Nowadays, when someone thinks about studying abroad, the only name that comes first in everyone's mind is The United States of America or the US. In recent years, it has become a popular destination for international students to pursue their higher studies. A flexible education system along with internship and career opportunities are the key aspects why aspirants choose to study in the US. Moreover, globally recognised degrees, cultural diversity, scholarships & financial aid, quality of education and a wide range of degree programmes have made it the dream destination of every student. A degree obtained from a US universities hold great importance globally.

Here's a list of top 5 universities in the USA :

5.Stanford University

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Stanford University, also known as, Leland Stanford Junior University is located in Stanford, California. It is a private university founded by Leland and Jane Stanford. The university has a single main campus which is located on the San Francisco peninsula and covers an area of 8180 acres. It is considered to be one of the largest university campuses in the United States.

The university also has an additional campus to support its mission of research and education which is located approximately a mile from downtown Redwood City and known as Stanford Redwood City campus.

The university campus is surrounded by the Santa Cruz mountains and the Pacific Ocean, featuring an artificial dry lake named Lake Lagunita.

This private university is well known for offering courses in the fields of Computer Science, Biology and Mechanical Engineering.

However, it also offers courses in the fields of Humanities & Sciences, Law, Business Administration & Management and Medicine. In addition to it, there are various types of part-time courses for international students. To get yourself enrolled into this university, you must require a GPA of 3.95 and an average SAT and ACT score of a minimum of 1500 and 35 respectively.

SAT or ACT scores are a must for those applying for fall intake. Applicants also have to submit a $90 application fee along with the Common Application.

Stanford University is considered to be one of the top universities in the United States, with the 2024-2025 QS World University Rankings of #6.

The university provides many types of financial aid and scholarships to its students such as Stanford University Scholarships, The Stanford Fund, Stanford Need-Basic Scholarships, Diversity and Inclusion Scholarships, The John and Elizabeth McCoy Scholarship, The Stanford Alumni Association Scholarships, The Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship, The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, The Stanford Graduate Fellowship (SGF), The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, The Stanford Law School Scholarships, The Stanford Graduate School of Business Fellowships and more.

4.Harvard University

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Harvard University is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded with the motto of "Veritas" in 1636, Harvard is the most popular university these days. This university has 3 main campuses situated in Cambridge, Allston and Boston. Harvard Yard, among the 3 campuses, is the historic centre of the university where nearly all the first-year students attend classes.

The other 2 main campuses are Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School, which support a diverse array of academic programmes and research initiatives. Harvard Graduate School of Design, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard Law School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health are additional campuses other than the main campuses.

It offers courses in various fields such as Computer Science, Bioengineering, Mechanical Engineering, Business Administration, Jurisprudence, Medicine & Health, Public Administration, Management and more. With an application fee of $85, students are also required to submit Common Application or Coalition Application, SAT or ACT scores, High school transcript, Secondary School Report, Mid-year School Report, Final School Report, Harvard supplement and optional supplementary materials.

Harvard is ranked #4 in the QS World University Rankings, 2024-2025. This ranking justifies the excellent education system of the university and its global recognition. It also offers a variety of scholarships including, Need-Based Scholarships, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Scholarships, Harvard Academy Scholars Program and External Scholarships.

The Graduate Fellowships include Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships and Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship.

3.Yale University

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Yale University is among the oldest institutes of higher education in the United States. It is located in New Haven Connecticut. It is a private research university with the motto "Light and truth". The university has only one main campus which is renowned for its architecture, rich culture and historic sites.

Yale School of Management and the Kline Biology Tower are also the centre of attractions. Yale has 14 residential colleges. It also offers athletic facilities such as Yale Bowl, Ingalls Rink, Payne Whitney Gymnasium, Yale Golf Course, Yale Tennis Complex, McNay Family Sailing Centre, Club and Intramural Sports.

Yale offers a variety of undergraduate courses in areas such as Literature, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics. There are graduate and professional courses offered in areas such as Law, Business Administration, Finance & Marketing, Drama, Architecture and others.

Along with it, there are many interdisciplinary programs, Environmental Studies, Global Affairs, Women's Gender & Sexuality Studies, Ethnicity, Race and Migration Studies. It requires an application fee of $80 for first-year and transfer applicants, and for graduate programs, it is $105.

According to QS World University Rankings, 2024-2025, Yale University is ranked #23 because of its excellent academic reputation and faculty.

It provides many different types of scholarships such as Yale College Dean's Scholarships, STARS Scholarship, Young Leaders (YL) Scholarship, Roberts W. Brokaw Free-Enterprise Scholarship, New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) Scholarship, Posen-Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Equity Leadership, Jess Morrow Johns Memorial Scholarship, Rosalind Elsie Franklin MBA/MD Scholarship and various other Donor-Funded Scholarships.

2.Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was established in 1861. It is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT is a private research university founded by William Barton Rogers. It has only one main campus located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which spans over 168 acres along the Charles River.

The campus features many historic and modern buildings, extensive research facilities and student housing. The campus is also quite accessible with public transport, making it easy for students to travel.

MIT offers a variety of undergraduate courses in areas such as Architecture, Aeronautics & Astronautics, Engineering, Linguistics & Philosophy, Business Analytics, Entrepreneurship & Innovation and Atmospheric & Planetary Sciences.

There are many types of graduate programs offered in the fields such as Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Engineering (MEng), Master of Architecture (MArch), and Master of Science (SM), moreover, PhD programs are also offered. Interdisciplinary programs are available in Artificial Intelligence & Decision Making, Bioinformatics, Computational Neuroscience and Environmental Policy & Planning. The university requires an application fee of $75 for first-year applicants and graduate programs it is $90.

MIT is ranked as the world's number #1 university in the QS World University Rankings, 2024-2025. This is the 13th consecutive year that MIT held this top position.

Because of its academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student-to-faculty ratio and other aspects, MIT has attained this position. It offers many scholarships to the students, including

BAMIT Community Advancement Program and Fund, First Year Grant, Federal and State Grants, Private Scholarships and MIT Scholarships. To claim the MIT scholarships, aspirants must complete a financial aid application and the CSS profile. In case, they have received an external scholarship, they need to submit an outside award reply form.

1. Princeton University

Virtual tour

Princeton University is a private research university established in 1746. It is located in Princeton, New Jersey. It has one main campus, which is located in Princeton and is referred to as "Princeton's Campus." It spans over an area of 600 acres and features many historic buildings.

The centre of attraction of the campus is Lake Carnegie, a man-made lake offering many recreational opportunities. The university also offers a Firestone library which has a vast collection of manuscripts and books. There's also an Art Museum, which features many cultures and hosts exhibitions & events.

Princeton University offers 36 academic departments and programs which include, Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Engineering and Interdisciplinary Programs in varied fields like African American Studies, Environmental Studies, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Neuroscience and Latin American Studies. There are various graduate programs as well. The university requires an application fee of $70.

According to the QS World University Rankings 2024-25, Princeton University is ranked #22. It also offers various scholarships such as Need-Based Financial Aid, Princeton Financial Aid Program, Scholarships for Graduate Students and External Scholarships.

To claim these scholarships a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit the CSS profile. Also, they have to provide any additional information or documentation, if asked.

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