California college takes top spot in TIMEs new national rankings dominates 10 best

A Northern California private college took the number one spot in a new national ranking of the best colleges and universities, with three others in the state landing in the top 10.TIME’s roundup inaugural issue of America’s Best Colleges of 2026-2027 ranked Stanford University the best out of 500 colleges it looked at across the country.The private research university in the heart of Silicon Valley dominated the competition, earning sky-high marks for its learning environment, student outcomes and appeal to prospective students.The school scored 95.21% for student outcomes, the most heavily weighted category, accounting for 75% of an institution’s overall score.It also racked up a 99.82% score for its learning environment, worth 15% of the total, and a 99.75% attractiveness score, which makes up the remaining 10%.The elite California school was founded in 1885 by Leland Stanford, a former California governor and US senator, and his wife, Jane Lathrop Stanford, as a memorial to their only child, Leland Stanford Jr., according to the university’s website.More than 120 years later, Stanford has become a powerhouse in medicine, research and academics, with more than 17,000 students currently enrolled.“World-class researchers in Stanford School of Medicine and across the university are responsible for groundbreaking discoveries that are focused on predicting, preventing, and curing disease by tailoring health care to the unique biology and life circumstances of each of us,” the school’s website read.“Our long history of innovation and achievement includes the world’s first successful heart and lung transplant, and development of one of the first in-house COVID-19 diagnostic tests.”“Our medical enterprise, Stanford Medicine, provides access to unparalleled patient care across the San Francisco Bay Area,” it added.Three other schools in the golden state were recognized in the new national ranking, all three are private schools in Southern Californi...