Which US colleges are best for engineering, business, or computer science?

Computer science and IT

In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Computer Science and Information Systems, the concentration of US leadership is especially pronounced, with all three of the world’s top institutions based in the country.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) leads the US group with an overall score of 94.2, driven by a very high Employer Reputation (97.9) alongside strong research indicators. Stanford University ranks close behind (overall 92.1), maintaining its position as a high-impact research environment with an Employer Reputation of 95.8. Carnegie Mellon University rounds out the top three (overall 91.2), distinguished by a perfect 100 for

Academic Reputation and a robust International Research Network score of 82.6, reflecting its depth in software engineering, AI, and computing research.

Business and management

In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Business & Management Studies, the strongest US institutions are marked by consistent performance across the core measures of business education - particularly employer perception and research standing - rather than being defined by a single headline programme.

At the top, Harvard University posts an overall score of 96.2, with a perfect 100 for Employer Reputation reinforcing its long-standing market credibility. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) follows (overall 92.4), combining an Employer Reputation of 95.8 with strengths that reflect its technology- and innovation-oriented management focus. Finally, Stanford University takes the third US position (overall 92.2), supported by strong employer recognition (94.6) and a track record closely associated with entrepreneurial and innovation-driven business networks.

Key takeaways

• Consistent US leadership: Across engineering, computer science, and business, US universities dominate the top tiers of the QS subject rankings.
• Employer reputation matters: High employer reputation scores signal strong alignment between academic output and workforce needs.
• Research strength remains a differentiator: Leading institutions combine citation impact, academic reputation, and collaboration at scale.
• Different strengths, shared influence: While institutions vary in focus - technical depth, entrepreneurial ecosystems, or leadership development - they all operate as high-impact platforms for talent and innovation.

The QS subject rankings offer a structured way to identify institutions whose strengths align with evolving skills, research, and collaboration priorities. See the Subject Rankings 2025 in full here - and look out for the 2026 edition launching on 24 March 2026.