8 of the best cities in the US for international students

1. Boston

Boston truly is an academics’ city - especially if you include the nearby student-centered town of Cambridge, MA - location of the highly prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University. Boston is also home to another five universities, which rank in the top 400.

Boston also happens to be one of the best US cities for students. Ranking 89.7 out of a 100 as a desirable student city, Boston is easily a favourite among international students. Boston University alone counts more than 7,000 international students, representing nearly 100 countries. It's also a wonderful city to live in - well known for its arts and culture. Plus, it’s renowned for its pubs and bars, as well as love of sports.

2. New York

From films, TV and music videos, you’ll already have visited New York in a thousand ways. Alongside the appeal of the iconic buildings, bustling city streets, yellow cabs, and late-night pizzerias, the Big Apple is also an excellent destination for international students looking to get a good degree. It boasts a worldwide overall rating of 85.9 (out of 100) as a good student destination.

At present, it’s home to 107,000 international students. And it was the top metropolitan area in the United States hosting foreign students in 2020/21.

The city’s known for its long history of immigration, and has established many immigrant and refugee communities. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

The city has the largest number of internationally ranking universities out of all the best American student cities. These include: Columbia University and New York University.

3. San Francisco

Apart from being one of the most stunning cities in the US, with a rich and colourful history, San Francisco is  also easily one of the best places to study in America. It has three prominent universities, including Stanford and University of California, Berkeley - both Ivy League schools. It also has a worldwide rating of 80.5 (out of 100) as a student destination. And the University of San Francisco enrolled over 1,300 international students in 2022

As the birthplace of the hippy movement in the 60s, San Francisco has a history of welcoming free-thinkers and freedom of expression. Today, students can enjoy a great lifestyle, friendly people, and the wonderful Pacific climate. Plus, its universities rank highly with employers. Sitting next to Silicon Valley, this tech hub is home to the likes of Apple, IBM, Google and Facebook. So, it offers a great stepping stone for students to gain experience and find work.

4. Los Angeles

Not surprisingly Los Angeles gets a star rating as an international student destination. This cool, sunshine-drenched metropolitan city on the Pacific coast is not only home to Hollywood and the film industry, but also to two great universities - California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

With a worldWide overall score of 79.8 (out of 100) as a student destination, LA also has an impressive score for employer activity. It really is the place to be for international students looking to explore their creative spirit and enjoy their higher education journey to the fullest. It’s no wonder so many are drawn here - last year UCLA counted 6,167 international students on campus, 3,265 of whom are undergraduates. In particular, Los Angeles is very popular with Chinese students.

An analysis of student visa data suggests that in 2020 as many as 398,041 Chinese students came to the US to study. From this pool of 398,041, UCLA was home to approximately 3,013 Chinese students.

5. Chicago

Chicago was the late, great Frank Sinatra’s “kinda town” - and it may well be yours if you're looking for a great place to study. Ranked as the 30th best student city in the world this year, the ‘windy city’ has a worldwide overall score of 74.5 (out of 100) as a student city. It’s home to two of the world’s most esteemed universities, the University of Chicago (ranked 10th in the world), and Northwestern University (32nd), plus two more universities within the global top 500. These reputable institutions attract many international students (4,748 in 2020) and give Chicago a strong score for ‘employer activity’.

It’s a unique place to live with its towering skyscrapers hugging the shore of Lake Michigan. Great for music lovers: it saw an explosion of blues and jazz music during the 20th century, which earned it a reputation as the northern USA's answer to New Orleans. There are also many museums and galleries, with popular spots such as the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio for history buffs, as well as spots like the world-famous Art Institute of Chicago for art lovers.

6. Atlanta

A thriving economic city, Atlanta is a great choice for international students as it’s one of the cheapest cities for students to live in the US. Plus, it boasts several excellent educational institutions, such as: Georgia Institute of Technology (a university with very high research activity and close ties to the industrial world), Emory University, and Georgia State University. Together they give Atlanta a worldwide overall score of 64.6 (out of 100) as a desirable student city. Each academic year it takes on approximately 16,000 foreign students.

It’s the capital and largest city of the US state of Georgia, and is known as the ‘city in a forest’ thanks to its many trees. Historically, a major player in the US Civil Rights Movement, it earned another nickname – ‘the city too busy to hate’.

7. Philadelphia

The location of key events in America’s history, Philadelphia certainly stands out in the history books. Many refer to the city as the birthplace of the United States, since the country’s founding fathers convened here during the American Revolution. In 1776, the signing of the Declaration of Independence took place here.

And, for those international students leaving home for the first time looking for their own independence, it’s a great choice. With an internationally-ranking top 20 university, 13% of the University of Pennsylvania’s first-year undergrad students are international. As well as the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania, its universities include: Drexel University and Temple University, together earning Philadelphia a worldwide overall score of 63.5 (out of 100) as a student city.

Beyond the historic tourist trail, the ‘city of brotherly love’ is a multi-faceted modern metropolis, becoming well known for its sport and fine cuisine.

8. Washington DC

Washington is another of those major cities that you may have been to multiple times, without having physically been there. From hundreds of TV shows, films and news reports, the iconic White House, the silhouette of Capitol Hill, and the Lincoln Memorial simply are all so familiar.

So, you may well feel at home, particularly as it’s one of the best cities in the US to be a student. It has  12,500 international students and a worldwide overall score of 63.5 (out of 100 as a student city. Its position as a leading student city is helped by the five universities based in and close to the city including University of Maryland, College Park, Georgetown University, George Washington University, American University and Howard University.

There’s so much in the city to make any student’s time an enriching experience -  from visits to historic sights to the world’s largest museum: the Smithsonian Institution, or even a more hands-on interactive experience with an evening at the International Spy Museum.

Studying abroad with WorldRemit

We love to help support students with their move to study abroad - it opens a world of possibility for them. The US is a great place to study, and if you are considering studying there,we hope you’ll find this article useful. But that’s not all. We’ve also written some very useful articles on:

• Tips on making the move to the US

• The cost of living in US

• Scholarships for international students in US

• How to open a US bank account as a non-resident.

So that should just about have the US all wrapped up.

And, if you need to send money home while you’re living and studying abroad - we’re always there for you. We can offer you a fast, secure and low cost way to send money home.

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The contents of this blog post does not constitute legal or financial advice and is provided for general information purposes only. If you require specific legal and / or financial advice you should contact a specialist lawyer or financial advisor. Information true at time of publishing.