Institution Types
State/Public Uni
Common
Private Uni
Common
Undergraduate Only
Lots of options
Junior College
Lots of Options
Arts Schools
Lots of Options
Business Schools
Very Few who teach undergraduates
American Schools
N/A
Research Focused
Lots of options
Teaching Focused
Lots of Options
Good to Know
The USA has both public / state universities and private universities. They are one of the few countries to still have single sex institutions, there are also institutions with strong religious affiliations
Bachelor Degrees are taught at both Liberal Arts Colleges, where the majority, if not all students are undergraduates and at Universities which vary in size but which all have graduate students studying there as well.
For most applications you will be applying to the institution and giving an indication of the range majors you are interested in, rather than applying to a specific major or school. Although there are some notable exceptions to this including NYU. There are also some honours programs which require you to apply to them specifically, there are others that you can't apply to until year 1 or 2 of your degree.
American schools do not have an equivalent end of high school qualification to the IB. For this reason, entry to university is more holistic and includes both GPA, which is your average grades on your transcripts for the 4 years prior to starting university, and may include admissions tests such as SAT and ACT. The global pandemic has pushed many institutions to suspend or remove their admissions tests requirements.
Degrees are taught in English and if this is not your native language you will need to meet the language proficiency requirements.
Degree Length
Standard Degrees are 4 years
You may be able to complete your degree earlier if you score highly in the IB and your university awards you advanced credits for your IB grades
There are some options to combine your undergraduate and professional degree into an accelerated degree e.g. 3+2 or 3+3
Education Model
Undergraduate Degrees are almost all Liberal Arts and Science models but within that there is a huge range of structures, particularly in what 'core' or 'General Education' Requirements there are.
It is possible to study both 2 year and 4 year degrees. The 2 year is known as an associate degree and is normally taught at a Junior or Community College. The 4 year degree is the Bachelors degree, equivalent to undergraduate degrees around the rest of the globe.
Gap Years
Gap Years are very common in the USA. You can either apply during IB 2 and then once you have been made your offers request deferral, or apply during your Gap Year. You will need to have a plan for what you intend to use your gap year for, but it doesn't need to be directly relevant to the major you are considering pursuing.
Placements
Co-op is the term most often used for placement options within degrees in the USA. They are usually 3-6 months in length and institutions that offer them generally allow you to complete more than one during your degree for academic credit.
Application Process
Applications can be made via Common App, Coalition, State Systems, Direct application forms and Concourse. Some universities accept more than one of these application routes.
Most applications require multiple pieces of writing with the exception of those via Concourse. These are likely to cover who you are as a person, your values, your experiences, your activities, why you've chosen the institution and possibly why you want to study the subjects you have indicated
100-180 hours for 6 applications depending on how many different systems you use and the amount of writing for each one (excluding research time)
IB students start working on their first essay in March of IB 1 and students register on Common App and the UCal system in April of IB1.
Early Decision/Application deadlines are in November and we advise students to submit at least their top choices by 1 Nov and aim to submit all applications before the start of the winter break.
Any International College students interested in applying to the USA would need to speak to us for support as soon as they arrive in college.
The majority of St. Clare's students submit most of their applications via Common App. The second most common system being the University of California Application system.
For Common App, Coalition and most state systems, you complete 1 application form with 1 or more central essays that go to each institution you apply to. Individual institutions or specific honours courses, may then require you to submit supplemental writing or essays alongside this. It may also be required, or advisable to complete an alumni interview as part of your process. You should not underestimate how important the writing is in USA applications, especially for competitive courses.
Applications to 2-year colleges are most likely to be direct.
It is important to be aware that all USA applications require the submission of financial documentation from your parents regardless of whether you want to apply for aid/scholarships.
Grade Conversion
Research Resources
BigFuture
Explore Options
Big Future is a search and comparison site from CollegeBoard and reliably has all courses and institution on it. You can search by a very large number of factors and order the results on an equally large range of priorities.
You can search by those institutions that offer need based financial aid. This will not bring up those institutions that only offer scholarships based on merit to international students.
Costs
The cost of University tuition in the USA is dependent on your citizenship, residency and the state the university is in. Universities are then free to set their own fee rates, so they do vary by tens of thousands of dollars a year.
You should check universities own tuition and finance pages for exact figures.
In-State fees are normally the lowest fee rate and are for USA citizens resident in the same state as the institution
Out of state fees are more and this is for USA Citizens who live in a different state. These are often the same level as International fees and if there isn't a separate international fee rate listed, you might find the institution classes out of state and international at the same fee rate.
Private institutions tend to be more expensive than State universities and the more desirable locations where land is more expensive, also tend to have higher tuition fees.
Fee rates vary a lot, as do the finance awarded to support students, which means that on search and comparison sites you will often see the 'average' tuition fee after financial awards, this is NOT a good guide as to what you are likely to pay as an international student.
USA institutions often roll living costs in with the tuition costs on the finance pages and living costs can also vary a lot by location and institution.
Funding
The USA government offers Federal Student Financial Aid to all US citizens through completion of the FAFSA. You can find more information at https://www.usa.gov/financial-aid. This is need based aid and requires your parents to complete financial information.
Some universities consider international students for need based aid and most require you to submit either the CSS https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/ or Idoc https://pages.collegeboard.org/idoc to be considered
Some universities offer merit based scholarships for international students and you should check their individual websites for this information when you are researching options. Many of these will require additional applications, although some have automatic consideration.
Institutions take a different approach to the role financial need plays in the admissions process:
Need Blind = the financial situation of an applicant is not considered in the admissions decision. Most then expect to cover the full financial need of any applicant they accept
Need Aware = the financial situation of the applicant is considered as part of the admissions process and generally a student will not be admitted unless the institution can afford to cover all or most of the financial need
There are only 5 institutions that offer need-blind admission and full need financial aid to international students: Yale, MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Amherst College
There are also some need aware institutions that pledge to meet full demonstrated need for the international students they accept. Equally, some institutions will publish that they are only able to offer X% of their tuition as aid for internationals.
Universities
Explore the university profiles for this country on the CareersExplore Platform.
Parsons Paris, The New School
Cutting edge learning environment in two top urban centers, New York City and Paris! The New School is a great university for creative students and for students who want to transcend intellectual boundaries.
Art and design, Inter/Transdisciplinary Education, Liberal Arts, Performing Arts
City Campus
Medium Institution 5000-15,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
English & Media
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Performing Arts
Society & Social Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh is located in one of the most livable cities in the U.S. Our campus is vibrantly urban and surprisingly park-like, located in the heart of Pittsburgh just a 10 minute drive to downtown Pittsburgh.
Pitt is a public, research 1 institution.
City Campus
Large Institution 15,000-30,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
Engineering
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
Purdue University-Main Campus
At Purdue University, we never stop in our persistent pursuit of the next giant leap. Through world-changing research and education in a culture of inclusion and hard work, we are developing practical solutions to the toughest challenges, building a better world, together.
Tier one research institution in the U.S. Many opportunities for undergraduate research.
Suburban Campus
Very Large Institution >30,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
Engineering
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
Purdue University Northwest
We are a multicultural campus with small class sizes and a world class reputation. Professors know your name and encourage you to be involved.
Suburban Campus
Medium Institution 5000-15,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
Engineering
English & Media
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
University of Richmond
Ambitious, curious, determined, and active – Richmond is a very residential campus, and our students like to keep busy with 200+ clubs and organizations to enjoy!
Liberal Arts and sciences
Suburban Campus
Small Institution <5000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
University of Rochester
Super international study body (26%+), flexible curriculum with no required classes, and an active student body involved in over 300+ clubs and 77% of students involved with research.
Research university with a flexible curriculum
Suburban Campus
Medium Institution 5000-15,000
Areas of Study
Business
Computing & ICT
Engineering
English & Media
Language & Culture
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
Rollins College
Come experience global citizenship and responsible leadership at America’s most beautiful campus.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Suburban Campus
Small Institution <5000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
Rutgers University
Scarlet Knights are: Authentic, Inclusive, Responsible, Resilient, Engaged
We are a large, state, research university. Our offerings include liberal arts and professional schools such as Business, Engineering, Performing and Visual Arts, Pharmacy, etc.
Urban City, Suburban Campus
Very Large Institution >30,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
Engineering
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
“There’s drive, there’s compassion, there’s a willingness to take huge risk. I just don’t know if it exists anywhere else.” –Devin O’Bryan, Design IBM Studio (M.F.A. Graphic Design)
Art and Design (including Liberal Arts)
City Campus
Large Institution 15,000-30,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Computing & ICT
English & Media
Performing Arts
Society & Social Sciences
St. John's College
We are often called “the most contrarian college in America.” Or “the most rigorous college in America.” Or “the most intellectual college in America.” No matter how you define us, St. John’s College and our Great Books curriculum are unlike any other.
St. John's is famous for our interdisciplinary, discussion-based Great Books curriculum.
City Island Campus, Suburban Campus
Small Institution <5000
Areas of Study
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
Syracuse University
An independent research university of extraordinary academics, distinctive offerings and an undeniable spirit. With a gorgeous campus, a global footprint, and 150 years of history, Syracuse offers a quintessential college experience. Students can choose from more than 200 majors and 100 minors.
We offer both liberal arts and pre-professional programs of study, with a flexible curriculum.
City Campus
Medium Institution 5000-15,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
Engineering
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences
University of Southern California (USC)
College is a time to explore, to test, to challenge and to define who you are and who you would like to become. At USC you will find different perspectives, experience new cultures, and ultimately uncover a few things about yourself along the way.
Liberal Arts Foundation with Subject Focus
City Island Campus
Large Institution 15,000-30,000
Areas of Study
Art & Design
Business
Computing & ICT
Engineering
English & Media
Language & Culture
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Mathematics
Medicine & Healthcare
Performing Arts
Sciences
Society & Social Sciences