Washington/Mumbai:  The US educational colleges and institutes are dream destination for international student community. What are the best colleges and schools – a difficult task for international students to arrive at a conclusion on their study destination in the USA. As per the U.S. News & World Report’s latest Ranking, released on 13 September 2016 globally, Princeton University remains No. 1 in the Best National Universities category while for the 14^th consecutive year, Williams College takes the top spot on the Best National Liberal Arts Colleges list.

The U.S. News & World Report announced the 2017 Best Colleges rankings to help students worldwide compare the academic quality of more than 1,800 U.S.-based schools. California schools and military academies make a strong showing on the Top Public Schools lists. University of California—Berkeley is the No. 1 Top Public School among National Universities for the 19th year; the United States Naval Academy is the No. 1 Top Public School among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

To help international students who are interested in studying abroad, the 2017 edition of Best Colleges includes a list of colleges and universities with the Most International Students. Florida Institute of Technology has highest share of international students (33%) among national universities category while Soka University of America (CA) has the largest share of international students (39.5%) among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

The U.S. News rankings focus on academic excellence, with schools ranked on up to 15 measures of academic quality. Overall, the rankings emphasize student outcomes – including graduation and retention rates – which carry the most weight at 30 percent. The top National Universities and National Liberal Arts Colleges had significantly higher graduation and freshman retention rates than other schools.

“I encourage parents and students to use the wealth of data and information in Best Colleges to identify schools that suit their specific needs,” said Brian Kelly, editor and chief content officer of U.S. News. “In addition to considering factors like location and cost, families should pay close attention to graduation and retention rates. These are important indicators of how well a school supports its students both academically and financially. Getting into a good school means nothing if you cannot graduate.”

For students with specific career paths in mind, U.S. News ranks the top schools in undergraduate engineering and business. The rankings also encompass the Most Innovative Schools and a list of the A-plus Schools for B Students. School profiles include specifics on academic life, financial aid, student body makeup and more.

2017 U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings -National Universities    Category  

1. Princeton University (NJ)

2. Harvard University (MA)

3. University of Chicago (IL) (tie)

4. Yale University (CT) (tie)

5. Columbia University (NY) (tie)

6. Stanford University (CA) (tie)

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

8. Duke University (NC) (tie)

9. University of Pennsylvania (tie)

10. Johns Hopkins University (MD)

2017 U.S. News Best Colleges Rankings –    National Liberal Arts Colleges Category

1. Williams College (MA)

2. Amherst College (MA)

3. Wellesley College (MA)

4. Middlebury College (VT) (tie)

5. Swarthmore College (PA) (tie)

6. Bowdoin College (ME)

7. Carleton College (MN) (tie)

8. Pomona College (CA) (tie)

9. Claremont McKenna College (CA) (tie)

10. Davidson College (NC) (tie)

Schools with most International Students – National Universities Category                         

Florida Institute of Technology: 33%

New School (NY): 32.4%

Illinois Institute of Technology: 26.5%

University of Tulsa (OK): 25.8%

Suffolk University (MA): 23.2%

Schools with most International Students – National Liberal Arts Colleges

Soka University of America (CA): 39.5%

Pine Manor College (MA): 35%

Mount Holyoke College (MA): 26.3%

Wesleyan College (GA): 23.9%

Bryan Mawr College (PA): 23.4%

Top Public National Universities- National Universities                 

1. University of California–Berkeley

2. University of California–Los Angeles (tie)

3. University of Virginia (tie)

4. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

5. University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill