10 Universities With the Most International Students

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Coming to the United States for college can be a major undertaking for international students. There are tests to pass and visas to obtain, and, once you've settled on a college campus, the challenges might continue. 

Your school will likely help you acclimate, but having a community of international peers can help you stave off homesickness and adapt to a new culture, too. 

[Homesick? Follow these nine tips to deal.] 

International students that are well represented in their school's student body may find it easier to get involved with those built-in support networks. At the 11 National Universities with the most international students, foreign students made up between 12 percent and 25 percent of the degree-seeking undergraduate student body in fall 2010, and students typically have opportunities to mingle early on in their college experiences. 

At the New School, for example, where a quarter of the student body in fall 2010 hailed from abroad, foreign students can explore New York City with peers through the school's international programming and events. Across the country in Pasadena, Calif., international students at the California Institute of Technology made up about 12 percent of the student body in fall 2010 and are able to kick off each school year together with special campus scavenger hunts and local field trips. 

[Understand key college terminology with the U.S. Higher Education glossary.] 

Among the 263 National Universities that reported international undergraduate student enrollment data for fall 2010 to U.S. News, there are 234 universities at which international students accounted for at least 1 percent of the student body. (Of course, National Universities, defined as schools that offer bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees and emphasize research, are not the only institutions to which international students apply. Some Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges enroll large percentages of students from abroad as well.) 

These are the National Universities where international students make up the largest percentages of the degree-seeking undergraduate student body, based on school-reported enrollment data for fall 2010. Due to a tie, there are 11 schools on this list. 

 *RNP denotes an institution that is ranked in the bottom one fourth of its rankings category. U.S. News calculates a rank for the school but has decided not to publish it. 

Looking for more information? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find additional international student data, complete rankings, and much more. 

U.S. News surveyed more than 1,800 colleges and universities for our 2011 survey of undergraduate programs. Schools self-reported a myriad of data regarding their academic programs and the makeup of their student body, among other areas, making U.S. News's data the most accurate and detailed collection of college facts and figures of its kind. While the data comes from the schools themselves, these lists have no influence over U.S. News's rankings of Best Colleges or Best Graduate Schools.