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The top schools in Central America are dominated by the Mexican institutions in North America, several of which have cracked the top spots on the Times Higher Education top 1,000 list.

However, there are plenty of great schools to choose from throughout the region.

We’ve put together a list of our favorite universities in Central America for the next school year.

1.   National Autonomous University of Mexico

The National Autonomous University of Mexico is a public research university based in Mexico City. Its urban campus is a sight to behold and is so unique that it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

UNAM is a highly selective school, admitting only 8% of all applicants. It’s also an important research school in many areas. In fact, every Mexican Nobel laureate has either been alumni of or a faculty member at the school.

UNAM’s student body is incredible. It’s home to 187,195 undergraduates and 26,169 postgraduates. Not all students attend the main Mexico City campus; there are also other campuses across the metropolitan area as well as in other cities catering to graduate studies and research across Mexico.

2.   Central American University Jose Simeon Canas

Central American University, commonly known as UCA El Salvador is a private university based in the El Salvadorian capital of San Salvador. The university is run by the Society of Jesus and is one of many Central and South American universities run by the Jesuits.

The school is small – it’s home to just under 9,000 students and only around 400 staff. Yet, despite its size, the school has played a role in Central American politics. Today, it provides undergraduate and postgraduate programs across many subjects ranging from science to humanities to professional degrees.

3.   University of Panama

Located in Panama City, the University of Panama is a public university with satellite campuses across the country.

It was founded in 1935 with four disciplines and 175 students. Today, the school is home to nearly 75,000 students who have the opportunity to attend an institution that takes its role in global research seriously. The university participates in international research agreements and information exchanges as professors and staff visit institutions around the world.

Are you looking for a school in Central America? Have these three institutions made your list? Let us know in the comments below.

Looking for a best-in-class education but don’t want to pay the private education fees? No problem.

America is home to a diverse array of high-quality public universities, each providing unique opportunities for enrolling students.

Here are four of the best public schools to apply to next year.

CUNY Bernard M Baruch College

CUNY (City University of New York) is the largest urban public university in the US. It’s ranked at the top school by MONEY for 2017-2018.

The most popular majors on this campus tend to lie within the realm of business. Finance, Accounting, Business/Corporate Communications, and Administration and Management are all popular and taught with a student-faculty ratio of 17:1.

The college is located in New York City, and it’s one of the senior colleges in the system. That said, it’s still affordable for New York residents and out-of-state tuition still falls below $20,000 per year. However, because it is in New York City, living costs tend to be high.

University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor is consistently ranked as one of the top public universities in America for undergraduate and post-graduate research and its reign will continue in 2018.

It’s on the expensive side of public colleges – in-state tuition is just south of $15,000 per year and non-resident tuition skyrockets to $47,000.

However, the student-faculty ratio of 15:1 is second to none and is very helpful in some of the school’s most popular majors including Experimental Psychology, Economics, and Physiological Psychology/Psychobiology.

University of Virginia – Charlottesville

The University of Virginia’s main campus in Charlottesville is known for its liberal arts college atmosphere with a wide range of majors including Economics, International Relations and Affairs, Psychology, and Biology.

Situated in a college town, the main campus is close to major metropolitan centers like Washington D.C. but still enjoys a small town feel. It’s so small, in fact, that the student-faculty ratio is 15:1.

In-state tuition is projected to be just above $16,000 in 2018 while out-of-state tuition is nearly $47,000 per year.

Georgia Institute of Technology – Main Campus

The Georgia Institute of Technology is a campus filled with dedicated faculty researchers who are happy to let undergraduate students in on the action.

Students enjoy a 20:1 student-faculty ration across popular majors like Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Biological and Biomedical Sciences.

In-state tuition is projected to be around $12,500 per year. Out-of-state is cheaper compared to other public schools at only $33,000 per year.

Are you headed to any of these schools next year? Share your experiences in the comments.

Canada higher education prowess is long-established. But some of its top colleges have been threatening the top spots traditionally held by UK and US universities.

Indeed, Canadian universities are a dynamic group and each university has its own unique experience to offer both undergraduates and postgraduates.

Considering attending a Canadian school? Check out these top Canadian universities:

1.      University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is widely considered to be the best university in Canada and one of the best universities in the world. Founded in 1827, it’s a public research university with a student body of 60,000 and a staff of 6,000, when you count both teachers and administrators.

Today, the school is famous for the sheer amount of scientific research funding it receives, which far outpaces other Canadian and even many American schools. It’s also a member of the Association of America Universities – the only other member outside of the United States is McGill.

Although famous for science, the University of Toronto has also been a pioneer in the humanities. Additionally, it produces a well-rounded student life with plenty of opportunities to become involved in the university and the greater Toronto area.

2.      McGill University

McGill University, based in Montreal, is another premier research university in Canada. McGill may be based in Canada, but it has an international attitude. In addition to joining the University of Toronto on the association of America Universities, it is also the only Canadian university found in the Global University Leaders Forum, which is a team of the world’s top universities within the World Economic Forum.

With only 40,000 students, the university is smaller than other Canadian universities. Yet, it has produced more Rhodes Scholars and Nobel laureates than the other schools.

McGill, unlike Toronto, has a major arts focus: Twenty-two percent of the student body can be found in the Faculty of Arts. The Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine are home to another significant proportion of the students.

3.      University of British Columbia

The University of British Columba offers everything you know and love about Vancouver and British Columbia wrapped up in two highly competitive campuses.

UBC is spread across two campuses – one in Vancouver and one in Kelowna. Although it is competitive, it also tries to attract the best and brightest regardless of their background with scholarships like the Donald A. Wehrung International Student Award, which is given to students who hail from war-torn countries. Indeed, more than 25% of the 50,000 full-time students at UBC are international students.

The top three universities in Canada are all competitive and all offer something different to prospective students. Are you applying to one of these universities? Did we miss your top university? Let us know in the comments below.

College enrollment is critical to the continued success of higher education.

Recruitment and retention strategies take center stage when universities consider how to attract and keep the best students at their campuses, and every strategy comes down to one simple concept: build relationships through recruitment and retention.

Recruitment

The first step in increasing college enrollment is recruitment. The college must not only attract potential students, but they must also get students to commit to enrolling in courses. That requires the strategic planning of a marketer.

Getting students to enroll in a university is what marketers call a conversion. A student who converts makes a conscientious decision to join a university class. Some students may commit early because of a legacy; their parents or other family members went to the same school. Other students need more convincing to enroll.

The most effective recruitment strategies involve creating a relationship with prospective students. That means making as many as five or six contact attempts to attract students and get them converted. The marketing funnel includes letters to prospective students, financial aid information, faculty profiles, rationales for university enrollment, and an invitation to the campus.

Recruitment initiatives are labor intensive, but multistep strategies have proven to be the most effective in attracting students to higher education.

Once students enroll in a school, the university must immediately begin retention strategies.

Retention

Colleges have worked on their student retention rates for years, and with good reason.

Only 40% of students earn a bachelor’s degree within four years of matriculation, and 60% will complete their degrees within six years. University students are not making it to graduation quickly, and the longer they are enrolled in the university, the more likely they are to leave without completing their degree plans unless retention strategies are in place.

Universities devote money and effort to provide instructional opportunities and support services to keep their students motivated and in school. Spending more money to create healthy relationships is how universities can retain students.

Colleges with the best retention rates do more than throw money at their challenges. They use data-driven interventions that help them create instruction-based relationships with each student. If students feel as though they are receiving a personalized education, they will be more likely to remain enrolled in the university and get their degrees.

In summary

University grads reap huge rewards from the relationships developed with their school and their peers during their college years.

College recruitment and retention are critical to our nation’s success. Chron reports that workers with bachelors degrees earn $2.27 million more throughout their lifetimes than workers without a degree.

The earning power of college graduates makes our communities stronger, and that’s all the more reason why universities should be focusing on using effective recruitment and retention strategies.

Corporate donations to universities are big business, and significant endowments are the lifeblood of a college. Large gifts, like the $400 million donated to Stanford University by Nike co-founder and chairman Phillip Knight that will fund programs and research for years to come.

The reasons why corporations give to universities are many; they include both emotional and financial goals. Convincing companies to donate money, gifts and time to a university can be difficult, but it’s not an impossible task.

You can convince corporations to give to your university with these strategies:

1. Tell a story

People relate to stories, and if you can create a compelling narrative that focuses on charity, empathy, and storytelling, you will have unlocked the key to corporate generosity. Data is essential to the brain, but real stories of students who achieve their dreams will move people’s hearts.

By revealing some of the stories of students impacted by corporate giving, universities have an improved chance of securing corporate gifts.

2. Ask an alum

Alumni often have an affinity for their alma maters.

Ask successful former students to keynote a luncheon or present a topic of interest to students and faculty. By re-engaging alumni with their university, colleges are more likely to be remembered favorably when asked for a donation.

3. Show benefit

One of the best benefits of corporate giving is the opportunity to create a business-university partnership. Yale University, for example, seeks to “create mutually beneficial relationships,” and the University of Colorado-Boulder encourages the “development of tomorrow’s engineering workforce and the emergence of cutting-edge technologies.” Working together for the greater good appeals to corporations, and it benefits countless students.

Universities who can articulate these benefits with clarity are more likely to receive corporate donations.

4. Make it easy to give

Charitable giving can help big businesses leverage their bottom line; corporate America likes the tax breaks they get from their philanthropic generosity.

Corporations also need to know how to give. Your university web page can provide the information corporate leadership needs by describing your mission and vision, explaining where and how the funds are used, and providing contact information.

Offer assistance in creating press releases and media events to recognize the corporation for their philanthropy.

Ultimately, giving is about creating connections.

People like to help out because it makes them feel good to know they made a difference. You can make a difference by knowing how to help corporations give to your university.

Campus life is an important part of choosing a college. After all, it’s where you’ll be spending the better part of four years of your life.

While campus life is made up of a combination of factors like clubs and societies, the city the campus is located in, and residence life, the aesthetic appeal of the campus also plays an important role.

After all, what’s more inspiring than a beautiful environment when it’s time to hit the books?

Looking for a university with grounds as extensive as its library? Check out these four beautiful campuses.

1.   Elon University

Elon University is regularly named one of the most beautiful college campuses in the United States for good reason. The university sits on grounds that double as a botanical garden, meaning the grounds are not only beautiful but functional.

This university, based in Elon, North Carolina is so photogenic that Hollywood has chosen the campus as the perfect setting for films. Remember “Tech University” from Spike Lee’s He Got Game? That was Elon.

2.   University of Virginia – Charlottesville

The University of Virginia’s main campus in Charlottesville is not only one of the most beautiful campuses in the United States, but one of the most historic. The Rotunda, which was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome, was the brainchild of none of than Thomas Jefferson, one of the nation’s founding fathers.

Jefferson’s legacy can still be seen on campus today, and the Rotunda is so well loved that it is one of three U.S. structures deemed to be worthy of UNESCO status.

3.   Bryn Mawr

Looking for the Gothic-feel of one of Britain’s ancient universities at home in the United States? Look no further than Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. The towers, gables, cloisters, and courtyards of this campus pioneered the Collegiate Gothic-style in the United States.

4.   Washington University

Washington University, in St. Louis, MO., is another beautiful example of the Collegiate Gothic style of architecture at work in the United States.

Yet, the campus is more than a collection of impressive buildings featuring beautiful stained glass. It’s also on St. Louis’s Forest Park, adding a natural element that softens the otherwise architecture dominated campus.

Demonstrating their commitment to the natural landscape, Washington University commissioned the design of its campus landscape by Olmsted, Olmsted, & Eliot, the geniuses behind Central Park in New York City.

The United States has no short supply of beautiful campuses. Is your school one of the most beautiful universities in America? Share your campus in the comments.

Just north of half of all research in America is being conducted at American universities. This presents a remarkable opportunity for students to become an important part not only of academic research culture but to carry those skills out into the public and private sector.

Are you looking for a university with a top-tier research program? Here are five of the best research universities in America based on funding and undergraduate research opportunities.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

If you’re considering research schools, you’ve inevitably considered MIT.

MIT is the holy grail of American research schools by design. Unlike other schools, it adopted a model of teaching from European universities that prioritizes laboratory instruction in addition to classroom instruction.

MIT students are able to participate in or even initiate projects as part of their academic credit or as volunteers.

Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins is the premier research university regardless of your field. Students in the sciences are particularly well-catered for because undergraduate students are able to participate in programs that most schools only allow graduate entry to.

Georgia Institute of Technology

Looking for an opportunity to get involved with contracts sponsored by the government and important industries? Look no further than the George Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in the Georgia Institute of Technology.

GTRI isn’t just focused on discovery. Faculty actively seek out groundbreaking opportunities and patents them. Moreover, students can get involved in faculty research and even receive the President’s Undergraduate Research Awards as a salary.

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a research university at heart, and it’s love for discovery ranges from the physical to the social sciences.

Whether you’re interested in ancient dead languages or nuclear reactors, the University of Chicago has excellent student and faculty research options and an active undergraduate research community.

Iowa State University

If you’re interested in research in the energy sector, Iowa State University is a unique option. The Electric Power Research Center is dedicated to studying a wide variety of subjects within the discipline and have plenty of resources, including the largest tornado simulator in the world, to get the job done.

Iowa State University is also a good choice for students who want to participate in world-changing research but who aren’t as interested in living in large or expensive cities.

Are you hoping to engage in research as an undergraduate? What universities are you interested in? Let us know in the comments.

American universities have racist histories. Notorious racists, like KKK leaders and slave owners with deep pockets, helped to build the halls and colleges of some of America’s most well-known universities.

If we believe the words of the Declaration of Independence that all people “are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights,” then racism has no value and no place anywhere in society.

Racism in higher education is inexcusable, and if found, must be addressed.

Addressing racism, though is a particularly uncomfortable topic, regardless of skin color and ethnicity.

Micro-aggressions and insensitivity

Micro-aggression is passive-aggressive behavior. The person committing the aggression avoids blatant racism yet continues to destroy interpersonal relationships with their dysfunctional behavior. Higher education must put a stop to the aggression, regardless of how minor, by calling out racism whenever and wherever it happens.

Teaching self-advocacy

Higher education should address racism through a two-pronged approach, much like the one used for sexual harassment prevention training.

First, offer training for students and faculty. Students must learn what constitutes racism. Seeming innocuous statements Like, “Where are you really from?” or  “You don’t sound ____ (black/white/Hispanic/Asian)” is racist. The statements are based on a limited worldview, and they are said either out of ignorance or as a micro-aggression. Regardless of intent, the recipient does not have to tolerate the behavior.

Professors and university employees should attend mandatory sensitivity training that includes racism –refraining from committing it and addressing it when it happens.

Second, every college should teach students how to self-advocate. Speaking up takes courage. Victims of racism must speak up when they see or hear racism. They must learn how to stop racism every time it rears its ugly head.

Talking it out and taking action

The Transforming Community Project (TCP) at Emory University has more than a decade of experience in collecting research on racism and diversity, leading difficult conversations, and taking constructive action in response to their discoveries. Leslie Harris, TCP Director and associate professor, notes that as difficult as it may be to define progress in addressing racism, her team continues to guide the transformations as they take place.

Her outlook provides direction on how to address racism in higher education. We can no longer be bystanders in the discussion about racism. We have to guide the discourse in the direction we want it to go.

Higher education must lead the way in addressing racism by teaching what it is and how to stop it.

American public universities are the envy of the world. These institutions produce many of the world’s top scientists, researchers, thinkers, business people, and politicians.

If you’re hoping to get an incredible education and rub shoulders with some of the best and brightest, these universities are the place to do it.

Here are four of the top private universities in America for 2018.

California Institute of Technology

Looking for a university that produces Nobel laureates, Turing Award winners, and Fields Medalists recipients in spades? Look no further than CalTech.

Whether you’re looking for a rigorous academic experience or a close-knit community, you’ll find both here. And if you’re already looking ahead to post-graduate life or even a Ph.D., CalTech is also a good choice because more students from CalTech go on to pursue a Ph.D. than at any other school.

Harvard University

Harvard is heaven for book lovers and home to the largest academic library in the world. It’s also a great place to network. Harvard tends to produce American presidents, Nobel laureates, and future billionaires.

One of things prospective students appreciate most about Harvard is that unlike other top schools which tend to skew towards the sciences, Harvard divides equal attention to humanities as it does to science.

Stanford University

Anyone with an eye on a career in tech should make a beeline straight towards Stanford. While the school has been ranked as a leader in science and innovation for decades, its proximity to Palo Alto has only bolstered its status.

In addition to being a haven for students hoping to become the next Eric Schmidt, the campus is also considered to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the world.

Princeton University

Located an hour from New York City and Philadelphia, Princeton is a small Ivy League university with a student body of under 8,000. Indeed, both admissions and campus life is competitive.

Princeton offers its own structured take on undergraduate education. All degrees include highly detailed requirements, and all students must undertake an independent research project in order to graduate.

Hoping to make it to Princeton? You’ll need to be patient. It’s one of the few universities that doesn’t offer early admission.

There will undoubtedly be plenty of competition to get into America’s top private schools in 2018. Are you applying for a place at an Ivy Leave institution? Share your experience below.

With college tuition skyrocketing year upon year, more and more students are budget conscious when it comes to tuition.

While tuition is increasing on average, some colleges and universities have taken it upon themselves to remain an affordable option for students living nearby and to attract students from further afield.

Here’s a list of schools dedicated to keeping tuition at a (reasonably) affordable price.

Queens College of City University of New York

Want to live near New York City but don’t have the cash to splash on Columbia or any of the city’s other high-priced institutions?

Queens Colleges, which is part of the City University of New York system costs a cool $6,000 a semester and offers a whirlwind of undergraduate and graduate programs. It’s located in Flushing, which also means students don’t need to compete with Manhattan rent prices.

Southwest Minnesota State University

Hoping to get out of your state but worried about the crippling costs of out-of-state tuition? Southwest Minnesota State costs around $8,000 per year regardless of where you’re from

The college is set in a rural Minnesota town, not far from Sioux Falls and a few hours from Minneapolis. This is an added benefit for low-cost tuition seekers because as a rural college town, expenses and competition remain low while the community experience is high.

West Texas A&M University

Headed to Texas and want to take advantage of some of the most accessible colleges in the country? West Texas A&M offers low tuition fees for residents and only charges no-residents $9,418 per year, making it one of the cheapest colleges for those who want to move out of state.

University of Texas – El Paso

The El Paso campus of the University of Texas is one of the most affordable colleges in a state of affordable colleges with a net price of $6,089 per year. It’s also ideal for students hoping to study in the otherwise expensive science sector and is a key player in research.

Fayetteville State University

Based in Fayetteville, North Carolina, this state university offers both useful academic programs and campus-wide opportunities to compete for scholarships to lower tuition.

Even if you don’t qualify for additional scholarships, the net price of $5,914 per year and the low cost of living in North Carolina are sure to help keep your finances in order during your student years.

There’s no need to fork over six figures to attend a good university. There are plenty of options available to even the most budget-conscious students.

Will you make your school choice based on cost? Share your stories here.