There are many factors to consider when deciding what university you want to attend. Our goal is to help you find universities in the USA that best match your academic background, educational goals and personal achievements. We will help you secure conditional admission before you leave your home country. Only through ELS do you have so many choices to continue your higher education in the USA.
You can apply for admission into a US college/university, with each institution using varying levels of selectivity and admission standards. US institutions are uniquely diverse. Universities in the USA can be public or private, and have varying student populations, type of degrees, cost and location.
Start by finding information about Degree Options, and Type of Higher Education Institutions in the USA that meet your needs.
College/University Types
In America, there are three main types of colleges and universities. Each one provides a unique set of benefits and they are designed to meet the specific needs of students.
Liberal Arts College
A liberal arts college places primary emphasis on undergraduate study and offers exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, from the sciences to the humanities. Its curriculum is intended to foster general knowledge and develop students’ overall intellectual capacities, rather than prepare them for a specific profession.Liberal arts colleges can be either public or private.
Public Universities
Public universities, often referred to as state universities, receive most of their funding from the state and/or federal government, although tuition revenue and private funding also contribute to their support. Faculty research grants offer tremendous research opportunities for students. In general, public universities cost less than private ones, and often have statewide admission requirements.
Private Universities
Unlike public universities, private universities receive no governmental financial support, but instead are funded through alumni donations, faculty research grants and tuition fees. Technological resources, research facilities and small class sizes are major reasons students choose them.
ELS will help you decide what type of university is best for you. Once you have determined the type of university you want to attend, the next step is the Admissions Process.
College Rankings
There is no official list of the top 10, 20, 50 or even 100 universities in the United States, nor does the US government rank universities. Annually, there are many magazines and guidebooks published that contain subjective college "rankings." These unofficial rankings may categorize colleges/universities by location or by academic area of study (Engineering, Computer Science or Business, for example). They may also divide them into "regional" or "national" categories. In some rankings, academic standards and general reputation are not always the key factors being considered.
If you are a student using ranking indices to identify a suitable target university, make sure you check the criteria being used to establish the ranking list and compare it to your own personal study goals. Published rankings of universities in the USA, although unofficial, can be a good starting point in the college search. The college experience consists of intangible experiences that far exceed numbers alone. A ranking index is only one of several tools that help you find the school that meets your academic and social needs. Popular ranking indices in the USA include: U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges," Fiske Guide to Colleges, Barron's, and Peterson's.