What are the best STEM colleges in the USA?

The best STEM colleges in the USA include MIT, Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins University and UC Berkeley, based on programme strength, research output and career outcomes.

Which college is best for Computer Science?

Carnegie Mellon University is ranked #1 for Computer Science, followed by MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). All offer strong industry connections and research opportunities.

What is the best affordable STEM university?

Top affordable STEM universities include Georgia Tech ($10,258 in-state tuition), Texas A&M ($7,983), Purdue University ($9,992) and University of Texas at Austin ($10,890) — all ranked in the top 15 for Engineering.

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Filter curated STEM shortlist

STEM Strength

Type

20 colleges

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

📍 Cambridge, MA · Private

#1 Engineering

Tuition

$57,986

Acceptance

Students

11,500

Top STEM Strengths

Computer ScienceEngineeringPhysicsMathematicsAI/ML

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Stanford University

📍 Stanford, CA · Private

#2 Engineering

Tuition

$56,169

Acceptance

Students

17,000

Top STEM Strengths

Computer ScienceAIBioengineeringData SciencePhysics

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Carnegie Mellon University

📍 Pittsburgh, PA · Private

#1 CS

Tuition

$58,924

Acceptance

15%

Students

15,800

Top STEM Strengths

Computer ScienceRoboticsAIHuman-Computer InteractionCybersecurity

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University of California, Berkeley

📍 Berkeley, CA · Public

#4 STEM

Tuition

$14,226 (in-state)

Acceptance

14%

Students

45,000

Top STEM Strengths

EECSChemistryStatisticsBioinformaticsEnvironmental Science

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California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

📍 Pasadena, CA · Private

#1 Physics

Tuition

$58,680

Acceptance

Students

2,200

Top STEM Strengths

PhysicsAstronomyChemical EngineeringQuantum ComputingAerospace

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Georgia Institute of Technology

📍 Atlanta, GA · Public

#7 Engineering

Tuition

$10,258 (in-state)

Acceptance

21%

Students

44,000

Top STEM Strengths

Industrial EngineeringCSAerospaceRoboticsBiomedical Engineering

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University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

📍 Ann Arbor, MI · Public

#4 Public

Tuition

$15,948 (in-state)

Acceptance

20%

Students

48,000

Top STEM Strengths

EngineeringPre-MedData ScienceNuclear EngineeringNeuroscience

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Johns Hopkins University

📍 Baltimore, MD · Private

#1 Biomedical

Tuition

$60,480

Acceptance

Students

28,000

Top STEM Strengths

Biomedical EngineeringPublic HealthNeuroscienceMedicineEpidemiology

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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

📍 Champaign, IL · Public

#5 CS

Tuition

$14,312 (in-state)

Acceptance

45%

Students

57,000

Top STEM Strengths

CSElectrical EngineeringStatisticsComputational BiologyData Science

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Cornell University

📍 Ithaca, NY · Private

#12 STEM

Tuition

$61,015

Acceptance

Students

25,000

Top STEM Strengths

CSApplied MathBiological EngineeringEnvironmental EngineeringOperations Research

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University of Texas at Austin

📍 Austin, TX · Public

#8 Public

Tuition

$10,890 (in-state)

Acceptance

31%

Students

51,000

Top STEM Strengths

Petroleum EngineeringCSAerospaceNuclear EngineeringData Science

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Duke University

📍 Durham, NC · Private

#9 Engineering

Tuition

$60,489

Acceptance

Students

17,000

Top STEM Strengths

Biomedical EngineeringCSEnvironmental ScienceStatisticsNeuroscience

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Purdue University

📍 West Lafayette, IN · Public

#6 Engineering

Tuition

$9,992 (in-state)

Acceptance

53%

Students

50,000

Top STEM Strengths

AerospaceAgricultural EngineeringNuclearMaterials ScienceCS

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University of Washington

📍 Seattle, WA · Public

#5 Public

Tuition

$11,745 (in-state)

Acceptance

52%

Students

48,000

Top STEM Strengths

CSBiomedical EngineeringOceanographyEnvironmental ScienceData Science

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Penn State University

📍 University Park, PA · Public

#15 Engineering

Tuition

$18,454 (in-state)

Acceptance

54%

Students

90,000

Top STEM Strengths

Materials SciencePetroleum EngineeringEnvironmental ScienceCSMeteorology

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University of California, San Diego (UCSD)

📍 La Jolla, CA · Public

#6 Public

Tuition

$13,994 (in-state)

Acceptance

24%

Students

43,000

Top STEM Strengths

Marine BiologyCSBioengineeringCognitive ScienceBioinformatics

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

📍 Madison, WI · Public

#10 Public

Tuition

$10,728 (in-state)

Acceptance

49%

Students

50,000

Top STEM Strengths

BiochemistryCSNuclear EngineeringStatisticsGenetics

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Texas A&M University

📍 College Station, TX · Public

#12 Engineering

Tuition

$7,983 (in-state)

Acceptance

63%

Students

74,000

Top STEM Strengths

Petroleum EngineeringAgricultural ScienceNuclearAerospaceMaterials Science

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University of Maryland

📍 College Park, MD · Public

#14 Engineering

Tuition

$10,779 (in-state)

Acceptance

44%

Students

41,000

Top STEM Strengths

CSAerospaceNeuroscienceApplied MathCybersecurity

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Arizona State University

📍 Tempe, AZ · Public

Best Online STEM

Tuition

$10,978 (in-state)

Acceptance

87%

Students

80,000

Top STEM Strengths

SustainabilityCSBiomedical EngineeringData ScienceSpace Science

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Curated programme strengths and shortlist details reviewed September 2026. Tuition, admission, and enrollment figures for any school should be checked with the live College Scorecard search above.