These U.S. colleges and universities give full scholarships to international students. They have been organized below by major so you can find the right fit for YOUR field of study. Acting / Theater - Barnard College - Bates College - Brandeis University - Brown University - Colby College - Colgate University - Colorado College - Connecticut College - Cornell University - Dartmouth College - Denison University - Duke University - Hamilton College - Kenyon College - Middlebury College - Mount Holyoke College - New York University - Northwestern University - Oberlin College - Pitzer College - Pomona College - Scripps College - Skidmore College - Smith College - Stanford University - Trinity College - Tufts University - Vanderbilt University - Vassar College - Wesleyan University - Yale University Architecture - Barnard College - Columbia University - Cornell University - Lehigh University - MIT - Princeton University - Rice University - University of Notre Dame - University of Pennsylvania - Washington University in St. Louis - Yale University Art History - Amherst College - Barnard College - Bates College - Bowdoin College - Brandeis University - Brown University - Bryn Mawr College - Carleton College - Colby College - Colgate University - Colorado College - Columbia University - Connecticut College - Cornell University - Dartmouth College - Davidson College - Denison University - Duke University - Emory University - Franklin & Marshall College - Grinnell College - Hamilton College - Harvard University - College of the Holy Cross - Johns Hopkins University - Kenyon College - Lafayette College - Lehigh University - Macalester College - Middlebury College - Mount Holyoke College - New York University - Northwestern University - Oberlin College - Princeton University - Reed College - Rice University - Scripps College - Skidmore College - Smith College - Stanford University - Swarthmore College - Trinity College - Tufts University - Union College - University of Chicago - University of Notre Dame - University of Pennsylvania - University of Richmond - University of Rochester - Vanderbilt University - Vassar College - Washington and Lee University - Washington University in St. Louis - Wellesley College - Wesleyan University - Whitman College - Williams College - Yale University

These are schools that I recommend that give full scholarships to international students for their bachelor's degrees, don't have the SAT requirement, and have a CSS Fee waiver (or give you an alternative form to fill out). - Franklin & Marshall College - Skidmore College - Denison University - Reed College - Whitman College - Pitzer college - Washington University in St. Louis - Lehigh University - Bryn Mawr - Deep Springs

This is a list of starting salaries for people graduating from these schools with a bachelor's degree, broken down by major. The list is compiled from federal College Scorecard data, PayScale's 2024 report, and school-reported figures. These figures are per year. ALL these schools give full scholarships to international students based on need. - MIT - $126,000 - Caltech - $119,000 - Harvey Mudd College - $97,400 - Princeton University - $95,600 - Harvard University - $95,600 - Stanford University - $95,200 - Lehigh University - $95,092 - Claremont McKenna - $95,691 - University of Notre Dame - $94,666 - Rice University - $94,373 - Tufts University - $94,032 - Swarthmore College - $93,846 - Vanderbilt University - $93,270 - Pomona College - $93,258 - Duke University - $93,000 - Yale University - $92,000 - Dartmouth College - $92,000 - University of Pennsylvania - $91,800 - Williams College - $91,381 - Washington and Lee University - $91,290 - Columbia University - $90,000 - New York University - $89,876 - Brown University - $88,000 - Emory University - $87,891 - University of Rochester - $87,712 - Case Western Reserve - $87,508 - Wellesley College - $86,947 - Wesleyan University - $86,824 - Bowdoin College - $86,589 - Johns Hopkins University - $86,306 - Barnard College - $85,875 - Washington University in St. Louis - $84,298 - Brandeis University - $82,853 - Middlebury College - $78,032 - University of Richmond - $77,677 - Smith College - $77,337 - Cornell University - $76,000 - Davidson College - $76,737 - Vassar College - $74,970 - Grinnell College - $71,941 - Northwestern University - $70,000 - Trinity College (CT) - $67,628 - Scripps College - $68,027 - Colgate University - $64,949 - Bates College - $64,706 - Amherst College - $62,537 - Union College - $63,219 - Franklin & Marshall College - $62,544 - University of Chicago - $60,000 - Lafayette College - $58,600 - Hamilton College - $55,000 - College of the Holy Cross - $55,000 - Haverford College - $53,353 - Reed College - $53,400 - Kenyon College - $52,900 - Pitzer College - $51,784 - Colby College - $46,000 - Colorado College - $46,000 - Thomas Aquinas - $45,700 - Connecticut College - $42,200 - Bryn Mawr College - $42,000 - Carleton College - $40,800 - Skidmore College - $40,300 - Denison University - $38,600 - Whitman College - $36,000 - Berea College - $35,676 - Macalester College - $34,000 - Mount Holyoke - $33,800 - Soka University - $32,000 - Oberlin College - 31,000 - Deep Springs College - N/A

If your country is on the US ban list, I know this news is devastating... But here's my advice... STILL APPLY because: - Policies change. This ban doesn't have an end date, but that also means it could be modified or lifted at any time. The Secretary of State is required to review it every 180 days. - Courts could intervene. During Trump's first term, courts issued temporary restraining orders that paused the ban and allowed people to get visas during that window. It could happen again. If you already have an admission letter in hand, you'd be ready to move fast. - Having an admission is valuable. Even if you can't use it right now, an acceptance from an American university opens doors. You can defer enrollment, use it for other opportunities, or be ready if things change. So don't stop your applications. Keep pushing. But also have a backup plan. Consider applying to University of the People. It's a fully accredited, tuition-free online American university. Here's the strategy: → Enroll at UoPeople and start earning credits toward an American degree → Study for 2 years while staying in your home country → Transfer those credits to a US university later, hopefully after the bans are lifted → You'd enter as a junior with 2 years already completed This way, you're not wasting time. You're building toward your American degree RIGHT NOW, even if you can't physically be there yet. Don't let this ban stop your education. Adapt. Find another path. And stay ready. I'm rooting for all of you. 🙏

THIS IS MY RECOMMENDATION ON WHAT TO DO IF YOUR COUNTRY IS BANNED. The US just expanded its travel ban. Starting January 1, 2026, students from 39 countries will NO LONGER be able to get F1 student visas. WHAT HAPPENED: On December 16, 2025, President Trump signed a new proclamation expanding the travel ban from 19 to 39 countries. This takes effect January 1, 2026. WHAT THE BANS MEAN: 🔴 FULL BAN = ALL visas blocked. No student visas. No tourist visas. No work visas. No green cards. Nothing. 🟠 PARTIAL BAN = Student visas (F-1), tourist visas (B-1/B-2), and exchange visas (J-1) are BLOCKED. Some work visas like H-1B are still possible but limited to 3 months. WHO'S AFFECTED: If you're already in the US with a valid visa → You can stay If you leave the US and your visa is still valid → You can return (but expect extra screening) If you're outside the US with no valid visa → You CANNOT get a new one If your visa expires → You CANNOT renew it FULL BAN (20): Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria, Laos, Sierra Leone, + Palestinian Authority PARTIAL BAN (19): Burundi, Cuba, Togo, Venezuela, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Dominica, Gabon, The Gambia, Malawi, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, Zambia, Zimbabwe WATCHLIST (Leaked) May Be Added Next: Bhutan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Djibouti, DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Tuvalu, Uganda, and Vanuatu. If you're already in the US, you can stay. But if you leave, you might not be able to come back. Source: https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/12/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-further-restricts-and-limits-the-entry-of-foreign-nationals-to-protect-the-security-of-the-united-states/