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It’s your first year at university, and on the morning before your 10 a.m. lecture, you decide to leave your apartment on a busy city street and head down to your favorite local café for an espresso, a croissant, and a chance to review your notes. You watch people head out on bikes and buses to work and school. It feels like a dream, though, because everyone around you isn’t speaking English. That’s because you attend an international college. 

Instead of studying abroad for only a semester or a year, you’ve decided that you want to make our dreamy example above a reality, and become a full-time international student at a university or college overseas. What factors should you consider when deciding where to apply, and what are the best international colleges (English-speaking and non-English speaking) that accept American students? Let’s dive in. 

Factors to Consider When Evaluating International Colleges

1) Language

What languages do you speak? If you’re looking at English-taught programs, that will restrict you slightly, but there are still plenty of great options that exist.  If you speak a second language, you open the door to endless possibilities in the countries where you’d like to study. 

If you’re searching for undergraduate programs in a specific language, you might start by searching for programs and fields of study that interest you at the universities in the countries where you’d like to live. 

2) Student Visas and Permits

If you want to study in a foreign country where you’re not a citizen, you’ll likely need to procure a student visa. Every country has different requirements, so you might also need to apply for that country’s version of a green card—a permit to stay—that will enable you to reside there legally. Note that speaking English doesn’t preclude anyone from needing a visa. 

The UK, , requires all non-UK citizens to have a student visa prior to entry. You’ll need to be accepted into a program in order to get the visa, and you won’t be able to apply until six months before your program starts. Student visas for undergraduate, degree-seeking programs in the UK are usually valid for five years. You can apply to renew the visa if you need more time, but the idea is that students finish their degree in that time. 

3) Travel

If you’ll be living in a foreign country, it’s worth thinking about: 

• How much it generally costs to travel back and forth from school to home
• How often you’ll want to travel home 
• What travel restrictions exist around your student visa 
• Where else you’ll want to travel, both inside and outside of your host country
• How much any additional travel will cost 

4) Culture Shock

Assuming you already speak the language you’ll want to study in, it’s worth thinking about a concept called “culture shock.” Culture shock is a well-studied sociological/psychological phenomenon that happens when people enter a new culture. Essentially, when you’re exposed to ways of life (even simple things) that you’re not used to and asked to live your life in those ways, you can feel confused, anxious, scared, or a whole host of other emotions. Although culture shock eventually makes way for cultural understanding, there can be a period of unexpected anxiety that might accompany your first year at a school abroad. 

To mitigate culture shock, it’s worth doing the following before you go:

• Plan out the support structures you’ll have in place.
• Engage with the culture of your new country. Movies, books, music, and other forms of art are great ways to do this. 
• Practice flexibility in your thinking.
• Be honest with yourself. How open are you to living your life in a different way? Do you want to give up some familiar things for a period of time while you study? Or will that get in the way of your work? 

In the end, there’s no right or wrong answer. Culture shock is definitely surmountable. But you should think about it before you decide to move your life overseas. 

5) Where You Want to Work after Graduation

Depending on where you study, it might make it harder (or easier) for you to find a job when you come back to the United States. If you don’t want to come back to the U.S. to work, where do you see yourself living and working? 

Depending on your future prospects, you should do some digging—talk to admissions counselors, former students, and potential employers. Find out how degrees from your prospective schools are interpreted, and evaluate whether your career goals align with your international interests.

Best International Colleges for US Students

Let’s dive into the best international colleges for US students. We’ll start with UK schools, followed by European and Asian colleges.

While these schools are presented here in a list, there’s really no “best” international college. The best college for you is the one that meets your needs and helps you reach your career and personal goals. A school “lower” on the list might appeal to you more—and why shouldn’t it? Don’t let the numbers get in your way! 

Best Colleges for US Students: United Kingdom

1) The Russell Group of Universities in the UK

The Russell Group is a self-selecting group of 24 public research universities located in the United Kingdom. They grouped themselves together in 1994 to better represent their mutual interests to the UK government. Attending one of these universities will put you in an English-speaking environment with a high level of academic achievement that is perfect for an aspiring international student. 

Because these are English-speaking universities, you can choose to major in whatever subject you choose without worrying about the language barrier. 

We’ll present the Russell Group universities in alphabetical order: 

Best Colleges for US Students: Europe

For students searching for opportunities outside of the United States and the United Kingdom, there are tons of options. 

All schools we have listed below have dedicated bachelor’s degree programs in English. Some of them, like Bocconi, even reserve a percentage of their seats in those English-speaking programs for international students. 

Both public and private universities in Western Europe want to attract international students. International students help to diversify the campus and bring connections to other parts of the world from which other students can benefit. 

It might seem a little intimidating to attend a private university in Europe, but oftentimes, even private university tuition can be more economical than American university tuition. Of course, that all depends on where you’re looking. But still, the fear of the price tag shouldn’t immediately dissuade you. Yes, you will pay for your degree, but you might find that it’s more affordable than you think. 

Additionally, if you’re dreaming of an international lifestyle, these schools can help you to find employment overseas. Universities like Aalto focus on post-graduation employment and encourage students seeking international connections to take internships and forge professional relationships in other countries. They also offer dual-university master’s degrees that can take your career to the next level and open doors for you in cities around the world. 

1)

With English-speaking bachelor’s degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences, as well as joint international degrees, Helsinki—the capital of Finland—might just be for you. 

2)

Aalto, located in Espoo, Finland, offers English-speaking programs in business, economics, science and technology, and art and design. 

3)

Lund has three campuses across Sweden and is a top-100 university in many international ranking systems. 

4)

Uppsala is a city near Stockholm, Sweden, offering international students access to all of Europe at Sweden’s first university. 

5)

Leiden University, located in the Netherlands, offers 16 different bachelor’s programs in English. 

6)

Established in Utrecht, Netherlands, in 1636, it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. 

7)

Bocconi, situated in Milan, Italy, reserves up to 55% of the seats in its English-speaking degree programs for international students. 

8)  

Located in Rome, Italy, LUISS is a private university that requires a US high school diploma to be accompanied by at least three AP course exams with scores between 3 and 5. 

9)

Located in Paris, France, this public research university has a 10% acceptance rate. 

10)

For students interested in STEM and entrepreneurship, TUM is an excellent option. There are : Aerospace, Chemical Engineering, Electronics and Data Engineering, Management and Data Science, Management and Technology, and Sustainable Management and Technology.

Looking for a non-STEM program? The DAAD has compiled in Germany that are English-only.

Best Colleges for US Students: Asia

Even if your ambitions don’t take you to Europe, you can still study outside of the United States. The following schools offer English-only programs in different countries in Asia. 

1)

Kyoto University in Japan offers an International Undergraduate Program (iUP) taught in both English and Japanese without any Japanese proficiency required. 

2)

Korea University, located in Seoul, offers dual degree, exchange, and master’s degree programs for international students. 

3) 

The National University of Singapore offers 60 different majors and 80 different minors. 

4) 

Hokkaido University in Japan offers an English Engineering Education (e3) program directed at English-speaking students who want to study in Japan. 

5) 

Top-ranked Tsinghua University in China offers 35 different graduate programs in English. 

6) 

Fudan University in China offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs in English for international students. 

7) 

If you know you want to go to China to study engineering, perhaps this program offered by SUES is exactly what you’re looking for.

Additional Resources – Best Colleges for International Students

• • 20 Best Computer Science Schools in Canada
  • 15 Best Business Schools in Canada
  • 15 Best Business Schools in Europe
  • Best Gap Year Programs