16. University of California, Los Angeles (US)

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) offers opportunities for inquiry, discovery, and education – and yet is a close community that provides a sense of belonging. The campus is home to world-renowned faculty who teach in 230 undergraduate and graduate majors, with more than two dozen academic programmes ranked among the top 20 in their disciplines. The faculty provide more than 5,000 courses annually, with two-thirds of undergraduate classes having fewer than 30 students. For many freshmen, the undergraduate experience begins with a year-long Cluster Course, a team-taught exploration of a challenging interdisciplinary topic. In addition, 200 Fiat Lux Seminars are offered, taught by senior faculty in small-group settings in which freshmen have priority enrolment. Undergraduate research projects are available as early as freshman year, and more than half of UCLA students graduate with research experience in the humanities, social sciences, or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) disciplines. UCLA also encourages students to study abroad – more than 2,400 do so each year – with more than 275 programmes in 39 countries. Community service is also a cornerstone of undergraduate education at UCLA. Students can participate through programmes at the Volunteer Center – with more than 220 student groups engaged in community service – as well as on Volunteer Day, which brings together 8,000 UCLA volunteers annually. For more activities outside the classroom, UCLA offers 1,000 student organisations providing students with ample opportunity to pursue interests and projects with fellow students. UCLA is home to leading research centres and institutes, top performing arts programmes, an elite Division I athletics programme and the preeminent hospital in the Western United States.