Touring prestigious and notable universities in the U.S.

Many foreign visitors to the United States, especially those with pre-college-age children thinking about studying abroad, are interested in touring its famous universities and colleges. This article is a short overview of university tourism in the U.S., focused on the nation's most prestigious research and educational institutions as well as the most notable and historic campuses.

For more detailed information about visiting the individual schools here, you will find extensive information for visitors on their own websites, which should be considered the most up-to-date source of information, as well as the linked Wikivoyage city articles.

The Ivy League, which you will often hear Americans discussing, refers to a group of 8 prestigious private universities on the East Coast: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Princeton, Penn and Yale. While officially a sports confederation, all members are also considered academically to be among the most prestigious universities in the world. However, not all prestigious universities in the United States are members of the Ivy League, and there are non-Ivy League universities like MIT and Stanford which rank alongside them.

The top American liberal arts colleges, including Amherst, Swarthmore, Pomona, Wellesley, and Williams, are smaller than the Ivies and cater exclusively to undergraduates. They are not as well-known, but don't be fooled — they're just as hard to get into and equally respected among American elites, and many experts believe they offer a better, more intimate educational experience. Additionally, there are some specialized schools (particularly at the graduate level), such as Curtis and Juilliard for music, that are considered the premier choice within their domain but are not covered here.