Decide on a region or location to narrow your search. There are hundreds of colleges in the United States and many of them would be appropriate for obtaining a degree in your chosen field. However, most students find that it is easier to create a list of options when they decide on a few locations or regions that they find to be favorable. For example, some students don't want to move more than an hour or two away from their families, other students want to get as far away from their parents as possible, and others have always fantasized about attending college in California or New York. Your motivations for choosing locations are irrelevant. Make a list of possibilities to help you narrow the scope of your college search.
Make a list of college characteristics or criteria that are important to you. For example, do you want to attend a private or public school? Do you have a size preference? Does the school's reputation or ranking matter to you? Do you want to be in an urban, suburban, or rural location? Creating a wish list will help you to narrow your choices down further once you start researching colleges.
Research colleges in the locations or regions that you identified in Step 1. The University of Texas maintains a database of all colleges and universities in the United States. A link to their site is located in the "Resources" section below. Look at different college's websites to ensure that they have your major and the criteria that you identified in Step 2. Another helpful resource for identifying colleges with specific criteria is the "Peterson's Directory." The service requires that you register for a free account. However, once you are signed up you can perform custom searches for colleges with your specific criteria. A link to the Peterson's Directory is also located in the "Resources" section below.
Create a short list of colleges that have your major and that meet your additional criteria. Call each of the schools and ask to take a tour of the campus and/or meet with an admissions counselor. Be sure to take a small notebook with you so that you can write down anything about the school that you like or dislike. When you meet with the school's counselor, ask questions regarding how strong the degree program that you are interested in is at the school and whether they have distinguished alumni who have succeeded in your chosen career path. While you are on your tour, ask students at the school about their experiences and ask to sit in on a class that would be relevant to your career goal or degree program.
If you can't visit the campus, try to arrange to meet or speak by phone with a recent alumnus.
Create a chart of pros and cons for each school based on the information that you collected on your college visits. Choose the option that has the most pros but don't discount your comfort level with the campus. A school that has the most pros on paper might be located in a rough area of a city or may have a huge student population. If you were not comfortable at a campus while you were at your visit, do not be led to believe that your discomfort will cease once you enroll.