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2021 Best Colleges in the United States for Students from Pakistan

315 Colleges
$54,808 Avg Tuition & Fees*
79% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

Quality BadgeInternational students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Pakistani Students ranking is part of that endeavor.

Our analysis looked at 315 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for Pakistani 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.

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

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Our 2021 rankings named New York University the best school for Pakistani students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in New York, New York, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 6,752 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 27.6% are international. Students studying at NYU come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

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 full report on New York University

2

A rank of #2 on our list means Columbia University in the City of New York is a great place for Pakistani students working on their bachelor’s degree. 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.

Of the total number of students at the school, 34.9% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Columbia to study.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #3 on our 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani students list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,287 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 21.8% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Cornell are China, India, and Canada.

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 More…

4

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Northeastern University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Pakistani students. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 4,358 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 29.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Northeastern come from such countries as China, India, and Taiwan.

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

Read full report on Northeastern University

5

Out of the 315 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10,523 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 16.2% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at UC Berkeley are China, South Korea, and India.

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

Full University of California - Berkeley Report

6
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

With a ranking of #6, Harvard University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,618 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

International students make up 22.9% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, Canada, and India come to Harvard to study.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

7

Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #7 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani 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.

Around 29.1% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at MIT come from such countries as China, India, and Canada.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read More…

8

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking. This large public school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 10,333 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 8.6% are international. Students studying at USF Tampa come from such countries as India, China, and Saudi Arabia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Report

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Champaign, Illinois, the large public school handed out 9,305 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 19.2% are international. Students studying at UIUC 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 Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

10
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC

Duke University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,319 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 18.3% are international. Students studying at Duke come from such countries as 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.

Read More…

11

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking, coming in at #11. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,953 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 37.1% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Carnegie Mellon are China, India, and South Korea.

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

Full Carnegie Mellon University Report

12

University of Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,163 students in 2020-2021.

Around 26.6% of the total student population at the school is international. 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 More…

13

University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking, coming in at #13. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,499 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 19.5% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at UPenn are 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 University of Pennsylvania Report

14

University of Southern California came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 5,745 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 22.5% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at USC 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.

Full University of Southern California Report

15
Mt. Holyoke crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA

Mount Holyoke College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for Pakistani Students list. Mt. Holyoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 628 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 26.3% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Mt. Holyoke are China, Vietnam, and Pakistan.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Mount Holyoke College Report

16

With a ranking of #16, Boston University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani 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.

Of the total number of students at the school, 24.6% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Boston U to study.

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

Full Boston University Report

17

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 620 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 33.9% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Illinois Tech come from such countries as China, India, and Spain.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read More…

18

With a ranking of #18, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the large public school handed out 9,144 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 13.9% of the total student body at the school. 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 More…

19

Stanford University landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students. Located in Stanford, California, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,511 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 23.9% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Stanford are China, India, and Canada.

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 Stanford University Report

20

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Pakistani Students list. This large public school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 10,102 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 13.8% of the total student body at the school. 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.

Read More…

21

University of Rochester came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking. Located in Rochester, New York, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 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.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full University of Rochester Report

22
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT

Yale University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Pakistani Students ranking. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,431 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 21.1% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at Yale are China, Canada, and India.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

23

Princeton University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for Pakistani Students list. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,175 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 23.2% are international. Students studying at Princeton come from such countries as 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.

Full Princeton University Report

24

Dartmouth College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges for Pakistani Students list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1,384 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 15.6% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Dartmouth are China, India, and Canada.

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

Read full report on Dartmouth College

25
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI

Brown University landed the #25 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Pakistani Students. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, the fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,987 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 17.7% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Brown are China, India, and Canada.

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.

Full Brown University Report

Rest of the Top 15% Best Colleges for Pakistani students

Not only did these schools make the top 48 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Johns Hopkins Crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
27
28
Northwestern Crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
29
30
GWU Crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
31
WPI Crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts
32
33
Georgetown Crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

34

35
Rice Crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
36
37
Virginia Tech Crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
38
39
Vanderbilt Crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
40
Babson College Crest
Babson College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
41
42
Brandeis Crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts
43

44
Clark Crest
Clark University
Worcester, Massachusetts

45
46
Notre Dame Crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
47
University at Buffalo Crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
48

Honorable Mentions

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

RankCollegeLocation
49Rutgers University - New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ
50University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
51University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
52University of California - DavisDavis, CA
53University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
54Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY
55Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
56Pennsylvania State University - University ParkUniversity Park, PA
57University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
58University of DelawareNewark, DE
59University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
60DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
61University of HoustonHouston, TX
62Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
63Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
RankCollegeLocation

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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