College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2021 Best Colleges in the United States for Students from India

662 Colleges
$47,787 Avg Tuition & Fees*
68% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

Quality BadgeWith all of the options international students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

After analyzing 662 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for Indian students. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as the total number of international students at the school and the school's overall quality.

Find out more about our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
Other Rankings Narrow by Field of Study

We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Top Colleges in the U.S. for Students from India

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Our analysis found Northeastern University to be the best school for Indian students in this year’s ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,358 students in 2020-2021.

Around 29.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Taiwan come to Northeastern to study.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northeastern University Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Southern California. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Indian students list. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5,745 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 22.5% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at USC come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Indian students list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,953 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 37.1% are international. Students studying at Carnegie Mellon come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

4

A rank of #4 on our list means New York University is a great place for Indian students working on their bachelor’s degree. NYU is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6,752 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 27.6% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at NYU are China, India, and South Korea.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on New York University

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Indian students list. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 2,654 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 34.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Columbia come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Report

6

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking, coming in at #6. Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 620 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 33.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Spain come to Illinois Tech to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Illinois Institute of Technology

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,305 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 19.2% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to UIUC to study.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read More…

8

With a ranking of #8, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 4,825 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 14.5% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UT Dallas are India, China, and Taiwan.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

9

Cornell University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 4,287 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 21.8% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Cornell come from such countries as China, India, and Canada.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cornell University Report

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the large public school handed out 9,144 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 13.9% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to U-M to study.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

11

North Carolina State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6,377 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Around 9.1% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at NC State are India, China, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on North Carolina State University

12

University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3,499 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 19.5% are international. Students studying at UPenn come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on University of Pennsylvania

13

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking. This large public school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 3,879 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 24.7% are international. Students studying at Georgia Tech come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

14

Boston University landed the #14 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 4,788 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 24.6% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Boston U are China, India, and South Korea.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Boston University Report

15
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL

University of Florida ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Indian Students list. University of Florida is a large public school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 9,775 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 7.4% are international. Students studying at UF come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Florida Report

16

With a ranking of #16, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. ASU - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14,829 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Around 10.4% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at ASU - Tempe come from such countries as China, India, and Saudi Arabia.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9,086 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 21.4% are international. Students studying at UCSD come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - San Diego Report

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 10,523 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 16.2% are international. Students from as far away as China, South Korea, and India come to UC Berkeley to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Berkeley Report

19

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10,102 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 13.8% are international. Students from as far away as China, South Korea, and India come to UCLA to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Report

20

University at Buffalo did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking, coming in at #20. University at Buffalo is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5,623 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

International students make up 16.1% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at University at Buffalo come from such countries as India, China, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on University at Buffalo

21

With a ranking of #21, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 13,409 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 6.4% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Texas A&M College Station to study.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Report

22

Stevens Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Hoboken, New Jersey, and it awarded 768 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 27.3% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Stevens come from such countries as China, India, and Saudi Arabia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stevens Institute of Technology Report

23

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Indian Students list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 7,959 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 10.2% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at IU Bloomington are China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Indiana University - Bloomington

24
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC

Duke University landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Indian Students. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 2,319 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 18.3% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Duke come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

25

Stanford University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,511 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 23.9% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Canada come to Stanford to study.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University Report

Rest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for Indian students

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Syracuse Crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
29
Harvard Crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
30
31
Northwestern Crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
32
33

34
Johns Hopkins Crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

35
UChicago Crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
36
37
Virginia Tech Crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
38
Rutgers New Brunswick Crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
39
40
41
UCONN Crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut
42
University of Rochester Crest
University of Rochester
Rochester, New York
43

44
SCU Crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

45
46
47
Yale Crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
48
49
WPI Crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts
50

Rest of the Top 15% Best Colleges in the United States for International Students

To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:

RankCollegeLocation
51Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
52Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
53University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
54Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
55George Washington UniversityWashington, DC
56University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
57Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
58Babson CollegeWellesley, MA
59Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
60Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
61Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
62Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
63Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI
64Rice UniversityHouston, TX
65Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC
RankCollegeLocation
66Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
67Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
68Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH
69University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
70University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
71Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY
72Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
73Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
74San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
75University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
76University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
77University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
78California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA
79Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA
80University of DelawareNewark, DE
81George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
82University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN
83University of HoustonHouston, TX
84Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
85Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
86University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
87University of DaytonDayton, OH
88Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL
89Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA
90University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
RankCollegeLocation
91Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
92University of Illinois at SpringfieldSpringfield, IL
93Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
94University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
95Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
96University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
97New York Institute of TechnologyOld Westbury, NY
98Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN
99Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, GA
100University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for Indian Students ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
101University of IowaIowa City, IA
102Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
103University of KansasLawrence, KS
104University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
105University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
106Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RI
107Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
108University of Houston - Clear LakeHouston, TX
109University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
110University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
111DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
112University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
113Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
114Clark UniversityWorcester, MA
115University of DenverDenver, CO
RankCollegeLocation
116Pratt Institute - MainBrooklyn, NY
117The New SchoolNew York, NY
118San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
119University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
120Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
121Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA
122Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA
123University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
124University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
125Lawrence Technological UniversitySouthfield, MI
126Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT
127Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO
128Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
129Florida Institute of TechnologyMelbourne, FL
130California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
131Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
132Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
133Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA

More Rankings >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options