Why American Universities Are the Best in the World

Abstract

Using lists of great universities, the locations of Nobel laureates, or the extent to which folks from other countries attend colleges, American universities still stand as the world’s best. This is because the curriculum is anchored in the liberal arts, research is curiosity-driven, social mobility is central to the mission, governance is grounded in faculty autonomy and academic freedom, and the partnership with the federal government is unique and extraordinary.