Ivy League schools like Harvard and Yale are all top rated, but rankings are just one part of your US university research process. Explore prestigious colleges with reputations for strong programs, research and innovation, diversity, and support systems, and that are welcoming to international students.
Harvard University, Yale, Princeton — as an international student, you have likely heard of these top Ivy League schools. These prestigious colleges are among the top universities in the USA and consistently sit at the top of ranking lists like U.S. News & World Report, Shanghai Ranking, and QS World Rankings for a reason: They are among the best in the world.
One challenge: They are also really difficult to get into. According to IvyWise, Harvard University had an acceptance rate of only 3.43% in 2021. That makes Harvard one of the hardest schools to get into, second only to Stanford University, a non-Ivy school with an acceptance rate of 4.7%, according to the experts at Ivy League Prep. Among Ivy League schools, acceptance rates range from Harvard’s 3.43% low to Cornell University’s 8.5%. That means 92% to 95% of students who apply to Ivy League schools get rejected.
So, how do you find the best universities in the USA for international students? Dig deeper and explore other prestigious college options. The United States is a top destination for international students for many reasons. First and foremost, choice: The US is home to more than 5,000 colleges and universities — compare that to 875 in India and 2,663 universities in China — and many offer excellent academics and campus life.
Our education counselors help every step of the way, from application to arrival, at no additional cost to you.
As you start to research the best American colleges for international students, here are a few questions you should ask:
- How does my chosen major or course of study rank?
- What is the reputation of the faculty and instructors?
- Does the campus have a diverse student body and strong community spirit?
- What research and facility resources will I have access to?
- What are the career outcomes? Can I get my dream internship?
- What are the required English proficiency and GRE scores?
Program Ranking Over School Ranking
U.S. News & World Report is a leading ranking system for American colleges — it is extensive, detailed, and free to research online.
- The National Universities list consists of 392 colleges and universities
- The Top 250 schools on the National Universities list are generally referred to as “Tier 1.”
- U.S. News ranks everything from most popular majors — like engineering and business — to niche courses of study like ceramics and midwifery.
- They detail other helpful learning and campus categories like best first-year experience, most international students, and undergraduate research project
