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2021 Best Colleges in the United States for Students from China

842 Colleges
$53,046 Avg Tuition & Fees*
76% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

Quality BadgeIt's not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for international students. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Colleges for Chinese Students ranking.

After analyzing 842 schools in the United States, we came up with our list of those that offered the best educational experiences for Chinese students. Our ranking methodology focuses a number of different objective factors - such as the overall quality of the school, number of total international students at the school, and the percentage of international students on campus - to make this determination.

Get more details on our ranking methodology.

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Top Colleges in the U.S. for Students from China

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Our 2021 rankings named Columbia University in the City of New York the best school for Chinese students working on their bachelor’s degree. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,654 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 34.9% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Columbia to study.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Report

2

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Southern California helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Chinese students. USC is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5,745 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Around 22.5% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at USC are China, India, and South Korea.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Southern California Report

3

Out of the 842 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northeastern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4,358 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 29.2% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Taiwan come to Northeastern to study.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northeastern University Report

4

A rank of #4 on our list means Carnegie Mellon University is a great place for Chinese students working on their bachelor’s degree. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,953 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 37.1% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Carnegie Mellon to study.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Carnegie Mellon University

5

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at New York University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for Chinese students. NYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6,752 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 27.6% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to NYU to study.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on New York University

6

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Chinese Students ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, the large public school handed out 9,305 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 19.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to UIUC to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Boston University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,788 students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 24.6% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Boston U come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read More…

8

Cornell University landed the #8 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 4,287 students in 2020-2021.

Around 21.8% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Canada come to Cornell to study.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

9

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students ranking, coming in at #9. Located in La Jolla, California, the large public school awarded 9,086 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 21.4% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at UCSD are China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on University of California - San Diego

10

University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Chinese Students ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 10,523 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 16.2% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at UC Berkeley are China, South Korea, and India.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Berkeley Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10,102 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Around 13.8% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at UCLA come from such countries as China, South Korea, and India.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read More…

12

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. This large public school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 9,144 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 13.9% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to U-M to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Report

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 3,499 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 19.5% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to UPenn to study.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full University of Pennsylvania Report

14

Johns Hopkins University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for Chinese Students list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 1,847 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 19.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Johns Hopkins come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Johns Hopkins University Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. Located in Irvine, California, the large public school handed out 9,882 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 18.4% are international. Students studying at UC Irvine come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on University of California - Irvine

16
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC

Duke University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Chinese Students list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,319 students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 18.3% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at Duke are China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Duke University

17

University of California - Davis landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. University of California - Davis is a large public school located in Davis, California that handed out 9,846 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 17.5% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UC Davis are China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on University of California - Davis

18

Washington University in St Louis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for Chinese Students list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,441 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 21.0% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, South Korea, and India come to WUSTL to study.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Washington University in St Louis

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9,451 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 16.2% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at UW Seattle come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on University of Washington - Seattle Campus

20

Michigan State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges for Chinese Students list. This large public school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 9,450 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 9.1% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Michigan State are China, South Korea, and India.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Michigan State University

21

Northwestern University landed the #21 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. Located in Evanston, Illinois, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 2,722 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 16.3% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Northwestern come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read More…

22

University of Rochester ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Chinese Students list. University of Rochester is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Rochester, New York. It awarded 2,035 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 30.3% are international. Students studying at University of Rochester come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

23

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #23 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the large public school awarded 9,926 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 13.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at UW - Madison come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on University of Wisconsin - Madison

24

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,163 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Around 26.6% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at UChicago are China, India, and South Korea.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Chicago Report

25

Stanford University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for Chinese Students ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 1,511 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 23.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Canada come to Stanford to study.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

Rest of the Top 50 Best Colleges for Chinese students

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Harvard Crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
28
GWU Crest
George Washington University
Washington, District of Columbia
29
30
31
32
Syracuse Crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
33

34
UCONN Crest
University of Connecticut
Storrs, Connecticut

35
36
37
38
39
40
Rice Crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas
41
Yale Crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
42
Rutgers New Brunswick Crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
43
Emory Crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

44
UF Crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

45
UD Crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware
46
47
Virginia Tech Crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
48
Brandeis Crest
Brandeis University
Waltham, Massachusetts
49
50
SUNY Stony Brook Crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Rest of the Top 15% Best Colleges in the United States for International Students

To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:

RankCollegeLocation
51Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
52Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC
53Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY
54North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
55University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL
56Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA
57The University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX
58University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
59University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY
60Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
61The University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX
62Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ
63Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA
64University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
65Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX
RankCollegeLocation
66Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA
67Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL
68Fordham UniversityBronx, NY
69Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
70Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN
71University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
72University of IowaIowa City, IA
73Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
74Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
75Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
76Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
77California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA
78University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN
79University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
80University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
81Tufts UniversityMedford, MA
82University of OregonEugene, OR
83Pepperdine UniversityMalibu, CA
84Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, NC
85University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO
86Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
87University of Nebraska - LincolnLincoln, NE
88Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
89Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA
90University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
RankCollegeLocation
91Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY
92Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA
93Rhode Island School of DesignProvidence, RI
94William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
95University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
96Santa Clara UniversitySanta Clara, CA
97George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA
98Clark UniversityWorcester, MA
99University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
100American UniversityWashington, DC
101University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
102University of DaytonDayton, OH
103University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
104Babson CollegeWellesley, MA
105University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
106University of DenverDenver, CO
107Pratt Institute - MainBrooklyn, NY
108Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
109University of KansasLawrence, KS
110University of Missouri - ColumbiaColumbia, MO
111Rose - Hulman Institute of TechnologyTerre Haute, IN
112University of TulsaTulsa, OK
113Savannah College of Art and DesignSavannah, GA
114University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
115New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJ
RankCollegeLocation
116Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL
117Colorado State University - Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO
118University of South Carolina - ColumbiaColumbia, SC
119Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, PA
120DePaul UniversityChicago, IL
121Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, MO
122University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnati, OH
123School of Visual ArtsNew York, NY
124Bryn Mawr CollegeBryn Mawr, PA
125Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI
126University of New Hampshire - Main CampusDurham, NH
127University of HoustonHouston, TX

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges for Chinese Students ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
128Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
129Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
130The New SchoolNew York, NY
131University of VermontBurlington, VT
132Pennsylvania State University - HarrisburgMiddletown, PA
133Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
134University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
135Hofstra UniversityHempstead, NY
136Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA
137Baylor UniversityWaco, TX
138Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
139Claremont McKenna CollegeClaremont, CA
140Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH
141Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, MN
142Colby CollegeWaterville, ME
RankCollegeLocation
143Grinnell CollegeGrinnell, IA
144Pennsylvania State University - Erie - Behrend CollegeErie, PA
145DePauw UniversityGreencastle, IN
146Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI
147Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY
148Carleton CollegeNorthfield, MN
149Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
150University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, VA
151Dickinson CollegeCarlisle, PA
152The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
153Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA
154Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
155Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO
156Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA
157Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
158University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
159Emerson CollegeBoston, MA
160Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA
161Adelphi UniversityGarden City, NY
162University at AlbanyAlbany, NY
RankCollegeLocation
163Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
164San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
165New York Institute of TechnologyOld Westbury, NY
166Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
167San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
168University of KentuckyLexington, KY
169Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA

More Rankings >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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