The United States arguably have the best system of higher education in the world. It is a common misconception for international students to think that the U.S. are all about the Ivy League, Stanford, Duke, MIT and a few other universities. Across most of the leading global university rankings, almost half of the top 100 and half of the top 10 universities are located in the United States, and they are there for a reason. Universities such as UCLA, UC Berkeley, UNC Chapel Hill, Boston University, New York University, Brandeis, Vanderbilt,  University of Michigan belong among the world's best and they are known for their academic excellence, exceptional teaching, cutting edge research and technology. The U.S. is the main destination for international students and it has been able to maintain this position for decades. It also gave it the opportunity to develop the best system to support and integrate students from all over the globe. The United States offer an enormous range of disciplines at all academic levels, ranging from science and technology, law, business, finance, economics to literature, arts, design and many others. Many world leaders and people who are at the forefront of progress and innovation are linked to America's universities, either as graduates or faculty. It is not uncommon at the best universities that many professors are Nobel prize laureates, former CEO's or world-renowned experts.

 

All this, however, comes at a cost. A year of studying at an American university costs about $60,000 including tuition, accommodation, transportation and study materials. That is significantly more expensive than most other countries and the number of American students who think university education is worth this price is dropping every year. The average American student has a student debt of roughly $40,000 and many struggle to repay it. It is no surprise that at many American universities there are more students from the top 1%  than the bottom 60% of the American population. The amount of total student debt in the US stands at a staggering $1.5 trillion (that is $1,500,000,000,000).

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Universities are very well aware of this and about 45% of their budget is spent on scholarships. This means that you might end up paying much less than the original cost of tuition. In our opinion, studying in America is worth it in two cases - if you or your parents can afford it, or if you receive a sizable scholarship. Otherwise, countries like Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Singapore, Austria and China - where education is often free - provide a much better value option through which you will be able to save 80-99% of the cost. 

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However, two aspects in which American universities truly excel are the amount of opportunities off campus and the attention they give to their students. There is strong competition between American universities and they truly go lengths to make sure their students have everything they need to be successful at their school and also once they leave and start their career. Many universities abroad overlook these two aspects, but we found them to be crucial in determining someone's success. This support system often results in American students feeling empowered and much more confident compared to their peers from other countries and this also results in them being much more likely to take on challenges and demanding endeavors after graduation.

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