Studying in the United States
Photo: Flickr user: John Loo https://www.flickr.com/people/johnloo/, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
As home to many of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the world, the United States is one of the top destinations for students wishing to pursue an education abroad. Top schools in the U.S. include a group of eight of the world's most prestigious universities known as the "Ivy League", elite liberal arts colleges, and other institutions such as MIT and Stanford (see the touring guide for more info about individual top schools).
Almost all U.S. colleges and universities operate websites (in the .edu domain) with information for prospective students and other visitors. More than 1 million international students study in the United States.
Post-secondary institutionsInstitutions range from some of the world's most prestigious universities to many lower-ranked institutions whose quality of education may be questionable.
AccreditationUnlike in many other countries, there is no centralized governmental body which regulates the academic standards for university education, meaning that universities are by and large free to decide their own admissions…
ProgramsBachelor's degree programs in the U.S. are typically 4 years in length, and require a student to study a broad range of subjects, including several courses outside their chosen major, in order to graduate.
ApplyingThere is no centralized body which manages university applications, and you will need to apply directly to each institution you are interested in attending.
Student visasS. may be.
Costs and financial aidColleges are partially funded by tuition (UK: "tuition fees") charged to the student, which is often quite expensive, very commonly reaching into the tens of thousands of dollars per year.
Working while studyingUnless you have applied for and received special permission in advance, international students are not allowed to work off-campus in the United States.
SportsS. tend to get more attention than in other countries, with games between the top colleges often shown on television during prime time slots.
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Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Studying in the United States" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Flickr user: John Loo https://www.flickr.com/people/johnloo/, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons