根據(jù)美國憲法規(guī)定，各州政府負責注冊并審批各類高等院校，但各院校是否被社會所認可則取決于政府承認的認證機構(gòu)的認證。
美國高等院校包括公立與私立兩種。主要實行二年學制或四年學制，二年制的多為技術(shù)?？茖W校和社區(qū)學院。據(jù)統(tǒng)計，目前美國各類高等院校有3600多所。
美國高等院校的質(zhì)量認證一般由專業(yè)認證機構(gòu)負責，經(jīng)美國教育部認可的專業(yè)認證機構(gòu)主要有六大區(qū)域認證機構(gòu)及近百個專業(yè)認證機構(gòu)。聯(lián)邦政府通過認證機構(gòu)間接起到對各院校的管理與規(guī)范。全美高等教育認證委員會（CHEA）是協(xié)調(diào)并審核認證機構(gòu)的專業(yè)機構(gòu)。 通過區(qū)域性認證協(xié)會或其它專業(yè)認證機構(gòu)的認證，各院?？蓪崿F(xiàn)學分相互轉(zhuǎn)換，所頒發(fā)的學位證書或文憑證書能獲得社會的廣泛認可.
以下為美國權(quán)威新聞類期刊US NEWS一年一度總結(jié)出的院校學術(shù)聲望排名名單（2007年綜合排名）

1. Princeton University(NJ) 
 
2. Harvard University(MA)

3. Yale University(CT) 
 
4. California Institute of Technology 
 
4. Stanford University(CA) 
 
4. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology 
 
7. University of Pennsylvania 
 
8. Duke University(NC) 
 
9. Dartmouth College(NH) 
 
9. Columbia University(NY) 
 
9. University of Chicago 
 
12. Cornell University(NY) 
 
12. Washington University in St. Louis 
 
14. Northwestern University(IL) 
 
15. Brown University(RI) 
 
16. Johns Hopkins University(MD) 
 
17. Rice University(TX) 
 
18. Vanderbilt University(TN) 
 
18. Emory University(GA) 
 
20. University of Notre Dame(IN) 
 
21. Carnegie Mellon University(PA) 
 
21. University of California—Berkeley *
 
23. Georgetown University(DC) 
 
24. University of Virginia *
 
24. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor *
 
26. Univ. of California—Los Angeles *
 
27. U. of North Carolina—Chapel Hill *
 
27. Univ. of Southern California 
 
27. Tufts University(MA) 
 
30. Wake Forest University(NC) 
 
31. College of William and Mary(VA) *
 
31. Brandeis University(MA) 
 
33. Lehigh University(PA) 
 
34. Univ. of Wisconsin—Madison *
 
34. Boston College 
 
34. New York University 
 
34. University of Rochester(NY) 
 
38. Case Western Reserve Univ.(OH) 
 
38. Univ. of California—San Diego *
 
38. Georgia Institute of Technology *
 
41. U. of Illinois—Urbana - Champaign *
 
42. University of Washington *
 
42. Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst.(NY) 
 
44. University of California—Irvine *
 
44. Tulane University(LA) 11 
 
44. Yeshiva University(NY) 
 
47. Pennsylvania State U.—University Park *
 
47. University of Texas—Austin *
 
47. University of California—Davis *
 
47. Univ. of California—Santa Barbara *
 
47. University of Florida *
 
52. George Washington University(DC) 
 
52. Syracuse University(NY) 
 
54. Pepperdine University(CA) 
 
54. University of Miami(FL) 
 
54. Univ. of Maryland—College Park *
 
57. Ohio State University—Columbus *
 
57. University of Pittsburgh *
 
57. Boston University 
 
60. Miami University—Oxford(OH) *
 
60. Texas A&M Univ.—College Station *
 
60. University of Georgia *
 
60. Rutgers—New Brunswick(NJ) *
 
64. Purdue Univ.—West Lafayette(IN) *
 
64. University of Iowa *
 
64. Worcester Polytechnic Inst.(MA) 
 
67. University of Connecticut *
 
67. University of Delaware *
 
67. Univ. of Minnesota—Twin Cities *
 
70. Clemson University(SC) *
 
70. Southern Methodist University(TX) 
 
70. Brigham Young Univ.—Provo(UT) 
 
70. Indiana University—Bloomington *
 
70. Michigan State University *
 
70. Fordham University(NY) 
 
76. Univ. of California—Santa Cruz *
 
77. Virginia Tech *
 
77. University of Colorado—Boulder *
 
77. St. Louis University 
 
77. Stevens Institute of Technology(NJ) 
 
81. North Carolina State U.—Raleigh *
 
81. Baylor University(TX) 
 
81. Marquette University(WI) 
 
81. Iowa State University *
 
81. Clark University(MA) 
 
86. American University(DC) 
 
86. SUNY—Binghamton *
 
88. University of Tulsa(OK) 
 
88. University of Tennessee *
 
88. University of Vermont *
 
88. University of Alabama *
 
88. Auburn University(AL) *
 
88. Univ. of California—Riverside *
 
88. University of Denver 
 
88. Howard University(DC) 
 
88. University of Kansas *
 
88. Univ. of Missouri—Columbia *
 
98. University of Arizona *
 
98. University of the Pacific(CA) 
 
98. Northeastern University(MA) 
 
98. Univ. of Massachusetts—Amherst *
 
98. Univ. of Nebraska—Lincoln *
 
98. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry *
 
98. SUNY—Stony Brook *
 
105. University of New Hampshire *
 
105. Texas Christian University 
 
105. University of Dayton(OH) 
 
105. University of San Diego 
 
105. Illinois Institute of Technology 
 
110. Ohio University *
 
110. Florida State University *
 
112. University of Missouri—Rolla *
 
112. University of Kentucky *
 
112. Loyola University Chicago 
 
112. Washington State University *
 
112. University of San Francisco 
 
112. Univ. of South Carolina—Columbia *
 
112. Drexel University(PA) 
 
112. University of Oklahoma *
 
120. University of Utah *
 
120. University of Oregon *
 
120. Catholic University of America(DC) 
 
120. University at Buffalo—SUNY *
 
124. Colorado State University *
 
124. Kansas State University *
 
124. New Jersey Inst. of Technology *