Want to Study in the US? Here are the Top Best Schools in the US

The United States is home to approximately 5300 colleges and universities with over 150 of them in the QS world university rankings. The American Higher Education System is ranked as one of the highest education systems in the world and favorably sought-after globally this can be evidenced by the hundred-thousands of international students migrating to the US for education every year. 

According to Premium Times, 14,438 Nigerians enrolled for education in the US in 2022 as against 12,860 recorded in 2021, this is a 12.3% increase from the previous year.

The key reasons for more Nigerians immigrating to the US for education are mainly higher standard of education, social & interactive life, scholarships, cheaper tuition fees, employability, cultural diversity, etc. the most popular states for Nigerian international students are mainly New York, California, Texas, Arizona, Washington D.C, and Florida.

What are the Main Criteria for getting into these high-ranking United States colleges and universities? 

• Good grades from previous educational institutions.
• Adequate financial support either by scholarships or financial aid or personal funding.
• Well-completed coursework.
• Proof of English proficiency such as TOEFL and IELTS.
• Good entrance scores on SAT, GRE, or GMAT.
• A properly written statement of purpose.
• Reference letters.

Top United States Colleges and Universities for You

1. Harvard University: Harvard is the best-known university in the world ranking number two in the QS 2015 university rankings. Harvard University is a prestigious Ivy League research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, known for its rigorous academic programs and distinguished faculty. Harvard University is a prestigious Ivy League research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, known for its rigorous academic programs, distinguished faculty, and numerous perks including a diverse and intellectually stimulating community, access to world-class libraries and resources, and a rich cultural and social life in the Boston metropolitan area.

Programmes Link: https://www.harvard.edu/programs/

Admission Link: https://college.harvard.edu/admissions/apply

2. Princeton University: Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, known for its strong undergraduate liberal arts programs, renowned graduate schools, and highly selective admissions process.

Programmes link: https://www.princeton.edu/academics/areas-of-study

Admission Link: https://www.princeton.edu/admission-aid/international-students

3. Stanford University: Stanford University is a private research university located in Stanford, California, known for its beautiful campus, strong academic programs, cutting-edge research, and numerous perks including a low student-to-faculty ratio, access to technology and resources, and sunny location in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Programmes Link: https://www.stanford.edu/list/academic/

Admission Link:https://admission.stanford.edu/apply/international/index.html

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: This is ranked number one globally; it operates a polytechnic style of education with a strong entrepreneurial culture. 

This institution’s notable alumni are tech founders such as Intel and Dropbox, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, etc. It is quite selective in admissions but boasts of 33% of its 11,000 students being international. Their top fields of study are physical sciences, social sciences, technology, engineering, arts, and humanities.

Programmes Link:https://www.mit.edu/education/schools-and-departments/

Admission Link: https://www.mit.edu/admissions-aid/

5. The University of California Berkeley: UCB is one of the oldest top ten public research universities in the US founded in 1868, with three national laboratories at its disposal. UCB is rated by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings as one of six universities that lead in world reputation rankings in 2016.  

Programmes Link: https://www.berkeley.edu/atoz/dept/

6. University of California Los Angeles: UCLA is also a public research university in the Westwood district of Los Angeles, the university is divided into five undergraduate colleges, seven professional schools, and four professional health science schools.

Programmes Link: https://grad.ucla.edu/

Admission Link: https://www.ucla.edu/admission/international-applicants

7. New York University: This is one of the most popular schools in the US, especially amongst the art inclined. It was founded in 1831 to enlarge the scope of higher education; it is a private, nonsectarian American research university. Its academic structure includes thirteen schools, colleges, and divisions at the five major centers in Manhattan.

Programmes Link: https://www.nyu.edu/academics/academic-programs.html

Admission Link: https://www.nyu.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/how-to-apply/international-applicants.html

8. University of Texas at Austin: This is a world-class university with a great education and learning facilities. According to Wikipedia, it boasts a very diverse culture in its 50,950 student population, with international students ranking at about 20.1% of its student body.

Programmes Link: https://www.utexas.edu/academics/areas-of-study

Admission Link: https://admissions.utexas.edu/apply

9. John Hopkins University: This is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. The university has a series of faculties and colleges such as the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Whiting School of Engineering, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Peabody Institute, the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, the Carey Business School, the education school, an Applied Physics Laboratory, a medical school, and a nursing school, etc.

Programmes Link: https://www.jhu.edu/academics/graduate-studies/

Admission Link: https://www.jhu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions/

10. Arizona State University: This is a public metropolitan university with large student enrollment statistics. The Carnegie Foundation ranked ASU as a research university with high research activity in the U.S. based on innovations, development, expenditures, patents awards, and research grant proposals.

Programmes Link: https://degrees.apps.asu.edu/masters-phd

Admission Link: https://admission.asu.edu/international

11. Howard University Washington D.C: This is a federally chartered, private, a nonsectarian university which is located in Washington, D.C. It is also ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with high research activity. The university boasts of graduate schools in business, engineering, pharmacy, law, social work, education, communications, art, science, divinity, dentistry, and medicine.

Programmes Link: https://howard.edu/fields-of-study

Admission Link: https://admission.howard.edu/undergraduate/intl-first-year

12. University of Illinois at Chicago: This is one of the most culturally diverse universities in the US with about 27,000 thousand students and a variety of fraternities. It is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university also, and it is especially strong in the field of medicine and athletics.

Programmes Link: https://www.uic.edu/academics/programs-of-study/

Admission Link: https://admissions.uic.edu/apply-now

13. Florida State University in Tallahassee: Florida is a culturally diverse state with its many beaches, and social and party life, so it’s no wonder this is a favorite amongst Nigerian students. Florida State is ranked as one of the top 25 research universities in the US with innovative research in high magnetic fields, anti-cancer drugs (Taxol), and supercomputers. Its academics are divided into 16 colleges with more than 110 centers, facilities, 129 undergraduate majors, and 231 graduate degrees.

Programmes Link: https://gradschool.fsu.edu/academics-research/degree-programs/masters-degree-programs

Admissions Link: https://admissions.fsu.edu/international/