New rankings from U.S. News and World Report look at the best colleges in the Pittsburgh area.

The "U.S. News Best Colleges" rankings for 2026, released on Tuesday, break down every detail to determine the best national universities and liberal arts colleges . The latest lists evaluated more than 1,700 colleges and universities across the nation, with more than 400 schools making the ranking for national universities.

Six schools in the Pittsburgh area made the national universities ranking, with Carnegie Mellon University leading the way at No. 20. The university in the steel city's Oakland neighborhood was the only school with Pittsburgh ties in the top 50 of the national universities ranking.

Three Pittsburgh-area schools were mentioned in the top national liberal arts colleg

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