Some American students are swapping Greek life and GPAs for cobblestone campuses and a grade crossed the pond.
Awareness of the British university way is steadily rising, said Meredith Guthrie, lead advisor astatine Meritage Advisors, a consultancy that provides UK assemblage admissions guidance for prospective American students.
"The exertion process for UK universities is seen arsenic refreshingly transparent compared to the unit cooker students spell done for US colleges," Guthrie told Business Insider.
College admissions successful the UK are much willing successful world aptitude than successful your individual travel aliases extracurriculars. The courses are besides subject-specific, and galore of them tin beryllium completed successful 3 years, she added.
The pursuing ranking — which spotlights British schools pinch the astir American students — has been compiled from information published by the UK Higher Education Statistics Agency. The information covers the 2024-25 world year, crossed each levels of full-time study.
It accounts for students pinch a imperishable reside successful the US, alternatively than those pinch an American nationality. It besides accounts for each higher acquisition providers, not conscionable universities.
Here are the 10 British universities pinch the astir American students.
10. Royal Veterinary College
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 490
Established successful 1791, the Royal Veterinary College is simply a master vet schoolhouse and a personnel institution of the University of London. It was classed the champion successful the world for veterinary subject by the QS World University Rankings.
The RVC, whose royal patron is King Charles III, has 1 field successful London and different further successful the Hertfordshire countryside.
9. University of the Arts London
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 530
With an alumni database featuring countless celebrated names from Alexander McQueen to Jimmy Choo, the University of the Arts London is bound to pull Americans who dream of making it large successful the imaginative industries.
UAL is divided into respective constituent colleges, including Central Saint Martins, the Camberwell College of Arts, and the Chelsea College of Arts.
8. King's College London
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 565
King's College London is considered 1 of the astir prestigious universities successful the UK and offers a wide array of courses, from dentistry to warfare studies.
It has 5 campuses crossed London, including the Strand Campus, which is adjacent to the Houses of Parliament and the River Thames.
7. London School of Economics and Political Science
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 710
Founded successful 1895, the London School of Economics and Political Science topped the Times and Sunday Times' 2026 UK university convention table.
It was founded for the "betterment of society" and is world-renowned for its study and investigation successful the societal sciences.
6. University of Cambridge
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 725
Founded successful 1209, the University of Cambridge is considered 1 of the world's astir prestigious universities.
With 126 Nobel Prizes awarded to its members, Cambridge has been location to awesome technological breakthroughs, including the find of DNA's double helix structure. The assemblage says it welcomes "talented students from astir the world."
5. University College London
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 735
University College London is 1 of the apical universities successful the world, according to the 2027 QS World University Rankings.
It offers complete 400 undergraduate grade courses, and complete 700 postgraduate investigation and taught grade courses.
4. University of Glasgow
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 990
The University of Glasgow was founded successful 1451 and has galore influential alumni, specified arsenic the economist Adam Smith, who pioneered modern economics.
Meredith Guthrie, lead advisor astatine Meritage Advisors, said Glasgow's "impressive position successful world convention tables and metropolitan location will person an effect connected driving liking to imaginable applicants."
3. University of Oxford
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 1,250
The University of Oxford has agelong classed among the world's apical universities and was named the world's champion assemblage by Times Higher Education for a 10th consecutive twelvemonth successful its 2026 rankings.
The oldest assemblage successful the English-speaking world, it attracts the champion and brightest from astir the globe.
2. University of Edinburgh
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 1,445
Founded successful 1583, the University of Edinburgh has been the birthplace of technological breakthroughs specified arsenic the find of chloroform's usage successful childbirth and the cloning of Dolly the Sheep.
Like different Scottish universities, it offers four-year undergraduate courses — the aforesaid magnitude arsenic an American bachelor's grade — which, arsenic a result, "attracts important US interest," Guthrie said.
1. University of St. Andrews
Number of US-domiciled, full-time students: 2,200
With astir 1 successful 5 students astatine St. Andrews coming from the US, the assemblage has go known for its fame pinch Americans.
Founded successful 1413, St. Andrews is beardown academically and has an progressive field life characterized by traditions and a tight-knit community.
"St. Andrews has done a phenomenal occupation successful their outreach to American students," Guthrie said. "There is besides prestige. St. Andrews is recognizably elite."
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Roya is simply a newsman connected Business Insider's Editorial Partnerships team. She is based successful London. Before joining Business Insider, she worked arsenic a newsman astatine financial newswire Alliance News and was an intern astatine The Wall Street Journal. Roya graduated from City St George's, University of London pinch an MA successful International Journalism.
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