What makes a college or university best for international students? There are five key conditions that create more supportive environments for students trying to acclimate themselves to life on a U.S. campus, according to rankings posted by Colleges of Distinction, a college search firm.
Those conditions cross the college-going spectrum, “from recruitment and arrival to academic success and career development,” the list contends. Here’s an overview of how schools were measured as best for international students:
1. Recruitment and retention offerings: Bridge or pathway programs that help students transition; multilingual virtual tours; specialized orientation programs for international students; access to online and in-person tutoring; and job fairs with companies that sponsor international student visas.
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2. Guidance on living and studying in the U.S.: “Top institutions provide workshops and webinars covering U.S. culture, immigration pathways and work authorization,” according to Colleges of Distinction. These schools also supply students with written guides on how to open a bank account, get a driver’s license and secure health insurance, among other essentials.
3. Academic acclimation and support: Key elements in this category are virtual office hours with professors, academic writing workshops, dedicated English language support, alumni networking events and an international student advisory board.
4. Fostering a sense of belonging on campus: This is created by robust international student organizations, peer mentorship programs, cultural festivals and online and in-person social events such as international week. These activities allow students to build community and celebrate their cultural identities.
5. Career development and immigration support: Schools should provide visa, immigration and tax assistance to students as well as personalized, 1-on-1 advising on graduation requirements and career options.
Best for international students, state by state
Here are the nearly 200 colleges and universities in 40 states that made Colleges of Distinction’s list of best schools for international students:
Alabama
- The University of Alabama
Arizona
- University of Arizona
Arkansas
- Harding University
- University of Arkansas
- University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
California
- California State University, Fullerton
- Harvey Mudd College
- Pepperdine University
- Pomona College
- San Francisco State University
- Santa Clara University
- University of California, Davis
- University of California, Irvine
- University of California, San Diego
- University of California, Santa Barbara
Colorado
- Colorado Christian University
- Regis University
- University of Colorado Boulder
Connecticut
- Albertus Magnus College
- Quinnipiac University
- University of Connecticut
- University of Hartford
- Wesleyan University
District of Columbia
- American University
Florida
- Flagler College
- Florida Institute of Technology
- Southeastern University
- Stetson University
- University of Miami
Georgia
- Georgia College
- Reinhardt University
Illinois
- Lewis University
- North Park University
- Olivet Nazarene University
- Trinity Christian College
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Indiana
- Anderson University
- Indiana University Bloomington
- Purdue University
- University of Notre Dame
Iowa
- Grinnell College
- St. Ambrose University
- University of Iowa
Kansas
- University of Kansas
Kentucky
- Centre College
- University of the Cumberlands
Louisiana
- Tulane University
Maine
- Bowdoin College
- University of Maine
Maryland
- University of Maryland
- Washington College
Massachusetts
- Boston College
- Boston University
- Dean College
- Suffolk University
- Wellesley College
- Westfield State University
Michigan
- Aquinas College
- Michigan State University
- University of Michigan
Minnesota
- St. Cloud State University
- University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Mississippi
- The University of Mississippi
Missouri
- Evangel University
- University of Missouri
- University of Missouri, Kansas City
- Washington University in St. Louis
Nebraska
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Wayne State College
New Hampshire
- Rivier University
New Jersey
- Caldwell University
- Monmouth University
- Ramapo College of New Jersey
- Rider University
- Rowan University
New York
- Adelphi University
- Daemen University
- Dominican University New York
- Fordham University
- Hamilton College
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- Le Moyne College
- Manhattanville University
- Nazareth University
- New York University
- SUNY Oneonta
- Stony Brook University
- Syracuse University
- University at Buffalo
- University of Rochester
- Vassar College
North Carolina
- Appalachian State University
- Barton College
- Davidson College
- Elon University
- Gardner-Webb University
- High Point University
- Meredith College
- North Carolina State University
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ohio
- Denison University
- Hiram College
- Kenyon College
- Miami University—Oxford
- Ohio Northern University
- The College of Wooster
- The Ohio State University
- University of Cincinnati
- Walsh University
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Christian University
- Southern Nazarene University
- University of Oklahoma
Oregon
- Eastern Oregon University
- University of Oregon
Pennsylvania
- Bucknell University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Dickinson College
- Elizabethtown College
- Franklin and Marshall College
- Geneva College
- Holy Family University
- La Roche University
- Lehigh University
- Messiah University
- Pennsylvania State University
- University of Pittsburgh
- Villanova University
- Widener University
- York College of Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
- Bryant University
- University of Rhode Island
South Carolina
- Clemson University
- Coastal Carolina University
- University of South Carolina
- University of South Carolina Aiken
South Dakota
- South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Tennessee
- Carson-Newman University
- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Texas
- Angelo State University
- Dallas Baptist University
- Hardin-Simmons University
- Rice University
- Southern Methodist University
- St. Mary’s University
- Texas Christian University
- The University of Texas at Austin
- The University of Texas at Dallas
- The University of Texas at San Antonio
- Trinity University
- University of the Incarnate Word
Utah
- Southern Utah University
Vermont
- University of Vermont
Virginia
- Bridgewater College
- Emory & Henry University
- Randolph College
- Roanoke College
- University of Richmond
- University of Virginia
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
- Washington and Lee University
- William & Mary
Washington
- Eastern Washington University
- University of Washington
- Washington State University
Wisconsin
- Carroll University
- St. Norbert College
- University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Wisconsin Lutheran College
