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2021 Best Colleges for International Students in the United States

1,232 Colleges
$55,430 Avg Tuition & Fees*
81% 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 was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for International Students ranking is part of that endeavor.

We analyzed 1,232 colleges and universities across the United States to determine which were the best for international students. To come up with this ranking, we look at a number of factors that are all objective measurements. These factors include the school's overall quality as determined by our Best Colleges ranking and the percentage of international students on campus.

See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.

Custom Rankings

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
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Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.

We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don't have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Top Colleges in the U.S. for International Students

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Our 2021 rankings named Columbia University in the City of New York the best school for international students working on their bachelor’s degree. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,654 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 34.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Columbia to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Columbia University in the City of New York

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 international students list. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5,745 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of Southern California Report

3

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Northeastern University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for international students. Northeastern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 4,358 bachelor’s degrees 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Northeastern University

4

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Carnegie Mellon University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for international students. 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.

International students make up 37.1% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Carnegie Mellon to study.

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

Full Carnegie Mellon University Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Colleges for international students list. Located in Ithaca, New York, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 4,287 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 21.8% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, India, and Canada come to Cornell to study.

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

Read full report on Cornell University

6

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 3,499 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 19.5% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at UPenn come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Pennsylvania Report

7

Boston University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 4,788 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 24.6% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Boston U 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 92%.

Read full report on Boston University

8
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

Harvard University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,618 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 22.9% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at Harvard are China, Canada, and India.

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.

Full Harvard University Report

9

New York University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students list. Located in New York, New York, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 6,752 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 27.6% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to NYU to study.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read More…

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students ranking. This large public school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 9,144 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 13.9% are international. Students studying at U-M come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

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

Read full report on University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

11

University of California - Berkeley landed the #11 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 10,523 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 16.2% are international. Students studying at UC Berkeley come from such countries as China, South Korea, and India.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on University of California - Berkeley

12

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students. MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,249 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 29.1% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Canada come to MIT to study.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Report

13

Stanford University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students list. Located in Stanford, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1,511 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 23.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Stanford come from such countries as China, India, and Canada.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Stanford University Report

14
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC

Duke University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students ranking, coming in at #14. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 2,319 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 18.3% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Duke are China, India, and South Korea.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Duke University Report

15

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 10,102 students 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.

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

Full University of California - Los Angeles Report

16

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students ranking, coming in at #16. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9,305 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Around 19.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at UIUC 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 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

17

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Evanston, Illinois, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,722 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 16.3% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Northwestern are 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 full report on Northwestern University

18

With a ranking of #18, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 1,847 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 19.2% are international. Students studying at Johns Hopkins 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 More…

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2,163 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 26.6% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UChicago are China, India, and South Korea.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on University of Chicago

20

University of California - San Diego came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large public school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 9,086 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 21.4% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UCSD are China, India, and South Korea.

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

Read More…

21
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT

Yale University landed the #21 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 1,431 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 21.1% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Yale are China, Canada, and India.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read More…

22

Washington University in St Louis landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 2,441 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 21.0% are international. Students studying at WUSTL come from such countries as China, South Korea, and India.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Washington University in St Louis Report

23

University of Rochester ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Rochester, New York, and it awarded 2,035 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 30.3% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to University of Rochester to study.

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

Read More…

24

Princeton University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students ranking, coming in at #24. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,175 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 23.2% are international. Students from as far away as China, Canada, and India come to Princeton to study.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Princeton University Report

25

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students list. Located in Seattle, Washington, the large public school awarded 9,451 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

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

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Report

Rest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for International 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
Rice Crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
29
30
31
Michigan State Crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
32
33
UF Crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

34
Emory Crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

35
Brown Crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island
36
Georgetown Crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia
37
38
39
40
GWU Crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
41
42
43

44
Syracuse Crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York

45
46
NC State Crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
47
WPI Crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts
48
49
U Miami Crest
University of Miami
Coral Gables, Florida
50
Virginia Tech Crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

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
51University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
52University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
53University of DelawareNewark, DE
54University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN
55Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
56Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA
57Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
58Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA
59Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY
60Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA
61Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
62Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, NJ
63Babson CollegeWellesley, MA
64Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
65University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
RankCollegeLocation
66University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
67Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
68Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
69Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
70Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
71University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
72University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
73University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
74Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
75Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
76University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
77Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY
78Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
79Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA
80Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
81Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
82Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
83The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX
84Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
85University of IowaIowa City, IA
86University of DaytonDayton, OH
87William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
88Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
89Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
90Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA
RankCollegeLocation
91Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
92Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA
93University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
94Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
95Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
96Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
97Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RI
98American UniversityWashington, DC
99University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
100Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, PA
101University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
102Rose - Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, IN
103Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA
104Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
105Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
106Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
107Soka University of AmericaAliso Viejo, CA
108Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN
109Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
110University of DenverDenver, CO
111Clark UniversityWorcester, MA
112University of TulsaTulsa, OK
113Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, PA
114University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
115University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
RankCollegeLocation
116Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI
117Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, PA
118Williams CollegeWilliamstown, MA
119Amherst CollegeAmherst, MA
120University of OregonEugene, OR
121Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, MO
122Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
123Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
124Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO
125Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA
126Carleton CollegeNorthfield, MN
127University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, VA
128Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA
129Trinity CollegeHartford, CT
130DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
131Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
132George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
133Dickinson CollegeCarlisle, PA
134University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
135Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
136New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJ
137University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
138Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
139Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
140Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
RankCollegeLocation
141Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
142Texas Christian UniversityFort Worth, TX
143University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
144University of KansasLawrence, KS
145University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
146Union College New YorkSchenectady, NY
147Barnard CollegeNew York, NY
148Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA
149Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA
150Davidson CollegeDavidson, NC
151Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
152Harvey Mudd CollegeClaremont, CA
153Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
154DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
155University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
156Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH
157University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
158Bates CollegeLewiston, ME
159University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
160University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
161University of HoustonHouston, TX
162Pratt Institute - MainBrooklyn, NY
163Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA
164Colorado CollegeColorado Springs, CO
165Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
RankCollegeLocation
166University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
167Denison UniversityGranville, OH
168Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL
169Yeshiva UniversityNew York, NY
170St Olaf CollegeNorthfield, MN
171Clarkson UniversityPotsdam, NY
172Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
173Chapman UniversityOrange, CA
174Gettysburg CollegeGettysburg, PA
175University of VermontBurlington, VT
176Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
177Bowdoin CollegeBrunswick, ME
178University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
179Calvin UniversityGrand Rapids, MI
180Washington and Lee UniversityLexington, VA
181Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC
182Emerson CollegeBoston, MA
183Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, TX
184The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
185Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA

Honorable Mentions

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

RankCollegeLocation
186St Lawrence UniversityCanton, NY
187Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, GA
188University of the PacificStockton, CA
189University of Detroit MercyDetroit, MI
190Drake UniversityDes Moines, IA
191University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
192Connecticut CollegeNew London, CT
193Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY
194Fairfield UniversityFairfield, CT
195Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA
196The Juilliard SchoolNew York, NY
197Olin CollegeNeedham, MA
198College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA
199Hobart and William Smith CollegesGeneva, NY
200The New England Conservatory of MusicBoston, MA
RankCollegeLocation
201Creighton UniversityOmaha, NE
202Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA
203Whitman CollegeWalla Walla, WA
204Saint Joseph’s UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
205Kenyon CollegeGambier, OH
206Wheaton College IllinoisWheaton, IL
207Reed CollegePortland, OR
208The New SchoolNew York, NY
209Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL
210Pitzer CollegeClaremont, CA
211James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
212Willamette UniversitySalem, OR
213Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
214Scripps CollegeClaremont, CA
215Valparaiso UniversityValparaiso, IN
216San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
217University of Massachusetts - LowellLowell, MA
218The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL
219University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
220Centre CollegeDanville, KY
RankCollegeLocation
221University of KentuckyLexington, KY
222University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
223Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomington, IL
224St John’s CollegeAnnapolis, MD
225Principia CollegeElsah, IL
226School of Visual ArtsNew York, NY
227Gonzaga UniversitySpokane, WA
228California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
229Pennsylvania State University - Erie - Behrend CollegeErie, PA
230Milwaukee School of EngineeringMilwaukee, WI
231Ringling College of Art and DesignSarasota, FL
232Bryant UniversitySmithfield, RI
233Furman UniversityGreenville, SC
234Cleveland Institute of MusicCleveland, OH
235Pennsylvania State University - HarrisburgMiddletown, PA
236Marist CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
237Gustavus Adolphus CollegeSaint Peter, MN
238Adelphi UniversityGarden City, NY
239Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
240Bard CollegeAnnandale-On-Hudson, NY
RankCollegeLocation
241University of EvansvilleEvansville, IN
242The College of WoosterWooster, OH
243University of Health Sciences and PharmacySaint Louis, MO
244Elon UniversityElon, NC
245University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
246San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
247California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA

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.

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