50 Best Colleges for Chinese – 2024

April 10, 2024

best colleges for Chinese major program

It is not hard to find compelling reasons why majoring in Chinese is an excellent investment of your tuition dollars. The most spoken language on planet Earth, one in five people speaks Chinese, it is the second largest economy in the world, and is the number one trade partner of the United States. In addition to likely arising from your undergraduate years with competing job offers at much higher salaries than your non-Chinese-speaking peers, studying this elegant language and 5,000-year-old culture will be intellectually stimulating and rewarding. Of course, not every college has a Chinese major and some are superior in quality to others. Our list of Best Colleges for Chinese includes a mix of state universities with stellar Chinese departments as well as many top-notch liberal arts institutions.

Methodology 

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for Chinese.

Best Colleges for Chinese

Here’s a quick preview of the first Chinese language institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Stanford University

2) Harvard University

3) Washington University in St Louis

4) Middlebury College

5) Dartmouth College

6) Georgetown University

7) University of Notre Dame

8) Pomona College

9) University of California-Los Angeles

10) United States Naval Academy

All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the field of Chinese language and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best colleges for Chinese, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—the university’s:

  • Enrollment
  • Cost of Attendance
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Median SAT
  • Median ACT
  • Retention Rate
  • Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

  • Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
  • Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.
#1 Best College for Chinese
Stanford University

Stanford University

  • Palo Alto, CA

Academic Highlights: Stanford has three undergraduate schools: the School of Humanities & Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. 69% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and 34% have a single-digit enrollment. Programs in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, international relations, and economics are arguably the best anywhere. In terms of sheer volume, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (17%), computer science (16%), engineering (15%), and interdisciplinary studies (13%).

Professional Outcomes: Stanford grads entering the working world flock to three major industries in equal distribution: business/finance/consulting/retail (19%); computer, IT (19%); and public policy and service, international affairs (19%). Among the companies employing the largest number of recent grads are Accenture, Apple, Bain, Cisco, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, Microsoft, and SpaceX. Other companies that employ hundreds of Cardinal alums include LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Airbnb. Starting salaries for Stanford grads are among the highest in the country.

 

  • Enrollment: 8,049 (undergraduate); 10,236 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,833
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 4%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#2 Best College for Chinese
Harvard University

Harvard University

  • Cambridge, MA

Academic Highlights: There are 50 undergraduate fields of study referred to as concentrations; many are interdisciplinary. Even with a graduate population of over 14,000 to cater to, undergraduate class sizes still tend to be small, with 42% of sections having single-digit enrollments and 71% being capped at nineteen. Economics, government, and computer science are the three most popular areas of concentration at Harvard. Biology, chemistry, physics, math, statistics, sociology, history, English, and psychology all sit atop most departmental ranking lists.

Professional Outcomes: The Crimson Class of 2022 saw 15% of students head directly into graduate/professional school. Of the graduates entering the world of work (virtually everyone else), 58% were entering either the consulting, finance, or technology field. Over 1,000 Harvard alumni presently work for Google and over 500 for Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs. Turning our attention to those moving on to graduate school, Harvard grads with at least a 3.5 GPA typically enjoy acceptance rates into medical school of 90% or greater.

  • Enrollment: 7,240
  • Cost of Attendance: $79,450
  • Median SAT: 1550
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 3%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 98%

#3 Best College for Chinese
Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University in St. Louis

  • St. Louis, MO

Academic Highlights: WashU admits students into five schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs: Arts & Sciences, the Olin School of Business, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the Art of Architecture programs housed within the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (13%), social sciences (13%), business (13%), biology (11%), and psychology (10%). 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. 65% double major or pursue a minor.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 sent 52% of grads into the workforce and 28% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Amazon, Bain, Boeing, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. Of the employed members of the Class of 2022 who reported their starting salaries, 79% made more than $60k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Caltech, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Stanford.

  • Enrollment: 8,132 (undergraduate); 8,880 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,760
  • Median SAT: 1530
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#4 Best College for Chinese
Middlebury College

Middlebury College

  • Middlebury, VT

Academic Highlights: Midd offers 50 departments and programs in which to major and minor. The school’s 9:1 student-faculty ratio allows 100% of courses to be taught by professors, not graduate assistants. Most classes are small; the mean class size is 16, and 14% of sections contain fewer than ten students. Middlebury is renowned for its Language Department as well as its programs in economics and international studies. The college has a robust international program (75 programs in 40 countries); over 50% of juniors take a semester abroad.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 81% of the Class of 2022 had landed jobs and 12% were in graduate school. The most commonly held jobs fell under the categories of financial services (19%), consulting (14%), science and healthcare (14%), and media and technology (12%). Many Middlebury grads now enter tech-related fields; Google and Facebook are two of the leading employers alongside Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Deloitte, Amazon, and JP Morgan. More than 100 alumni work in the US State Department.

  • Enrollment: 2,773 (undergraduate); 70 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $89,850
  • Median SAT: 1460
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 13%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%

#5 Best College for Chinese
Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College

  • Hanover, NH

Academic Highlights: Dartmouth sports 60+ majors and a stunning breadth of course selections for an institution of its size. The learning environment at Dartmouth is extraordinarily intimate. Not only do 61% of course sections have under twenty students, but 18% have single-digit enrollments. The student-to-faculty ratio is an outstanding 7:1. Top programs offered by Big Green include biology, economics, neuroscience, and government. The social sciences are the most popular, accounting for 32% of degrees conferred, followed by computer science (10%), mathematics (9%), engineering (9%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: A great reputation along with a passionate alumni network that is 80,000 strong leads Dartmouth grads to successful transitions into graduate school and the world of work. Included in the top ten employers of Dartmouth grads are a number of investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Bain & Company, Citibank, and Deutsche Bank. Right off the bat, 52% of graduates make more than $70,000 in salary. Those pursuing graduate degrees often flock to the likes of Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton.

  • Enrollment: 4,458
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,793
  • Median SAT: 1550
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#6 Best College for Chinese
Georgetown University

Georgetown University

  • Washington, D.C.

Academic Highlights: The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 60% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. While some classes are a bit larger, only 7% cross the 50-student threshold. Those desiring to join the world of politics or diplomacy are in the right place. The Government and International Affairs programs are among the best in the country. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (38%) followed by business (20%), interdisciplinary studies (8%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 75% of members of the Class of 2022 entered the workforce, 19% went directly into a graduate or professional program of study, and 3% were still seeking employment. The Class of 2022 sent massive numbers of graduates to a number of major corporations including JPMorgan Chase (22), Citi (21), BOA (18), Morgan Stanley (16), and EY (10). Those attending grad school stay at Georgetown or flock to other elite schools like Columbia and Harvard.

  • Enrollment: 7,900
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,000
  • Median SAT: 1500
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

#7 Best College for Chinese
University of Notre Dame

University of Notre Dame

  • Notre Dame, IN

Academic Highlights: 75 majors are offered across six undergraduate colleges: the School of Architecture, the College of Arts and Letters, the Mendoza School of Business (one of the country’s best business schools), the College of Engineering, the Keough School of Global Affairs, and the College of Science. In 2022, the most degrees were conferred in business (20%), the social sciences (18%), engineering (12%), and biology (8%). A solid 60% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students, and 15% have single-digit numbers. 75% of Notre Dame undergrads study abroad.

Professional Outcomes: 69% of 2022 grads directly entered the world of employment, with the most common industries being financial services (21%), consulting (17%), technology (12%), and health services (9%). Massive numbers of alumni can be found at Deloitte, EY, PwC, IBM, Accenture, Booz Allen Hamilton, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and McKinsey & Co. The median early-career salary was $76,000. Of the 20% of grads who went directly into their graduate/professional studies, 18% were pursuing medical degrees and 9% were studying law.

  • Enrollment: 8,971 (undergraduate); 4,134 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,125
  • Median SAT: 1500
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 13%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

#8 Best College for Chinese
Pomona College

Pomona College

  • Claremont, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 48 majors and minors to select from with the most popular being social sciences (23%), biology (13%), and computer science (12%). Majors in economics, international relations, chemistry, and mathematics receive especially high marks. More than 600 courses are on the menu at Pomona alone, but students can access any of the Claremont Consortium’s 2,700 courses. Pomona’s 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio leads to an average class size of only 15 students, and over 50% of the undergraduate population conduct research alongside a faculty member.

Professional Outcomes: 71% of the Class of 2022 were employed within six months of graduating. Overall, the largest number of alumni can be found at Google, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta. Recently, economics degree-earners have landed jobs at Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, or Accenture. Majors in the hard sciences frequently landed at top research laboratories and hospitals. Of the 21% of 2022 grads who were accepted directly into graduate school, the most frequently attended institutions included the University of Cambridge, Duke, Harvard, Caltech, UChicago, and Stanford.

  • Enrollment: 1,761
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,296
  • Median SAT: 1520
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#9 Best College for Chinese
University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Los Angeles

  • Los Angeles, CA

Academic Highlights: UCLA offers 125 majors in 100+ academic departments, and more than 60 majors require a capstone experience that results in the creation of a tangible product under the mentorship of faculty members. The most commonly conferred degrees are in the social sciences (25%), biology (16%), psychology (11%), mathematics (8%), and engineering (7%). Departmental rankings are high across the board, especially in computer science, engineering, film, fine and performing arts, mathematics, and political science.

Professional Outcomes: UCLA grads flow most heavily into the research, finance, computer science, and engineering sectors. High numbers of recent grads can be found at Disney, Google, EY, Teach for America, Amazon, and Oracle. Hundreds also can be found at Bloomberg, Deloitte, Mattel, Oracle, and SpaceX. The average starting salary exceeds $55,000. 16% of recent grads enrolled directly in a graduate/professional school, with other CA-based institutions like Stanford, Pepperdine, USC, Berkeley, and Loyola Marymount being the most popular.

  • Enrollment: 33,040 (undergraduate); 15,010 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $38,517 (in-state); $71,091 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 9%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#10 Best College for Chinese
United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

  • Annapolis, MD

Academic Highlights: The Naval Academy has some of the top-ranked undergraduate engineering programs in the world with standout reputations in aerospace, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering. 26 different undergraduate programs are offered in a variety of disciplines, but at least 65% of each class must complete degrees in a STEM discipline in order to meet the highly technological needs of the Navy. Close to three-quarters of course sections will contain fewer than 20 students, and the student-to-faculty ratio is a stellar 7:1.

Professional Outcomes: USNA midshipmen have a mandatory five-year military commitment upon graduating, so the vast majority immediately become ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Very few are cleared to enter graduate school directly after receiving their bachelor’s. However, upon entering civilian employment/life, alumni flock to companies that include Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and McKinsey and Co. They also enjoy some of the highest average salaries of any alumni group in the country.

  • Enrollment: 1,175
  • Cost of Attendance: $0
  • Median SAT: 1330
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 9%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 86%

#11 Best College for Chinese
United States Military Academy

United States Military Academy

  • West Point, NY

Academic Highlights: There are 37 majors at West Point, and students must conquer a minimum of 13 courses within their area of study as well as 24-27 courses in West Point’s core academic program. Almost 98% of class sections at West Point enroll fewer than 20 students, and plenty of research opportunities exist within each department. West Point is one of the best undergraduate engineering colleges in the country and has standout programs in civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Professional Outcomes: West Point graduates must honor their eight-year military commitment (five years of active duty, three in the reserves), and many continue their military careers beyond those requirements. When they do enter the workforce, large numbers of alumni land at Amazon, Microsoft, Deloitte, Meta, Google, ExxonMobil, Johnson & Johnson, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs, with mean mid-career pay in excess of $125,000. With military duties to fulfill, only a small percentage of cadets matriculate directly into graduate programs.

  • Enrollment: 4,393
  • Cost of Attendance: $0
  • Median SAT: 1350
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#12 Best College for Chinese
Williams College

Williams College

  • Williamstown, MA

Academic Highlights: The school’s 25 academic departments offer 36 majors and a number of concentrations rather than minors. An unparalleled 40% of courses have fewer than ten students enrolled; the median class size is 12 students. Programs in economics, English, history, math, and political science are especially renowned, and the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (26%), the physical sciences (10%), math and statistics (9%), psychology (9%), and computer science (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Among the Class of 2022, 92% were employed or continuing their educational journey within six months of graduating. Business and education typically attract the most students, with popular companies/organizations including Apple, Google, Goldman Sachs, The New York Times Co., the Peace Corps, and Teach for America. The median annual income for 2022 grads was $75,000. 75% pursue an advanced degree within five years of leaving Williams, with the most frequently attended graduate programs being Harvard, Columbia, and Yale.

  • Enrollment: 2,152 (undergraduate); 53 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $81,160
  • Median SAT: 1520
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 8%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#13 Best College for Chinese
Hamilton College

Hamilton College

  • Clinton, NY

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, and without any pesky graduate students to get in the way, face time with professors is a regular occurrence. In fact, 28% of all classes have nine or fewer students; 72% have nineteen or fewer. Economics, government, and biology are among the strongest and most popular majors; other standout programs include public policy, mathematics, and environmental studies. Thirty percent of students earn social science degrees, with biology (13%), visual and performing arts (9%), physical science (7%), and foreign languages (7%) next in line.

Professional Outcomes: Examining the 491 graduates in Hamilton’s Class of 2022, an enviable 97% wasted no time landing jobs, graduate school acceptances, or fellowships. The most commonly entered industries were finance (17%), education (13%), business (12%), and science/tech (11%). Only 17% of 2022 graduates went directly into an advanced degree program. In one recent year, 33% of Hamilton grads were studying a STEM field, 22% were in the social sciences, 17% pursued a health care degree, and 5% went to law school.

  • Enrollment: 2,075
  • Cost of Attendance: $82,430
  • Median SAT: 1490
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

#14 Best College for Chinese
Duke University

Duke University

  • Durham, NC

Academic Highlights: The academic offerings at Duke include 53 majors, 52 minors, and 23 interdisciplinary certificates. Class sizes are on the small side—71% are nineteen or fewer, and almost one-quarter are less than ten. A stellar 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio helps keep classes so reasonable even while catering to five figures worth of graduate students. Computer Science is the most popular area of concentration (11%), followed by economics (10%), public policy (9%), biology (8%), and computer engineering (7%).

Professional Outcomes: At graduation, approximately 70% of Duke diploma-earners enter the world of work, 20% continue into graduate schools, and 2% start their own businesses. The industries that attract the largest percentage of Blue Devils are tech (21%), finance (15%), business (15%), healthcare (9%), and science/research (6%). Of the 20% headed into graduate school, a hefty 22% are attending medical school, 18% are in PhD programs, and 12% are entering law school. The med school acceptance rate is 85%, more than twice the national average.

  • Enrollment: 6,640
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,238
  • SAT Range: 1490-1570
  • ACT Range: 34-35
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 97%

#15 Best College for Chinese
St. Olaf College

St. Olaf College

  • Northfield, MN

Academic Highlights: St. Olaf offers 45+ majors. Over half of all course sections contain fewer than twenty students, and there are multiple avenues through which students can pursue research experiences. The most commonly conferred degrees are in the social sciences (18%), the visual and performing arts (11%), biology (11%), psychology (8%), and foreign languages (7%). Many departments at St. Olaf have exceptional national reputations including religion, mathematics, and chemistry.

Professional Outcomes: In 2022, 98% of graduates had entered the workforce or graduate school within six months of receiving their diplomas. The great majority of alumni remain in the Greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area, which impacts what companies hire the most Oles. To name names, alumni have the largest representation at Target, UnitedHealth Group, the Mayo Clinic, Wells Fargo, Medtronic, 3M, and US Bank. The school is also a top producer of future PhDs.

  • Enrollment: 3,074
  • Cost of Attendance: $72,070
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 52%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#16 Best College for Chinese
University of Wisconsin – Madison

University of Wisconsin – Madison

  • Madison, WI

Academic Highlights: There are 230+ undergraduate majors offered across eight schools and colleges, including the top-ranked School of Business and College of Engineering as well as the College of Letters and Science, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the Schools of Nursing, Education, Pharmacy, and Human Ecology. Undergrads can expect a mix of large and small classes, with 44% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students. Business (18%), biology (12%), the social sciences (11%), and engineering (10%) are most popular.

Professional Outcomes: In a recent year, 46% of job-seeking grads graduated with an offer.  Top employers included UW-Madison, Epic, Kohl’s, Oracle, Deloitte, and UW Health. Across all graduating years, companies employing 250+ alumni include Google, Target, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, PwC, Accenture, and Meta. 28% of recent grads enrolled directly in graduate/professional school; the majority stayed at UW–Madison while others headed to Columbia, Northwestern, and Carnegie Mellon. The university is the top producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

  • Enrollment: 37,230 (undergraduate); 12,656 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,916 (in-state); $58,912 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 49%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#17 Best College for Chinese
University of Michigan

University of Michigan

  • Ann Arbor, MI

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges, and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) enrolls the majority of students. The Ross School of Business offers highly rated programs in entrepreneurship, management, accounting, and finance. The College of Engineering is also one of the best in the country. By degrees conferred, engineering (15%), computer science (14%), and the social sciences (11%) are most popular. A solid 56% of classes have fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school, with healthcare, education, law, banking, research, nonprofit work, and consulting being the most popular sectors. Within three months, 99% of Ross grads are employed with a median salary of $90k. Top employers include Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, EY, Morgan Stanley, PwC, Deloitte, and Amazon.  Within six months, 96% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $84k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta employ the greatest number of alumni.

  • Enrollment: 32,695 (undergraduate); 18,530 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,450 (in-state); $76,294 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1470
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 18%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#18 Best College for Chinese
Emory University

Emory University

  • Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: This midsize university offers a diverse array of majors (80+) and minors (60+), and 30% of Emory students pursue more than one area of study. Over half of Emory’s student body works directly with a faculty member on academic research and 58% of courses have class sizes of under twenty students. Ultimately, the greatest number of students go on to earn degrees in the social sciences (15%), biology (14%), business (14%), health professions (12%), and mathematics (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 66% of 2022 grads were already employed, and 96% had arrived at their next destination. The top employers of recent Emory grads include Deloitte, Epic, ScribeAmerica, Meta, Morgan Stanley, and Cloudmed. Graduates of the Goizueta Business School found strong starting salaries with an average of $81k.  In the last few years, multiple Emory grads/alums received acceptance letters from the following top law schools like Columbia, Berkeley, and Georgetown. Med school acceptances included Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

  • Enrollment: 7,101
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,702
  • Median SAT: 1500
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 90%

#19 Best College for Chinese
Bates College

Bates College

  • Lewiston, ME

Academic Highlights: Thirty-four percent of courses at Bates have a single-digit enrollment, and 63% of classrooms contain nineteen or fewer students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1, and not a single graduate student is present to vacuum up professorial attention. Twenty-eight percent of all degrees earned at Bates are in the social sciences, and psychology (14%), biology (13%), and the physical sciences (7%) are next in popularity. Though strong across many disciplines, Bates boasts exemplary programs in political science, art, philosophy, economics, and psychology.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 99% of the Class of 2022 were either employed, enrolled in graduate school, or otherwise meaningfully engaged in a fellowship or internship. The most frequently entered fields were healthcare (17%), education (16%), finance/banking (14%), and technology (7%). Within ten years of graduation, approximately 13% of Bates graduates are in, or have completed, law school whereas 7% enroll in medical school.

  • Enrollment: 1,790
  • Cost of Attendance: $81,382
  • Median SAT: 1430
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 14%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

#20 Best College for Chinese
Wellesley College

Wellesley College

  • Wellesley, MA

Academic Highlights: There are 50+ departmental and interdisciplinary majors. Thirty-six percent of course sections have single-digit enrollments while 77% have 19 or fewer students. In addition, opportunities for participation in research with faculty members abound. Most programs possess sterling reputations, including chemistry, computer science, neuroscience, and political science, but the Department of Economics shines most brightly, leading many into PhD programs and high-profile careers. Economics, biology, and computer science are the most frequently conferred degrees.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 97% of the Class of 2022 had achieved positive outcomes. Of the 76% of grads who were employed, 24% were working in the finance/consulting/business fields, 17% in education, 17% in internet and technology & engineering, and 15% in healthcare/life sciences. Top employers included JPMorgan Chase, Google, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Goldman Sachs. The average starting salary for one recent cohort was a solid $63k. Of the 20% of 2022 grads who directly entered an advanced degree program, common schools attended included Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Stanford, MIT, and Emory.

  • Enrollment: 2,447
  • Cost of Attendance: $84,240
  • Median SAT: 1490
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 14%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 90%

#21 Best College for Chinese
Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College

  • Swarthmore, PA

Academic Highlights: Swarthmore offers forty undergraduate programs and runs 600+ courses each academic year. Small, seminar-style courses are the norm—an outstanding 33% of sections enroll fewer than ten students, and 70% contain a maximum of nineteen students. Social science degrees are the most commonly conferred, accounting for 24% of all 2022 graduates. Future businessmen/women, engineers, and techies are also well-positioned, given Swat’s incredibly strong offerings in economics, engineering, and computer science.

Professional Outcomes: 68% of Class of 2022 grads entered the workforce shortly after graduation. Popular industries included education (17%), consulting (16%), and financial services (13%); the median starting salary was $60,000. Google is a leading employer of Swarthmore grads followed by Amazon, Goldman Sachs, IBM, and a number of the top universities.  18% of 2022 grads pursued advanced degrees, with 35% pursuing a PhD, 35% entering master’s programs, 10% heading to law school, and 7% matriculating into medical school.

  • Enrollment: 1,625
  • Cost of Attendance: $81,376
  • Median SAT: 1500
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%

#22 Best College for Chinese
Colgate University

Colgate University

  • Hamilton, NY

Academic Highlights: Fifty-six majors are on tap at Colgate, including all of the expected liberal arts concentrations. With a student-faculty ratio of 9:1 and an average class size of 16, Colgate undergraduates work intimately with their instructors. The social sciences account for 35% of all degrees conferred and, within that umbrella, economics, political science, and English are among the most popular and most well-regarded majors.

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after graduation, only a small number of Colgate alumni are still looking for work; in 2022, that group represented less than 2% of the graduating class. A substantial 80% had already landed full-time jobs. Employers hiring the most Colgate grads included BOA, Merrill Lynch, JP Morgan, EY, Wayfair, and the NIH. 85-95% of law school applicants are accepted into one of their target institutions. The medical school numbers were even more impressive with 100% of graduating seniors gaining acceptance into at least one med school.

  • Enrollment: 3,130
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,814
  • Median SAT: 1470
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

#23 Best College for Chinese
College of the Holy Cross

College of the Holy Cross

  • Worcester, MA

Academic Highlights: The college offers thirty traditional majors as well as additional subjects in which one can pursue a student-designed major. The average class size is a manageable 19 students, and 62% of courses have enrollments lower than that. There are no majors that undergrads flock to in overwhelming numbers, but the most popular are the social sciences (29%), psychology (14%), history (7%), and biology (6%). All of those popular departments also rank well nationally.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after moving their tassels to the left, 68% of the Class of 2021 (most recent stats available) were employed, 19% were in graduate school, and only 3% were still seeking full-time employment. Organizations employing more than one recent graduate include Fidelity Investments, JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Massachusetts General Hospital, Deloitte, EY, PwC, Oracle, and Dell. Among those enrolled in graduate school, 14% were in law school, 14% were pursuing degrees in a health profession, and 6% were in PhD programs.

  • Enrollment: 3,233
  • Cost of Attendance: $78,600
  • Median SAT: 1360
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 36%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

#24 Best College for Chinese
Vassar College

Vassar College

  • Poughkeepsie, NY

Academic Highlights: Vassar students have the choice of 50 majors and only three foundational curricular mandates, which means that there is plenty of room to explore electives and intellectual passions. A 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 17 students, and 23% of all sections have an enrollment of nine or fewer. Professors are extremely available outside the classroom. The most popular majors are in the social sciences, biology, the visual and performing arts, foreign languages, and psychology.

Professional Outcomes: 93% of alums enjoy positive outcomes within six months of graduation, with 20% enrolling directly in a graduate or professional degree program. A solid number land at competitive companies like Google, Meta, EY, Deloitte, Microsoft, Citi, and Amazon. Elite universities such as Harvard, Penn, NYU, and Columbia are also among the top employers of former students, many of whom earn advanced degrees and enter academia. The school is one of the top 15 PhD producers.

  • Enrollment: 2,459
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,220
  • Median SAT: 1480
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 19%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

#25 Best College for Chinese
Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

  • Pittsburgh, PA

Academic Highlights: There are a combined 80+ undergraduate majors and 90 minors available across the six schools. Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with 36% containing single digits. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (21%), computer science (16%), mathematics (12%), business (10%), and visual and performing arts (9%).

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 66% of 2022 grads were employed, and 28% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, McKinsey, and Deloitte. With an average starting salary of $105,194, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally. Of those pursuing graduate education, around 20% typically enroll immediately in PhD programs.

  • Enrollment: 7,509
  • Cost of Attendance: $84,412
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

#26 Best College for Chinese
University of California, San Diego

University of California, San Diego

  • San Diego, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 140+ undergraduate majors offered at UCSD, and all students join one of eight undergraduate colleges meant to forge flourishing communities within the larger university. Biology has the highest representation of all majors (19%) followed by engineering (12%), the social sciences (11%), and computer science (9%). UCSD’s computer science and engineering programs have stellar reputations in the corporate and tech communities, and programs in biology, economics, and political science are among the best anywhere.

Professional Outcomes: Employers of recent graduates included the Walt Disney Company, Tesla, NBC Universal, PwC, Northrop Grumman, and EY. More than 1,000 current Google employees are UC San Diego alumni, and Qualcomm, Amazon, and Apple all employ 500+ each. The median early career salary is $65,000 across all majors, placing the university in the top 10 public universities in the country. UCSD also fares well in measures of its return-on-investment potential.

  • Enrollment: 33,096 (undergraduate); 8,386 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,830 (in-state); $64,404 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 25%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#27 Best College for Chinese
University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

  • Kingston, RI

Academic Highlights: URI hosts students from 48 states and 66 countries, all of who have come for the school’s 100+ majors and minors and the respectable 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Overall, 39% of undergraduate sections enroll 19 or fewer students. Health professions is the most commonly earned degree area (15%), followed by business (14%), journalism (8%), engineering (8%), biology (8%), and the social sciences (8%). Nursing, CS, business, psychology, and economics are all well-respected programs by employers and grad schools.

Professional Outcomes: Nursing majors at URI have a 92% employment rate and an average starting salary of $75,000. Including all majors, 75% of grads go right into the world of employment and 15% go directly into graduate school. The companies employing the largest number of URI alumni include Fidelity Investments, Lifespan, CVS Health, Moderna, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Takeda, and Microsoft.

  • Enrollment: 13,927
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,308 (In-State); $50,704 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 76%
  • Retention Rate: 85%
  • Graduation Rate: 71%

#28 Best College for Chinese
Carleton College

Carleton College

  • Northfield, MN

Academic Highlights: Students work closely with their professors, and the college is routinely rated atop lists of best undergraduate teaching institutions. Small classes are the norm with the average being only sixteen students. It offers 33 majors, the most popular of which are within the disciplines of the social sciences (19%), the physical sciences (14%), biology (11%), computer science (11%), mathematics (10%), and psychology (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Target, Epic Systems, Google, Wells Fargo, and Amazon all employ large numbers of graduates. Carleton is a breeding ground for future scholars as a ridiculously high number of graduates go on to earn PhDs. In fact, by percentage, Carleton is one of the top five producers in the country of future PhDs. They produce an incredible number of doctoral degree holders in the areas of economics, math, political science, sociology, chemistry, physics, biology, and history.

  • Enrollment: 2,034
  • Cost of Attendance: $82,167
  • Median SAT: 1490
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 17%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

#29 Best College for Chinese
University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Berkeley

  • Berkeley, CA

Academic Highlights: More than 150 undergraduate majors and minors are available across six schools: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Chemistry, the College of Engineering, the College of Environmental Design, the College of Natural Resources, and the Haas School of Business. Many departments have top international reputations including computer science, engineering, chemistry, English, psychology, and economics. 22% of sections contain nine or fewer students, and over 55% of students assist faculty with a research project or complete a research methods course.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduating, 49% of Cal’s Class of 2022 had already secured employment, and 20% were headed to graduate school. Business is the most popular sector, attracting 62% of employed grads; next up are industrial (17%), education (8%), and nonprofit work (7%). The median starting salary was $86,459 across all majors. Thousands of alumni can be found in the offices of Google, Apple, and Meta, and 500+ Golden Bears are currently employed by Oracle, Amazon, and Microsoft. The school is the number one all-time producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

  • Enrollment: 32,831 (undergraduate); 12,914 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $48,574 (in-state); $82,774 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%

#30 Best College for Chinese
Macalester College

Macalester College

  • St. Paul, MN

Academic Highlights: Students can choose from roughly 40 majors and over 800 courses that are offered each academic year. Being an undergraduate-only institution, Macalester students enjoy the full benefits of the school’s 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The average class size is only 17 students, and 14% of class sections have single-digit enrollments. Macalester possesses strong offerings across many different disciplines. Programs in economics, international studies, and mathematics are among the best anywhere.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 95% of the Macalester Class of 2022 had found employment, graduate school, or a fellowship. Employers of recent grads include ABC News, Google, Goldman Sachs, Dow Chemical Company, McKinsey & Company, the ACLU, the National Cancer Institute, and National Geographic. Across all sectors, the average starting salary for recent grads was above $62k. Sixty percent of Mac grads pursue an advanced degree within six years of earning their bachelor’s.

  • Enrollment: 2,175
  • Cost of Attendance: $79,890
  • Median SAT: 1430
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 28%
  • Retention Rate: 88%
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

#31 Best College for Chinese
Tufts University

Tufts University

  • Medford, MA

Academic Highlights: Three schools serve Tufts’ undergraduate population: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts. The three schools combined offer more than 90 majors and minors; approximately one-third of all students double major, and half declare a minor. 15% of all courses see fewer than ten students enrolled, and 60% have sub-twenty enrollments. The most popular majors include international relations, economics, computer science, political science, and biology—all of which receive very high marks.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after earning their diplomas, 97% of 2022 graduates were employed or attending graduate school. The most commonly entered fields were finance, consulting, real estate (23%); engineering and technology (22%); health, life sciences, environmental (21%); and education, advocacy, social services (11%). Prolific employers of Tufts alums include Booz Allen Hamilton, JPMorgan, MITRE, Google, Deloitte, Amazon, Raytheon, Morgan Stanley, and BlackRock. Of the 21% of 2022 grads who went directly to graduate school, 85% were accepted into their first-choice institution.

  • Enrollment: 6,815 (undergraduate); 6,616 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,300
  • Median SAT: 1500
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 10%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 94%

#32 Best College for Chinese
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

  • Chapel Hill, NC

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can choose from 74 bachelor’s degree programs in a number of schools and colleges, the largest of which is the College of Arts & Sciences. 44% of classes have a student enrollment under 20. The social sciences (15%), biology (12%), media/journalism (9%), computer science (8%), and business (6%) are the areas in which the most degrees are conferred. The Kenan-Flager Business School is internationally renowned and requires separate admission. Other strong programs include those in chemistry, journalism, psychology, and political science.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after leaving Chapel Hill, 97% of 2022 grads had entered employment, military service, or graduate school. Among the for-profit companies that hire the most graduates are Wells Fargo, IBM, Cisco, Deloitte, EY, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle, McKinsey & Company, and Goldman Sachs. In the nonprofit sector, a large number of alumni are employed by AmeriCorps, NIH, Teach for America, and the Peace Corps. The average starting salary is $70,619. 18% of 2022 grads enrolled directly in graduate/professional school.

  • Enrollment: 20,210 (undergraduate); 11,739 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,036 (in-state); $60,040 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1450
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 17%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

#33 Best College for Chinese
Kenyon College

Kenyon College

  • Gambier, OH

Academic Highlights: Kenyon offers 50 majors, minors, and concentrations that allow students to complete their education with few non-departmental core requirements. The student-faculty ratio is 10-to-1, and the average class size is 15. Twenty-nine percent of classes are even more intimate, offering single-digit enrollments. English, economics, psychology, political science, and the visual and performing arts are all popular majors. As alluded to earlier, the drama program is one of the country’s finest and has a lengthy alumni list of recognizable actors.

Professional Outcomes: Ninety-two percent of grads find their next step within six months of graduation. Popular fields for Kenyon grads include education, health care, marketing, nonprofit management, research, and writing and editing. Eighteen percent of grads enroll directly in graduate school, and within five years of completing their undergraduate education at Kenyon, 50% have already finished an advanced degree program and 70% are enrolled in one. Medical schools acceptances include Johns Hopkins, Duke, Harvard, Tufts, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern.

  • Enrollment: 1,885
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,740
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 34%
  • Retention Rate: 88%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

#34 Best College for Chinese
University of Virginia

University of Virginia

  • Charlottesville, VA

Academic Highlights: Undergrads can study within one of seven colleges/schools, which all offer many small classes; 15% boast single-digit enrollment and 48% contain 19 or fewer students. The McIntire School of Commerce and the School of Engineering and Applied Science have glowing reputations. Other notable strengths include computer science, economics, and political philosophy, policy, and law. The most popular degree areas are liberal arts/general studies (22%), the social sciences (14%), engineering (11%), business/marketing (8%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their degree, 95% of the Class of 2022 immediately joined the workforce–with an average starting salary of $90k–or headed directly to graduate school. The most popular industries were internet & software, higher education, and management consulting. Capital One (85), Deloitte (46), Amazon (38), and Bain & Co. (26) scooped up the greatest number of 2022 grads. UVA itself was the most popular grad school destination followed by Columbia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Johns Hopkins.

  • Enrollment: 17,496 (undergraduate); 8,653 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $39,494-49,874 (in-state); $78,214-90,378 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1470
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 19%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#35 Best College for Chinese
Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University

  • Winston-Salem, NC

Academic Highlights: All freshmen enter the Undergraduate College, which offers 45 majors and 60 minors. Sporting a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, classes are kept on the small side with 59% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students. 60% of students engage in hands-on research for academic credit. Wake Forest is strong across myriad disciplines, most notably chemistry, communication, accounting, finance, and international affairs. The most frequently conferred degrees are in business (22%), the social sciences (20%), journalism (8%), and biology (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 97% of the Class of 2022 had found their next destination, with 71% starting their first professional job and 26% matriculating into a graduate program. Management/consulting, investment banking, and healthcare were the top three industries. Employers landing the highest numbers of alumni included national and multinational corporations IBM, Siemens, Volvo, Goldman Sachs, Disney, Deloitte, Dell, Gucci, PepsiCo, EY, and Nike. By the start of mid-career, Wake Forest alumni earn the second-highest median salary of any school in North Carolina.

  • Enrollment: 5,447 (undergraduate); 3,516 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,622
  • Median SAT: 1450
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 21%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 90%

#36 Best College for Chinese
The Ohio State University — Columbus

The Ohio State University — Columbus

  • Columbus, OH

Academic Highlights: There are 200+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. Business sees the greatest percentage of degrees conferred at 18% followed by engineering (15%), health professions (10%), and the social sciences (9%). It makes sense that so many flock to the business and engineering schools as they are among the highest-rated undergraduate programs in their respective disciplines. 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and approximately 20% of students gain research experience.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 56% of Class of 2022 graduates were entering the world of employment while 17% were already accepted into graduate or professional school.  Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, more than 1,000 are employed by Amazon, and more than 600 work for Google and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.

  • Enrollment: 45,728 (undergraduate); 14,318 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,241 (in-state); $52,747 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1340-1450
  • Median ACT: 29-32
  • Acceptance Rate: 53%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#37 Best College for Chinese
University of California, Davis

University of California, Davis

  • Davis, CA

Academic Highlights: UC Davis offers 100+ undergraduate majors across four schools: the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Biological Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Letters and Science. 50% engage in some type of research/creative project outside the classroom. The areas of study with the largest number of degrees awarded were biology, the social sciences, psychology, and engineering. Programs in engineering, computer science, and animal science are nationally renowned.

Professional Outcomes: Many recent grads found homes at Silicon Valley or other California-based employers. Corporations employing 200 or more Aggies include Genentech, Google, Apple, Cisco, Meta, Oracle, Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce, and LinkedIn. Ten years out of school, median earnings rise to $112k. Within one year of graduating, 39% of Aggies elect to continue their education; the most popular degrees pursued are master’s, MDs or other health doctorates, law, and MBA/MPA.

 

 

  • Enrollment: 31,797 (undergraduate); 9,053 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $41,389 (in-state); $73,963 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 42%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

#38 Best College for Chinese
Bennington College

Bennington College

  • Bennington, VT

Academic Highlights: Bennington allows students to design their own course of study and blows through the boundaries of a traditional major. An enviable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio allows for small class sections. In fact, 63% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors all fall under the visual arts umbrella (39%). This is followed by English (11%), the social sciences (10%), foreign language (7%), and computer science (5%).

Professional Outcomes: 100% of Bennington students complete at least four internships/research experiences. It’s no wonder that six months after graduation, 93% of grads have found employment or a grad school home. Overall, 76% of alumni are presently working in a field that relates to their area of study. The average starting salary is $45,000 but this increases to $95,000 for those who earn STEM degrees. The top ten grad schools attended include Boston University, Columbia, Harvard, UVM, NYU, and Simmons College.

  • Enrollment: 785
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,284
  • Median SAT: 1340
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 45%
  • Retention Rate: 84%
  • Graduation Rate: 70%

#39 Best College for Chinese
University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Santa Barbara

  • Santa Barbara, CA

Academic Highlights: There are 90 undergraduate majors across three schools: the College of Letters and Science, the College of Engineering, and the College of Creative Studies. The social sciences are the most popular area of study, accounting for 27% of the total degrees conferred. Biology (10%), math (9%), and psychology (9%) are next in popularity. The school has highly regarded programs in communication, computer science, engineering, physics, environmental science, and the performing arts. More than half of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 72% enroll 29 or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of earning their diplomas, 84% of grads had found employment. The most popular industries were science/research (16%), engineering/computer programming (14%), business (13%), finance/accounting (11%), and sales (10%). Top employers of recent grads include Google, EY, KPMG, Oracle, Amazon, IBM, and Adobe. Many alumni also can be found at Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce. Two years after graduating, UCSB alumni make an average salary of $55k; more than half make $100k by mid-career.

  • Enrollment: 23,460 (undergraduate); 2,961 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $41,289 (in-state); $73,863 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 28%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 86%

#40 Best College for Chinese
University of Maryland, College Park

University of Maryland, College Park

  • College Park, MD

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can select from 100+ majors across twelve colleges. 18% of degrees are conferred in computer science, followed by the social sciences (13%), with  criminology, government and politics, and economics being the most popular majors.  Engineering (13%), business (11%), and biology (8%) are next in line. The School of Business, the School of Engineering, and the College of Journalism are all top-ranked, as are programs in computer science and criminology. 46% of sections enroll fewer than twenty students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 96% of Class of 2022 grads had positive outcomes. 67% found employment; the companies/organizations that hired the greatest number of grads included Northrop Grumman, Deloitte, Amazon, and EY. Meta, Apple, and Google employ more than 200 alumni each.  The mid-50% salary range for 2022 grads was $55k-$83k. 21% of the Class of 2022 headed directly to graduate and professional school; 11% entered doctoral programs, 5% entered medical school, and 5% entered law school.

  • Enrollment: 30,353 (undergraduate); 10,439 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,540 (in-state); $60,918 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 84%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#41 Best College for Chinese
Grinnell College

Grinnell College

  • Grinnell, IA

Academic Highlights: Grinnell offers 42 areas of study and over 500 courses each semester. Thanks to a 9:1 student/faculty ratio and no competition from graduate students, 64% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and roughly one-quarter of sections have single-digit student enrollments. A top producer of PhDs in both the sciences and the social sciences, Grinnell has strong offerings in biology, chemistry, physics, economics, and history. The largest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences, foreign languages, biology, and computer science.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduation, 62% of Grinnell students head into the workforce, 26% to graduate school, 2% to postgraduate service, and 2% earned fellowships. Multiple recent grads accepted positions with JPMorgan, Epic, and Google. The mean salary of those employed was roughly $64,397. Close to 40% of those entering graduate school pursue PhDs or master’s degrees in the hard sciences, 8% head to law school, and 3% were bound for medical school; 88% of all applicants were accepted into their first or second choice program.

  • Enrollment: 1,759
  • Cost of Attendance: $82,890
  • Median SAT: 1460
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#42 Best College for Chinese
Brigham Young University

Brigham Young University

  • Provo, UT

Academic Highlights: Thirteen percent of sections contain more than fifty students. However, those lecture hall courses are balanced with classes of more modest size; 47% of courses have nineteen or fewer students. The areas where the most degrees were conferred in 2022 were business (14%), biology (12%), engineering (8%), health professions (7%), and the social sciences (7%). The programs with the strongest national reputations are those within the Marriott School of Business and, to a slightly lesser extent, the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering.

Professional Outcomes: By a wide margin, the two largest employers of BYU alums are the university itself and the LDS Church. However, there are hundreds of Cougars working at major corporations including Adobe, Google, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. The median salary of a 2022 grad was $62,500. Brigham Young is in the same league with Berkeley, Cornell, the University of Michigan, and the University of Wisconsin in terms of producing future PhDs. Over the past decade, more than 3,000 alumni have gone on to earn doctoral degrees.

  • Enrollment: 34,401
  • Cost of Attendance: $23,052 (in-state); $38,076 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1360
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 78%

#43 Best College for Chinese
Boston University

Boston University

  • Boston, MA

Academic Highlights: In total, the university offers more than 300 programs of study, 100+ of which are distinct undergraduate degrees spread across ten schools/colleges. Many classes at BU are reasonably small—60% contain fewer than twenty students; only 19% contain more than forty. The student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in social sciences (16%), business/marketing (15%), communications and journalism (15%), biology (11%), engineering (9%), and health professions/related sciences (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 90% of BU grads have found their way into the world of employment or full-time graduate study. Across all graduating years, companies employing more than 350 BU alums include Google, Oracle, Accenture, IBM, and Amazon Web Services. Of the one-quarter of grads who move directly into graduate school, many are welcomed onto the campuses of elite graduate programs. For example, engineering students found new academic homes at MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia.

  • Enrollment: 18,459
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,363
  • Median SAT: 1430
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 14%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#44 Best College for Chinese
Dickinson College

Dickinson College

  • Carlisle, PA

Academic Highlights: As students immerse themselves in one of 46 areas of concentration, Dickinson supports them with a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of fifteen, with 78% of classes being capped at 19 students. By discipline, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (27%), biology (12%), business (10%), psychology (7%), and foreign languages (5%). The college’s foreign language program, which features 13 offerings—including Arabic, Hebrew, and Portuguese—is recognized as one of the top programs in the country.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 95% of Dickinson grads have found jobs or full-time volunteer work, or have enrolled in graduate school. Companies employing more than 25 Dickinson alumni include Deloitte, IBM, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Merck, EY, PNC, PwC, Google, and Amazon. It’s interesting that more alumni can be found in New York City than in Pennsylvania. Within five years of receiving their diplomas, 55-60% of recent grads have entered or finished graduate school.

  • Enrollment: 2,125
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,151
  • Median SAT: 1355
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 35%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#45 Best College for Chinese
George Washington University

George Washington University

  • Washington, D.C.

Academic Highlights: GW undergraduates choose from 75+ majors spread across nine colleges. The school’s 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio translates to a mix of small, medium, and large undergraduate sections. Twelve percent of courses have single-digit enrollments, 10% have over 50 students, and the majority fall in the 10 to 29 range. The social sciences (31%) are the area in which the greatest number of degrees are awarded followed by health professions (17%), business (15%), biology (5%), and computer science (5%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving GW, 96% of the Class of 2022 had found their way to gainful employment or graduate school while 4% were still job hunting. Of the 68% of grads already in the workplace, 68% were in a for-profit industry, 25% had entered a nonprofit position, and 8% were working in government. A healthy 27% of those earning their diplomas in 2022 immediately turned their attention to earning an advanced degree. Among that group were 76% seeking master’s degrees, 11% entering law school, 5% pursuing a medical degree, and 3% entering a doctoral program.

  • Enrollment: 11,482
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,740
  • Median SAT: 1410
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 49%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#46 Best College for Chinese
Occidental College

Occidental College

  • Los Angeles, CA

Academic Highlights: 45 majors, minors, and programs are on tap, but all students must first make their way through the Oxy Core Program. 95% of classes enroll fewer than thirty, and the average class size is 16. The most popular degree programs, all of which carry strong reputations with employers and graduate schools, are economics, biology, sociology, psychology, diplomacy and world affairs, mathematics, and urban and environmental policy. Over 30% of all degrees conferred are in the social sciences, 11% are in biology, and 10% are in the visual and performing arts.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduation, 95% of Occidental alumni are employed, pursuing graduate studies, or engaged in both simultaneously. The largest numbers of grads enter community service/education (25%), STEM (23%), and business (20%). Among the largest employers are the Los Angeles Unified School District, Kaiser Permanente, Microsoft, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Google, Morgan Stanley, and Amazon. Starting salaries for recent grads were $52k. Close to 75% of Oxy alumni eventually earn one or more advanced degrees.

  • Enrollment: 1,942
  • Cost of Attendance: $81,730
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 39%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#47 Best College for Chinese
University of Oregon

University of Oregon

  • Eugene, OR

Academic Highlights: Over 80 degree programs are offered, and students flock in large numbers to the social sciences as 19% of degrees conferred fall under this umbrella. The next most popular academic pursuits are communication/journalism (14%), business (14%), psychology (9%), biology (8%) and the visual and performing arts (7%). The Lundquist College of Business and the College of Education have strong national reputations. The median class size is 20 students (37% contain less than that), and an impressive 80% of undergraduate students engage in some type of research activity.

Professional Outcomes: Members of the Class of 2022 already had their next destination lined up at graduation with 78% already employed or entering graduate school.  For 73% of that group, their outcomes related directly to the degree that they had just completed. More than 1,000 Oregon alumni work for Nike, and hundreds of others occupy offices at Intel, Amazon, Microsoft, Adidas, Google, Apple, and Salesforce. The median starting salary for a 2022 graduate was $51,000.

  • Enrollment: 19,565 (undergraduate); 3,598 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,721 (in-state); $64,302 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 86%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

#48 Best College for Chinese
University of Massachusetts Amherst

University of Massachusetts Amherst

  • Amherst, MA

Academic Highlights: 110 majors are offered across eight undergraduate colleges, including the highly ranked Isenberg School of Management. Programs in sports management, architecture, computer science, and nursing are top-rated. Of all degrees conferred in 2022, business/marketing diplomas accounted for 14%, followed by biology (11%), social sciences (10%), psychology (8%), health professions (7%), engineering (7%), and computer science (7%). 47% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students, and 30% engage in undergraduate research.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 65% of newly minted 2022 grads were employed full-time and 26% were attending graduate school part-time. The most populated industries are health/medical professions (13%), internet & software (10%), biotech & life sciences (4%), and higher education (4%). Companies presently employing 100+ Minutemen and Minutewomen include Oracle, Mass Mutual, Amazon, IBM, Google, Intel, Microsoft, PwC, Wayfair, and Apple. Boston is the most popular landing spot for graduates.

  • Enrollment: 23,936 (undergraduate); 7,874 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $37,219 (in-state); $59,896 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1380
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 58%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#49 Best College for Chinese
University of Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

  • Pittsburgh, PA

Academic Highlights: Pitt admits freshmen to the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the Swanson School of Engineering, and the School of Nursing. Pitt’s engineering and business schools are top-rated and among the most commonly chosen fields of study. Premed offerings are also top-notch, with majors in the health professions (12%), biology (11%), psychology (9%), and computer science (9%) rounding out the list of most popular majors. Pitt has a strong 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio; 42% of sections have an enrollment of under twenty students.

Professional Outcomes: Within a few months of graduating, 94% of 2022 grads entered full-time employment or full-time graduate or professional school. Engineering, nursing, business, and information sciences majors had 73-86% employment rates while other majors tended to flock to graduate school in large numbers. Employers scooping up the highest number of grads in one recent year included the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (170), PNC (57), BNY Mellon (36), and Deloitte (19). Median starting salaries fluctuated between $37k-65k depending on major.

  • Enrollment: 20,220 (undergraduate); 9,268 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $38,034-$43,254 (in-state); $56,400-$66,840 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1360
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 50%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#50 Best College for Chinese
Trinity University

Trinity University

  • San Antonio, TX

Academic Highlights: Trinity offers 57 majors and a demanding, carefully crafted liberal arts core curriculum. 68% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students, and 80% of students engage in some type of hands-on learning, whether through research or an internship. The well-regarded School of Business is most popular as finance, accounting, and business administration degrees account for 27% of the total degrees conferred. The social sciences (16%), biology (12%), foreign language (6%), and communication (5%) also have strong representation.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their diplomas, 98% of 2022 Trinity grads were either employed full-time or matriculated into graduate school; only 2% were still seeking employment. The companies employing the largest number of alumni include USAA (a San Antonio-based financial firm), PwC, EY, Deloitte, Dell, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, and Amazon. Recent bachelor’s degree earners have been accepted into graduate school at an overall rate of 75%.

  • Enrollment: 2,531 (undergraduate); 163 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $68,224
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 28%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 82%

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Chinese to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including: