Many schools admit most or nearly all international applicants.
It’s easier for prospective international students to gain admission to some U.S. colleges than others. Among the 164 ranked National Universities that received at least 500 international applicants and reported this data to U.S. News, the average acceptance rate for international students was 42.5% for fall 2022. But at some institutions, the acceptance rate was significantly higher — 98% in one case. For prospective international students interested in studying in the U.S. and curious about where they might have a good chance of getting in, here are the 11 ranked National Universities — institutions that are often research-oriented and offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees — with the highest acceptance rates for international undergraduate applicants. Schools on the list are in order from lowest acceptance rates to highest. Due to rounding, some schools are tied. Schools that received fewer than 500 international applications weren’t considered for this list.
Pace University (NY)
U.S. News rank: 249 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 2,485
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 2,017
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 81%
More about Pace University.
University of Texas at Arlington
U.S. News rank: 236 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 1,586
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 1,282
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 81%
More about the University of Texas at Arlington.
University of Toledo (OH)
U.S. News rank: 280 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 1,664
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 1,365
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 82%
More about the University of Toledo.
University of Texas at Dallas
U.S. News rank: 115 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 1,813
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 1,528
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 84%
More about the University of Texas at Dallas.
Arizona State University
U.S. News rank: 105 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 6,482
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 5,503
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 85%
More about Arizona State University.
University of Colorado Boulder
U.S. News rank: 105 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 1,953
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 1,662
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 85%
More about the University of Colorado Boulder.
University of Massachusetts–Boston
U.S. News rank: 216 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 1,293
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 1,094
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 85%
More about the University of Massachusetts–Boston.
Long Island University (NY)
U.S. News rank: 369 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 1,743
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 1,625
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 93%
More about Long Island University.
University of Utah
U.S. News rank: 115 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 835
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 800
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 96%
More about the University of Utah.
University of Kentucky
U.S. News rank: 159 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 519
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 506
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 97%
More about the University of Kentucky.
University of Mississippi
U.S. News rank: 163 (tie)
International applicants for fall 2022: 539
International applicants accepted for fall 2022: 529
Acceptance rate for international students for fall 2022: 98%
More about the University of Mississippi.
Learn more about studying in the U.S.
Get more information about how to choose a college and check out the complete rankings of the 2024 Best Colleges to find the school that’s best for you. For even more advice, follow U.S. News Education on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
U.S. universities that admit the highest percentage of international students
— University of Mississippi: 98%
— University of Kentucky: 97%
— University of Utah: 96%
— Long Island University (NY): 93%
— Arizona State University: 85%
— University of Colorado Boulder: 85%
— University of Massachusetts–Boston: 85%
— University of Texas at Dallas: 84%
— University of Toledo (OH): 82%
— Pace University: 81%
— University of Texas at Arlington: 81%
More from U.S. News
Common Mistakes International Students Make When Applying to U.S. Colleges
How to Begin a U.S. College Search as an International Student
Declining International Student Numbers Stabilize
Schools That Accept the Most International Students originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 10/20/23: This slideshow has been updated to reflect ranks and data from the 2024 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings.
