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The number of international students attending a U.S. college or university continues to grow every year, but the financial aid options for these undergraduates varies among schools.
A total of 974,926 international undergraduates enrolled during the 2014-2015 school year — up 10 percent from the prior year, according to an annual study that tracks the number of students who study abroad.
For international students who do receive aid from a school, the package may include a job on campus or institutional money, but never loans.
While some international students receive financial aid packages, most colleges and universities restrict aid awards to U.S. citizens or legal residents, financial aid experts say.
[Learn 10 ways international students can prepare for U.S. college success.]
But several schools across the U.S. do offer financial aid to international students, and Williams College, also No. 1 among National Liberal Arts Colleges, tops the list as the most generous.
The Massachusetts school forked over $59,674 on average to 94 international undergraduates during the 2015-2016 school year — the highest among 418 ranked institutions that awarded financial aid to at least 50 international students, according to data submitted to U.S. News in an annual survey.
Harvard University, another Massachusetts school that extends its need-blind admissions policy to international students, awarded an average of $56,268 in aid to 559 undergraduates from abroad.
[Explore the colleges and universities that report meeting full financial need.]
Among the 10 schools that gave the most financial aid to international students, the average aid award size was $57,054.
Wayland Baptist University in Texas gave the least amount in aid to international students among schools that granted financial aid packages to at least 50 international undergraduates. The Texas Panhandle school allocated $1,722 on average to international students for the 2015-2016 school year. But its tuition and fees are relatively low for a private school: $19,110 for the 2016-2017 school year.
Below is a list of the 10 colleges and universities that gave the most in financial aid to at least 50 students from abroad during the 2015-2016 school year. Unranked schools, which did not meet certain criteria required by U.S. News to be numerically ranked, were not considered for the report.
| School name (state) | Number of international students who received aid during 2015-2016 | Average aid awarded to international undergraduates during 2015-2016 | U.S. News rank and category |
| Williams College (MA) | 94 | $59,674 | 1, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Stanford University (CA) | 160 | $59,000 | 5 (tie), National Universities |
| Amherst College (MA) | 159 | $58,477 | 2, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Columbia University (NY) | 189 | $57,727 | 5 (tie), National Universities |
| Skidmore College (NY) | 90 | $57,250 | 38 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Trinity College (CT) | 163 | $57,107 | 38 (tie), National Liberal Arts Colleges |
| Harvard University (MA) | 559 | $56,238 | 2, National Universities |
| Duke University (NC) | 173 | $55,213 | 8 (tie), National Universities |
| Yale University (CT) | 336 | $54,954 | 3 (tie), National Universities |
| Wellesley College (MA) | 91 | $54,873 | 3, National Liberal Arts Colleges |
Don’t see your school in the top 10? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find financial aid data, complete rankings and much more. School officials can access historical data and rankings, including of peer institutions, via U.S. News Academic Insights.
U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2016 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported myriad data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News’ data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While U.S. News uses much of this survey data to rank schools for our annual Best Colleges rankings, the data can also be useful when examined on a smaller scale. U.S. News will now produce lists of data, separate from the overall rankings, meant to provide students and parents a means to find which schools excel, or have room to grow, in specific areas that are important to them. While the data come from the schools themselves, these lists are not related to, and have no influence over, U.S. News’ rankings of Best Colleges, Best Graduate Schools or Best Online Programs. The financial aid data above are correct as of Sept. 20, 2016.
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10 Universities That Offer International Students the Most Aid originally appeared on usnews.com
