US universities are considered prestigious. 70 out of 100 universities in the QS World University Ranking are based in the US. See below to learn about tuition costs, admission, and the disadvantages of the American system.
US universities are consistently included into the world’s top 100 rankings and continue to take up the first lines[1].
Status comes at a price, and not a small one. The average cost of a Bachelor's degree in the US is 30,000 USD per year. Status also draws in talented applicants from all over the world that dream of studying at American universities. Therefore, competition to enter universities is very high.
In this article, we’ll tell you more about different universities in the US, explain the admission process, and give an overview of the study process and extracurriculars.
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Ranking and reputation. No matter what international ranking you consider, American universities will definitely be on the top. QS 2024 included 70 universities from the US into the world’s top 100[1], with MIT taking the first place. THE includes 34 US universities into the top 100[2].
Cultural diversity. Nearly one million international students attended US universities and colleges in 2022[3]. In some universities, the number of foreign students reaches 30% of the total number of students[4].
Flexible learning process. Imagine that you could exchange your physics lessons for theater classes if you’re planning to study theater at university? This is the reality of American universities. Students here make their own schedule and choose the courses that are most interesting to them.
Research opportunities. The US invests 2 billion dollars into scientific research annually[5]. Many universities in the country have research laboratories with modern equipment. For example, Boston University has 45 laboratories: from chemical and biology to computer science for data analysis[6]. Moreover, American universities actively involve students in scientific activities. The same Boston allocates money to bachelors for research[6].
Disadvantages of US universities
Price. It is a considerable drawback. The average annual cost of a bachelor's degree in the USA is 30,000 USD. This is one of the most pressing problems in American society. People start saving for college right from the moment of having a child, and students get a student loan to fund their studies. The total amount of student debt in the United States in 2023 is 2 USD billion[7].
Competition and acceptance rate. Many school graduates from all over the world dream of studying in the USA. Therefore, admission to American universities is incredibly competitive. Only 5-10% of applicants are admitted to top universities such as the Ivy League. For lower costs, apply to lesser-known universities or a community college. In any case, submit several applications to different types of universities to maximize your chances of admission.
Workload and stress. Almost 56% of US students experience chronic stress[8]. Students struggle with high academic workload and adaptation to an independent college life. International students also have the stress of a language barrier. There is usually a mental health counselor on campus to help students, as well as various clubs and activities to help coping with stress[9].
The universities of the US do not offer free education. Both public and private universities charge a fee from every student. However, there are still ways to study cost-efficiently, and the way of doing so is through scholarships.
There are two scholarship options:
Need-based — financial assistance for students from low-income families.
Merit-based — scholarships granted for achievements and talents.
Merit-based scholarships are more or less straightforward: the student has to demonstrate their academic achievements, such as good grades, won competitions or completed projects.
The amount of payments depends on the university. The University of Iowa, for example, pays up to 10,000 USD per year, which covers 40% of the education costs[10]. The Curtis Institute of Music grants all its talented students an opportunity to study for free[11]. Yet, this is rather an exception. The most common option for this type of scholarship is a study cost discount of up to 30%.
Need-based scholarships are awarded to students whose income is below a certain level. To study completely for free, one generally needs to have a family income below 60,000 USD per year, or less than 160,000 USD per year in some cases[12]. That is, if you get through tough competition, the university will pay for your studies (and sometimes for room and board too).
We always advise you not to solely rely on a scholarship and choose universities that you can afford. Low cost options are available even in the US. Apply to them, too, and increase your chances of admission. This way, you can avoid an unfortunate situation of being accepted to your dream university but not granted a scholarship, so you cannot pay for your studies.
List of the most affordable universities in the USA
Higher education in the US can be overall divided into two major groups: colleges and universities.
US colleges
Colleges in the USA provide higher education. High school graduates can enter a college. There are two different types of a college:
Two-year colleges (community / junior colleges) are autonomous institutions. Mostly applied degrees are taught here. Upon completing your studies, you will receive an associate degree.
Four-year colleges (liberal arts colleges) can be independent, or can be a part of a larger university. Academically, they provide the same qualification as a bachelor’s degree from any other university.
Four-year colleges are very similar to universities and offer the same qualifications. The cost might be lower than at a university, and due to a possibly small size of a college you will receive more attention from your professors. However, while these benefits are possible, they are not guaranteed. Unless you have a special interest in a liberal arts college, it is better to choose a university. It is also important if you are planning a career in academia: master’s and PhD are rare in colleges.
Two-year community colleges are one of the unique features of education in the United States. We will discuss them in more detail.
Usually community colleges offer applied degrees: an education that will allow you to find a job quickly. The training is conducted in two years. Upon completion, students receive an Associate's degree and the opportunity to work in junior positions.
Interestingly, after two years of community college you can enroll into the 3rd year of a "regular" bachelor’s degree at a university. For this reason, many colleges offer a separate type of degree: Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT).
While this may sound like a complicated pathway to getting an education, it has its benefits.
First, community colleges are cheaper than four-year colleges and significantly cheaper than universities. For example, studying at Craven costs 4,288 USD per year[13], and studying at Foothill College costs 11,510 USD[14].
Secondly, the entry requirements and competition are lower. Even if you decide to transfer to a university later on, you will not have to take TOEFL or SAT. If your grades are good and your college has a partnership agreement with the university, you can easily soon become a university student.
An important note
We advise you not to consider community colleges as the one and only option for studying in the USA if you are a foreigner. First of all, you may face difficulties with visa processing. For instance, if your high school grades are excellent, but you chose a small low-ranking college for your studies, your immigration officer could find it suspicious. They might think that your intention is to drop out of college and remain in the US illegally.
Attending a community college could also affect your employability. Statistics show that 4% of community college graduates face unemployment, compared to 2% of bachelor’s graduates[15]. The average salary of associate degree holders is 938 USD per week, which is lower than 1,305 USD per week that bachelor’s degree holders make[15].
Universities in the USA are larger educational institutions. They offer any type of a degree, from bachelor's to PhD.
Universities can be private or public. Both charge fees for education.
Public universities receive money from the state in which they are located. This is why they are cheaper for students who come from the same state. Out-of-state students have to pay more; this group also includes international students.
Private universities do not rely on state sponsorship. They are funded by donations from sponsors and student fees. Study fees here are the same for everyone, including foreigners.
There are two types of private universities: for-profit and nonprofit. Nonprofits spend their entire funding on education costs, while for-profits invest more in their development and marketing.
We will explain this system in more detail below.
Universities offer all types of degrees from bachelor’s to PhD. This happens in different departments of a university:
College is a part of a university that prepares bachelors, therefore offering four-year programs.
Graduate school offers master's and PhD programs.
Professional school combines master's and PhD programs for some fields. Professional schools include Medicine, Nursing, Business, Engineering, and Law schools.
A prerequisite for obtaining a student visa is enrollment in one of the accredited institutions: a SEVP-certified school.
Entry requirements to the US universities vary by institution. We covered the process of admission to US universities in a separate article. Here, we will discuss the key points.
The US does not have a single application system such as UCAS in the UK or uni-assist in Germany. However, there is Common App, an application form for admission accepted by over 800 universities. The student enters complete information about themselves into the application. This includes their education, exam scores, any proven achievements, and an essay, which is the applicant’s chance to showcase their personality.
US universities accept documents for admission in several stages:
Early admission is usually held mid-September to early December. During this period, the competition is lower. You also get a head start on finding scholarships and thoroughly preparing for your visa interview. Early admission is divided into three further steps:
Early decision is when you send documents to only one university. If you are accepted, you will no longer be able to apply to other universities.
Single choiceearly action is where you also submit one application. However, even with a positive decision, you can try your luck at another university during the regular admission period.
Early action provides complete freedom of action. You can submit multiple applications and try again if you don’t get accepted.
Regular admission takes place from December to February. During this period, the largest number of applications are considered and competition skyrockets.
Rolling admission is the process that happens all year round.Universities accept applications and enroll successful candidates when a spot in the program becomes available. This is an additional opportunity for those who were unable to apply in previous periods. However, if you plan to apply for a scholarship, rolling admission is not an option. The scholarship program may already be closed by the time you apply to a university, and you will be left without funding.
I recently helped a young man with US citizenship apply to a university. His father called me and asked me to help his son get into a university as quickly as possible. The young man was finishing his second semester of his studies in English at the Financial Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation. When we started choosing universities, it turned out that one of the options was the University of Massachusetts, the place where I studied. What’s even more interesting is that this is where his dad studied, too.
We were faced with a challenge: there was only a week left before the application deadline, and some places had already stopped accepting documents. I called the universities and managed to arrange for them to wait for us. Everyone was very understanding and willing to accept our application even after the deadline. We prepared all the documents in just a week. The student was admitted to his place of choice in this remarkably short time period.
This is a story about always trying to negotiate. After all, the people of the admissions committee are regular people who can actually help if you ask them to. Many people underestimate the importance of communication with a university, and this case shows just how communication can change the course of your admission process.
Irina KavokinaEducation abroad expert
To apply to a US university, you have to get your graduation certificate or diploma legally recognized. This is usually done by the university itself, but in some cases you can contact independent organizations such as WES, ECE.
After confirming the study application, the university enters your data into a special database SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System). This database entry serves as the grounds for applying for a student visa[16]. The selected university must be a part of SEVP-certified schools.
Required documents
For admission to the preparation program such as Pathway or Pre-Master’s:
High school / bachelor’s diploma
TOEFL iBT 52-69 or IELTS 5.0-5.5. If your language level is below the requirements, you may be offered to take an additional language module as a part of the preparation program.
Study process in US universities is based on units, which is what credits are in European universities. To successfully complete a bachelor's degree, you need to complete 120-180 units[17], and 30-40 for a master's degree[18].
Students of the US universities choose their subjects themselves and make their own schedule. They have a major, which is the primary study focus, and a minor, an additional specialization that generally complements the major. For example, someone majoring in journalism can take a minor in film to work as a film critic in the future. A student will still have compulsory core courses, which in this case will be the fundamentals of journalism and film history.
Some US colleges also have compulsory core curriculum courses with a broader focus. For example, core curriculum courses at the American University include natural science research, ethics, and sociology and history[19]. Students must complete these courses to get a degree.
Author’s experience
I studied in Russia, but my university followed the American system. I majored in Economics and took most of the courses related to this discipline. Still, we had general education disciplines, called "breadth of education."
This breadth included biology, physics, higher mathematics, history, rhetoric and philosophy, all of which were compulsory. For example, as part of the history block I took a course on US politics and history. I still remember heated discussions about the problems of American society and business that we had.
This way, the program aimed to help us develop our critical thinking and comprehensive understanding of the world. It seems to have worked; now, I know a lot about how the world works and can critically analyze any challenge or global issue.
At the end of each semester and academic year, students have final exams, or finals. Intermediate tests, or midterms, are held in the middle of a semester.
Classes are more often held in the format of seminars and discussions, with lesser lectures. This approach allows students to better understand the material and develop critical thinking. Classes for degrees related to Economics, Business, and Sociology often use case studies that task students to solve a real life problem or analyze a recent example of a famous business deal.
Universities particularly value independent work. A study unit consists of three hours of work, with only one of them allocated to class work. Two hours must be devoted to independently studying the material.
A student’s initiative, creativity and the ability to generate ideas is also highly valued. Even as long ago as in the 30s, Stanford encouraged the entrepreneurial spirit of its students. As a result, Google, Yahoo, Netflix and other companies were created on its grounds. Then, a whole community of IT companies and startups has formed near the campus. You know what we’re talking about, do you? Of course, it was the legendary Silicon Valley[20].
Главный корпус Массачусетского технологического института
Traditionally, sports are an important part of the students’ life. Even the legendary Ivy League was originally an association of football teams[21]. Now almost all US universities have their own student sports team: golf, rugby, baseball or even hockey.
This is only a tiny drop in the ocean of activities that are available to students at the US universities. Students of Dartmouth College go hiking in the Appalachians, students of MIT make chocolate, and students of Alaska Pacific University play billiards. Creative individuals can join a theater club, a music band or an orchestra. There are book clubs, cooking clubs, movie watchers’ and debate clubs, and much more.
Everyone can find something to their liking and will get a chance to share their interests with the others.
The most famous student associations in the United States are sororities and fraternities. As the name suggests, members of these communities are like family to each other and usually all live together in a separate building. The main purpose of fraternities and sororities is to help each other during school and later in life. In addition, community members participate in social activities, volunteering and charity[22].
These communities usually have strict rules and are not easy to join. The process of "initiation" into sororities and fraternities is a whole ceremony with various tests and oaths. “The Social Network” by David Fincher shows an example of such initiation. Now, most states have laws against hazing.