Princeton University tops this year's U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of the nation's universities, followed quickly by its Ivy League brethren Harvard and Yale, which were tied for No. 2.
Princeton tied for No. 1 with Harvard in 1997, and again with Harvard and Yale in 1998. Last year, Princeton tied with Yale at No. 4.
The new rankings are included in the magazine's 14th annual publication of ''America's Best Colleges,'' which goes on sale Friday.
Besides the rankings for ''national universities,'' the magazine also ranks such things as liberal arts colleges, regional schools, and programs in specific subjects such as engineering schools. It offers admissions tips and guides for obtaining student loans.
The magazine ranks schools based on several criteria, including academic reputation, financial resources, alumni donations, how students are selected, and what percentage of students end up graduating.
Following the top three, the list includes last year's No. 1 school, the California Institute of Technology, now at No. 4, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at No. 5.
Other top schools include Stanford University and University of Pennsylvania tied at No. 6; Duke University at No. 8; Dartmouth College at No. 9; and Columbia University, the University of Chicago and Cornell University tied at No. 10.
On the Net:
U.S. News & World Report College Rankings will be posted Friday: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/home.htm