The United States is home to some of the best universities in the world and is an obvious choice for any student who wants to study at the highest level. The list of fine educational establishments in the US just goes on and on. It has the second largest number of higher education institutions in the world, an average of 115 per state. The US also has the largest number of higher education students in the world.

Studying in the U.S allows international students to not only broaden their educational experience, but their cultural opportunities as well. In terms of student life, diversity and the standard of education, US universities tick all the boxes.

While a high level of education will be guaranteed, the facilities and lifestyle at a university are also an important factor, especially for international students who want the proper support to settle in at their new home. Here we look at campus life at 10 of the top universities in the US to help you make the right decision.

University of Iowa campus guide
The University of Iowa is a major national research university located on a 1,900-acre campus in Iowa City in southeast Iowa. More than 30,000 students enrol each year and international students from 104 countries make up 8 percent of the University’s enrolment. International students are supported by the university’s Office of International Students and Scholars and there are also some scholarships available to those coming from overseas. The huge array of students attending makes for an exciting and multicultural student life.

University of South Carolina campus guide
The University of South Carolina, in the heart of downtown Columbia, South Carolina, was founded in 1801 as South Carolina College. Since its 19th century creation, the university has expanded to include seven additional campuses across the Palmetto state, serving a combined 43,000 students of all levels with more than 300 programs of study. The central campus in Columbia originated with just 11 buildings that now form the historic Horseshoe, a U-shaped green recognized on the National Register of Historic Places that is the center of student activity. The Columbia campus has become home to over 28,000 students, both national and international.


New York University (NYU) campus guide
New York University (NYU) is unlike most major universities, as it doesn’t have a well-defined central campus. Instead, it occupies Washington Square and a few other corners of Greenwich Village in the heart of New York City. Today, it is the largest private university in the US, with 50,000 students enrolled. NYU opened in 1831 without any denominational affiliation – a rare feat in those days. It has grown into an authority on liberal arts education and operates 17 major colleges through its central campus. Esteemed students and faculty members at NYU are repeatedly recognized and awarded for their achievements. 


Purdue University campus guide
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana and is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University System. Purdue was founded in 1869 and enrolls the second largest student body of any university in Indiana and has one of the largest international student populations of any public university in the United States. Six percent of the full-time student body are international students, representing 123 countries.  


Cornell University campus guide
Cornell was founded in 1865 as a non-sectarian, coeducational institution where admission was awarded regardless of race or religion. It has gone on to become one of the most prestigious Ivy League universities in the US. The school was co-founded by Eztra Cornell, a senator who volunteered his farmland in Ithaca for the project. In its third year, the school admitted its first female students, setting an early precedent in promoting a diverse campus that values equality among students. The main campus is still in Ithaca, New York, where nearly 20,000 students are currently enrolled. The school offers traditional liberal arts course work, but it’s especially well-known for its programs in life sciences, hotel administration and engineering. 


University of Texas campus guide
The University of Texas in the city of Austin is a public college and research facility. It opened in 1883 near the state capitol building, and has gone on to become one of the nation’s leading public universities. It’s recognized as one of the eight “Public Ivy” institutions. More than 50,000 students are enrolled here, making this one of the best-attended universities in the nation when satellite campuses are ignored. Beyond its strong reputation for academic research and high enrollment, the University of Texas is also well-known in the college sports arena and has one of the most successful athletic programs in the nation.

University of Illinois campus guide
The University of Illinois campus near Urbana-Champaign is the founding school of the 18-member U-of-I network. It’s a prominent research facility with a well-known athletic programs and comprehensive student facilities.  Founded as the “Illinois Industrial University” in 1867, the school was initially slow to add liberal arts studies to its curricula. By 1885, the name changed to the “University of Illinois,” and the scope of disciplines broadened considerably. Today, more than 40,000 students are enrolled in Illinois’ leading state university. Some of the world’s most cutting-edge research is accomplished here, making the University of Illinois especially attractive to students pursuing a career in the sciences.  


Columbia University campus guide
Columbia University is a private Ivy-League university in New York City. The main campus in Morningside Heights, Manhattan was founded with a royal charter in 1754 as King’s College, making it one of the oldest and most distinguished universities in the US. There are more than 26,000 students enrolled at Columbia, well over half of which are post-graduates. Few universities can afford to be as selective as Columbia, but this university easily justifies its elitism by claiming more Nobel Peace Prize winners (faculty and alumni combined) than any other institution in the world. The prestigious Pulitzer Prize is also awarded by Columbia.  

University of Michigan campus guide
The University of Michigan is one of the leading public universities in the US. It was founded in the early 19th century in Ann Arbor, and has since added satellite campuses in the towns of Dearborn and Flint. Well over 40,000 students are enrolled, including 26,000 undergraduates.  This may be a public university, but it regularly receives the kind of accolades normally reserved for the Ivy League. It recently ranked in the top 20 universities worldwide, and 70 percent of the major programs here rank in the nation’s top 10 – a fact that boosts student demand and allows university administrators to be increasingly selective. 

University of Southern California (USC) campus guide
The University of Southern California (USC) is located in Los Angeles’ University Park. The oldest private university in California, USC opened in 1880 as a Methodist institution long before Los Angeles had electric lights or paved roads. In the past decade, the USC has risen through the ranks of universities in the US and boasts more than 33,000 enrolled students. It receives regular accolades for its high level of community involvement, excellent safety-and-security record and breakthroughs in research. In fact, the Princeton Review recently went so far as to rank USC as one of the top-10 ‘dream colleges’ in the US.