Best for international students: Which colleges ranked the highest?

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
Matt Zalaznick
Matt Zalaznick
Matt Zalaznick is the managing editor of University Business and a life-long journalist. Prior to writing for University Business, he worked in daily news all over the country, from the NYC suburbs to the Rocky Mountains, Silicon Valley and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He's also in a band.

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