17 best universities in San Francisco, California 2024

The US higher education system, unlike many of the world's, is independent of the state and varies greatly from state to state. Unlike other countries, the most popular in America are private higher education institutions, including Princeton, Yale, Columbia and other strongest universities in the world.

San Francisco is a city with huge global attendance and ample opportunities to get quality higher education. The environment of this city has long been famous for its multiculturalism, liberalism, and the picturesque beauty will not leave anyone indifferent.

How to become a student of an American university?

It is quite difficult to enter American universities: according to statistics, only 30% of applicants who have sent their applications receive a coveted invitation to a university. And for Ivy League universities, this figure does not exceed 10%. The reason for this is the rather high requirements for applicants. Among them are good knowledge of English, high scores on SAT entrance tests, a psychological portrait of a student, his desire to study at an American university and focus on results. Another important factor that affects the decision of the admission committee is the ability of a foreign student to adapt to life in the United States, that is, to merge into the cultural paradigm of the country. If we add to this list the discrepancy between the educational programs of Russia and America, the general differences in mentality and in the approach to learning in particular, then it becomes obvious that in order to enter a US university, serious preparation is needed. Fortunately, American universities are favorable to foreign students, and therefore offer various pre-university preparation programs.

Credits in best universities in San Francisco

Each course a student takes at an American university is "worth" a certain number of credits or credit hours. As a rule, the "price" of one course is three to five credits. Full-time education consists of 12-15 credits per course (students take 4-5 courses per trimester). To get a university degree in the United States, you need to earn a certain number of credits known in advance.

How to choose TOP university in San Francisco

When choosing a university in San Francisco, there are many criteria to consider. The most important thing is to decide on your future profession, find out what prospects await you after receiving higher education. The program of study depends on the desired specialty, which can be offered by several universities in different variations - with a different list of disciplines, different durations, etc. When choosing between them, it is worth considering several more important factors:

• cost of education;
• university rating in the chosen direction;
• reviews of students and graduates;
• location, transport accessibility;
• entry requirements;
• living conditions (on campus or in the city);
• student composition, the ratio of the number of students and teachers in the university.

Best universities in San Francisco is an attractive and real learning opportunity for international students. They provide an excellent education and have a high status at the world level. There are several educational institutions that have proven themselves from a brilliant side for many years.

Distance learning is also provided at universities in San Francisco, which is especially relevant for accountants and other financial specialties. You can also take short courses in the summer.

Universities in San Francisco are not only about continuous learning, but also about active and rewarding student life. For example, on Ocean Beach, you can go surfing or take a walk in one of the two hundred richest California parks. As for university campuses, they are located in areas with a high level of environmental cleanliness.

There are a number of other advantages of studying and living there:

• Cosmopolitan. For a foreign student, there will be no problems with adaptation;
• Creativity and culture. Good musical groups often perform here, the organization of festivals, holidays and other cultural events is popular;
• Proximity to Silicon Valley. This is the place of laboratories and research centers, including university ones.

San Francisco has a number of famous landmarks like Alcatraz Prison, Golden Gate, 43 Hills, etc. Visitors will be surprised by the most winding street in the world - Lombard Street. It is in the Guinness Book of Records.

You can take a ride on a cable car that has been running around the city since the end of the century before last. And of course, many have heard about the romantic fogs of the city, which have long been its unofficial symbol in autumn and spring.

Sam Jones

Recruitment Director for Partnership with INTO Universities (Europe and Central Asia)

What are the criteria for evaluating American universities? How accurate is it?

The rankings are different, and therefore the criteria are different. Subtleties are covered such as the academic level of graduates, “retention rate” (how many students complete study programs), social mobility, and the number of recipients of financial aid. The final performance and GPA, academic reputation of students, resources of institutes and faculties, salaries of teachers, the number of doctoral / postdoctoral degrees among teachers (especially for those who are employed full-time at the university) can be taken into account.

They pay attention to the selectivity of students (which applicants scored SAT points, which results they showed in high school), financial indicators per student and the amount of debt of graduates (a common thing: many take out loans for education). Some rankings also use the parameter of academic citation, the intensity of research by the teaching staff. In general, there are more criteria than the rankings themselves!

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