 1,404,452
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,851
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 47%
- Typical SAT range: 1190-1370

#40. University of San Diego
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Brick building on Reed campus.
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- Location: Portland, OR
--- Population: 635,749
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,404
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 26%
- Typical SAT range: 1300-1510

#39. Reed College
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View of Belfer Hall building in Manhattan.
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- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,922
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 64%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1500

#38. Yeshiva University
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Street view of John Jay College building.
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- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,507
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 57%
- Typical SAT range: 1000-1250

#37. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
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University of Tulsa campus in autumn.
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- Location: Tulsa, OK
--- Population: 415,154
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,288
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 58%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1490

#36. The University of Tulsa
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Students walking through Kogan Plaza on GWU campus.
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- Location: Washington, DC
--- Population: 702,250
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 10,386
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 44%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1500

#35. George Washington University
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DeWitt Wallace Library at Macalester College.
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- Location: Saint Paul, MN
--- Population: 307,465
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,106
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1510

#34. Macalester College
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Northrop Mall on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
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- Location: Minneapolis, MN
--- Population: 428,579
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,124
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Typical SAT range: 1310-1480

#33. University of Minnesota Twin Cities
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Joseph Wylie Fincher Building at Southern Methodist University.
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- Location: Dallas, TX
--- Population: 1,326,087
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,948
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 61%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1480

#32. Southern Methodist University
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UCF College of Medicine building.
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- Location: Orlando, FL
--- Population: 334,854
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 41,654
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 26:1
- Acceptance rate: 40%
- Typical SAT range: 1190-1350

#31. University of Central Florida
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Aerial view of Cathedral of Learning and surrounding cityscape.
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- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
--- Population: 307,668
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 19,618
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Typical SAT range: 1270-1450

#30. University of Pittsburgh
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People walking to NC State Student Union building on campus.
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- Location: Raleigh, NC
--- Population: 499,825
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 25,989
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 40%
- Typical SAT range: 1300-1460

#29. North Carolina State University
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Exterior of the Kelvin Smith Library.
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- Location: Cleveland, OH
--- Population: 365,379
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,093
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 29%
- Typical SAT range: 1430-1540

#28. Case Western Reserve University
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Campus sign with flags in springtime.
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- Location: Fort Worth, TX
--- Population: 1,008,106
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 11,049
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1380

#27. Texas Christian University
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The Cooper Union building in Manhattan.
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- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 899
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Typical SAT range: 1400-1520

#26. The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
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Students walk with Trinity University’s tiger balloon in the The Battle of the Flowers Parade.
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- Location: San Antonio, TX
--- Population: 1,526,656
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,481
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1470

#25. Trinity University
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Entrance sign to the University of South Florida.
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- Location: Tampa, FL
--- Population: 414,547
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 30,184
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 41%
- Typical SAT range: 1140-1330

#24. University of South Florida
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Aerial photo of the SASC Building and surrounding campus.
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- Location: Miami, FL
--- Population: 487,014
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 26,027
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 19:1
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Typical SAT range: 1060-1250

#23. Florida International University
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Tulane University sign and building.
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- Location: New Orleans, LA
--- Population: 362,701
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 8,160
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 15%
- Typical SAT range: 1390-1510

#22. Tulane University
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Aerial view of campus and surrounding cityscape.
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- Location: Irvine, CA
--- Population: 318,683
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,884
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 26%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1430

#21. University of California - Irvine
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Students walking outside of The Hub Student Union Building.
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- Location: Seattle, WA
--- Population: 780,995
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,863
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: not available

#20. University of Washington
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Ohio State University Stadium.
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- Location: Columbus, OH
--- Population: 933,263
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 41,983
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Typical SAT range: 1330-1480

#19. The Ohio State University
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Students walking on a red brick path past the Milstein Center (left) and Diana Center (right) on the Barnard College campus.
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- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 3,183
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Typical SAT range: 1450-1550

#18. Barnard College
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University of Texas campus in Austin.
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- Location: Austin, TX
--- Population: 993,588
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 39,787
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 29%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1490

#17. University of Texas - Austin
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Krentzman Quadrangle at Northeastern University.
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- Location: Boston, MA
--- Population: 673,458
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 15,857
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1460-1550

#16. Northeastern University
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Boston University campus sign with people walking in background.
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- Location: Boston, MA
--- Population: 673,458
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,899
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Typical SAT range: 1400-1520

#15. Boston University
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Students on the New York University campus.
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- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,692
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Typical SAT range: 1480-1570

#14. New York University
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Emory University campus buildings.
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- Location: Atlanta, GA
--- Population: 520,070
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,263
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Typical SAT range: 1460-1550

#13. Emory University
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Georgia Institute of Technology sign.
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- Location: Atlanta, GA
--- Population: 520,070
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,171
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 16%
- Typical SAT range: 1330-1530

#12. Georgia Institute of Technology
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USC sign at the Village.
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- Location: Los Angeles, CA
--- Population: 3,878,704
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 20,502
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 10%
- Typical SAT range: 1440-1550

#11. University of Southern California
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Brick path and buildings on the campus of Johns Hopkins.
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- Location: Baltimore, MD
--- Population: 568,271
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,607
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 1:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Typical SAT range: 1530-1580

#10. Johns Hopkins University
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Afternoon aerial view of historic Royce Hall and campus quad buildings on the UCLA campus near Westwood.
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- Location: Los Angeles, CA
--- Population: 3,878,704
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 32,472
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Typical SAT range: not available

#9. University of California - Los Angeles
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Aerial view of University of Chicago campus and surrounding neighborhoods.
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- Location: Chicago, IL
--- Population: 2,721,308
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,617
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 3:1
- Acceptance rate: 5%
- Typical SAT range: 1510-1570

#8. University of Chicago
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Campus of Georgetown University in springtime.
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- Location: Washington, DC
--- Population: 702,250
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,220
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 13%
- Typical SAT range: 1390-1550

#7. Georgetown University
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Aerial view of Carnegie Mellon University campus.
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- Location: Pittsburgh, PA
--- Population: 307,668
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,133
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Typical SAT range: 1500-1570

#6. Carnegie Mellon University
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Aerial view of Duke University Chapel and campus.
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- Location: Durham, NC
--- Population: 301,870
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,474
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 1:1
- Acceptance rate: 7%
- Typical SAT range: 1510-1570

#5. Duke University
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A summer view of the University of Pennsylvania campus.
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- Location: Philadelphia, PA
--- Population: 1,573,916
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 10,610
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1500-1570

#4. University of Pennsylvania
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The bronze statue of William Marsh Rice in the quad on Rice University's campus.
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- Location: Houston, TX
--- Population: 2,390,125
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,483
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Typical SAT range: 1500-1570

#3. Rice University
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Aerial view of Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
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- Location: Nashville, TN
--- Population: 704,963
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,146
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1510-1560

#2. Vanderbilt University
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Columbia University Library buildings with columns and dome.
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- Location: New York, NY
--- Population: 8,478,072
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 8,428
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 2:1
- Acceptance rate: 4%
- Typical SAT range: 1490-1570

Additional writing by Jill Jaracz.

#1. Columbia University
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Columbia university campus aerial view.
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