Best Development Studies Universities in North America [2026 Rankings]

1

United States | Massachusetts

Harvard University

For Development Studies

#1 in United States #1 in the World

4% Acceptance

1,489 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1636 Founded

2

United States | Michigan

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

For Development Studies

#2 in United States #2 in the World

16% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1445 Avg SAT

1817 Founded

3

Canada | Ontario

University of Toronto

For Development Studies

#1 in Canada #3 in the World

54% Acceptance

102,431 Enrollment

1827 Founded

4

United States | Maryland

Johns Hopkins University

For Development Studies

#3 in United States #4 in the World

6% Acceptance

6,636 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

5

United States | California

Stanford University

For Development Studies

#4 in United States #5 in the World

4% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

6

United States | Washington

University of Washington – Seattle

For Development Studies

#5 in United States #6 in the World

39% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1315 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

7

United States | New York State

Columbia University

For Development Studies

#6 in United States #7 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1754 Founded

8

United States | California

University of California – Berkeley

For Development Studies

#7 in United States #10 in the World

11% Acceptance

26,133 Enrollment

1175 Avg SAT

1868 Founded

9

United States | Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

For Development Studies

#8 in United States #11 in the World

5% Acceptance

1,947 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1740 Founded

10

United States | North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

For Development Studies

#9 in United States #12 in the World

15% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1460 Avg SAT

1789 Founded

11

United States | Illinois

University of Chicago

For Development Studies

#10 in United States #13 in the World

4% Acceptance

7,598 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

12

United States | California

University of California – Los Angeles

For Development Studies

#11 in United States #14 in the World

9% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

13

United States | Connecticut

Yale University

For Development Studies

#12 in United States #15 in the World

4% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1701 Founded

14

United States | Minnesota

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

For Development Studies

#13 in United States #16 in the World

80% Acceptance

15,019 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

15

United States | New York State

Cornell University

For Development Studies

#14 in United States #17 in the World

9% Acceptance

16,128 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

16

United States | Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin – Madison

For Development Studies

#15 in United States #18 in the World

45% Acceptance

38,040 Enrollment

1450 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

17

United States | California

University of California – San Francisco

For Development Studies

#16 in United States #19 in the World

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

18

Canada | British Columbia

University of British Columbia

For Development Studies

#2 in Canada #23 in the World

52% Acceptance

71,201 Enrollment

1908 Founded

19

United States | New York State

New York University

For Development Studies

#17 in United States #24 in the World

9% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1831 Founded

20

United States | Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania State University

For Development Studies

#18 in United States #25 in the World

61% Acceptance

42,604 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

21

United States | Massachusetts

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

For Development Studies

#19 in United States #26 in the World

5% Acceptance

4,535 Enrollment

1550 Avg SAT

1861 Founded

22

United States | Ohio

Ohio State University

For Development Studies

#20 in United States #27 in the World

61% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1395 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

23

United States | Michigan

Michigan State University

For Development Studies

#21 in United States #30 in the World

85% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1270 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

24

United States | Illinois

University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign

For Development Studies

#22 in United States #33 in the World

42% Acceptance

37,140 Enrollment

1415 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

25

United States | North Carolina

Duke University

For Development Studies

#23 in United States #35 in the World

6% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1838 Founded

26

United States | Illinois

Northwestern University

For Development Studies

#24 in United States #36 in the World

8% Acceptance

9,399 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

27

United States | Texas

University of Texas at Austin

For Development Studies

#25 in United States #37 in the World

27% Acceptance

43,165 Enrollment

1380 Avg SAT

1883 Founded

28

United States | New Jersey

Princeton University

For Development Studies

#26 in United States #39 in the World

5% Acceptance

5,813 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1746 Founded

29

United States | Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh

For Development Studies

#27 in United States #40 in the World

58% Acceptance

25,900 Enrollment

1370 Avg SAT

1787 Founded

30

United States | Arizona

Arizona State University – Tempe

For Development Studies

#28 in United States #42 in the World

90% Acceptance

38,313 Enrollment

970 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

31

United States | New Jersey

Rutgers University – New Brunswick

For Development Studies

#29 in United States #43 in the World

58% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1405 Avg SAT

1766 Founded

32

United States | California

University of Southern California

For Development Studies

#30 in United States #44 in the World

10% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1880 Founded

33

Canada | Ontario

McMaster University

For Development Studies

#3 in Canada #45 in the World

49% Acceptance

27,965 Enrollment

1887 Founded

34

United States | Florida

University of Florida

For Development Studies

#31 in United States #46 in the World

24% Acceptance

36,573 Enrollment

1400 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

35

United States | Maryland

University of Maryland – College Park

For Development Studies

#32 in United States #47 in the World

45% Acceptance

31,133 Enrollment

1465 Avg SAT

1856 Founded

36

United States | Massachusetts

Boston University

For Development Studies

#33 in United States #48 in the World

11% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

37

United States | California

University of California-San Diego

For Development Studies

#34 in United States #49 in the World

27% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1960 Founded

38

United States | Georgia, US

Emory University

For Development Studies

#35 in United States #52 in the World

11% Acceptance

967 Enrollment

1510 Avg SAT

1836 Founded

39

United States | California

University of California – Davis

For Development Studies

#36 in United States #54 in the World

42% Acceptance

25,685 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1905 Founded

40

Canada | Alberta

University of Alberta

For Development Studies

#4 in Canada #55 in the World

53% Acceptance

31,185 Enrollment

1908 Founded

41

Canada | Quebec State

McGill University

For Development Studies

#5 in Canada #56 in the World

46% Acceptance

37,888 Enrollment

1821 Founded

42

United States | Illinois

University of Illinois at Chicago

For Development Studies

#37 in United States #59 in the World

77% Acceptance

22,495 Enrollment

1240 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

43

United States | Tennessee

Vanderbilt University

For Development Studies

#38 in United States #62 in the World

6% Acceptance

7,221 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1873 Founded

44

Canada | Ontario

University of Ottawa

For Development Studies

#6 in Canada #65 in the World

47% Acceptance

42,027 Enrollment

1848 Founded

45

United States | Arizona

University of Arizona

For Development Studies

#39 in United States #66 in the World

86% Acceptance

37,297 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

46

United States | District of Columbia

George Washington University

For Development Studies

#40 in United States #68 in the World

47% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1425 Avg SAT

1821 Founded

47

United States | Indiana

Purdue University

For Development Studies

#41 in United States #72 in the World

50% Acceptance

44,819 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

48

United States | Virginia

University of Virginia

For Development Studies

#42 in United States #76 in the World

17% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1819 Founded

49

Canada | Alberta

University of Calgary

For Development Studies

#7 in Canada #78 in the World

55% Acceptance

33,000 Enrollment

1966 Founded

50

United States | Iowa State

University of Iowa

For Development Studies

#43 in United States #80 in the World

84% Acceptance

22,738 Enrollment

1230 Avg SAT

1847 Founded

51

Canada | Ontario

Western University

For Development Studies

#8 in Canada #82 in the World

31% Acceptance

21,836 Enrollment

1878 Founded

52

United States | Utah

University of Utah

For Development Studies

#44 in United States #83 in the World

86% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1285 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

53

United States | Rhode Island

Brown University

For Development Studies

#45 in United States #84 in the World

5% Acceptance

7,910 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1764 Founded

54

United States | Texas

Texas A&M University – College Station

For Development Studies

#46 in United States #85 in the World

57% Acceptance

60,710 Enrollment

1275 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

55

United States | Missouri

Washington University in St Louis

For Development Studies

#47 in United States #89 in the World

12% Acceptance

2,256 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

56

United States | California

University of California – Irvine

For Development Studies

#48 in United States #93 in the World

29% Acceptance

47,335 Enrollment

1500 Avg SAT

1965 Founded

57

United States | District of Columbia

Georgetown University

For Development Studies

#49 in United States #94 in the World

13% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1470 Avg SAT

1789 Founded

58

United States | Colorado

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

For Development Studies

#50 in United States #96 in the World

75% Acceptance

2,256 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1912 Founded

59

United States | New York State

University of Rochester

For Development Studies

#51 in United States #98 in the World

40% Acceptance

6,580 Enrollment

1475 Avg SAT

1850 Founded

60

United States | Florida

Florida State University

For Development Studies

#52 in United States #100 in the World

24% Acceptance

6,768 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

60 Best Universities in North America for Development Studies

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