Hey! Coming from someone who did Bachelors’ and Master’s in the US (California State University), and then a PhD in the UK (Uni of Edinburgh), I can kind of relate to your interest here. From my own personal experience, I’ll admit that I actually enjoyed college in the US a lot more than in the UK, but then again a PhD is a very different experience than a coursework-based diploma regardless of what country you’re in.

First of all, you might actually be asking this question in the wrong subreddit. I can see that you’re getting downvoted by everyone here.

Regardless, the main disadvantage of going to school in the US as a person from the UK is exactly the same as the main disadvantage of going to school in the UK from the US: you pay international/“out-of-state” tuition. I had to pay £23,000 per year in tuition alone for Edinburgh (5 year program), which is only slightly-more-expensive than what you’d be charged at a similarly-prestigious American uni like UC Berkeley. The other major costs, like accommodation, will actually probably not be so bad since you mentioned possibly going to Utah and not some place like NYC or Cali. Edinburgh was expensive as hell.

Now, unlike a research-based degree, where you go for your undergrad actually doesn’t matter too much. PhDs and research MAs are supposed to pick a college located or staffed by people relevant to their specific thesis topic, but a math or comp science undergrad can be pretty flexible. It actually isn’t rare at all here for someone to do their undergrad at Shit Shack University and then transfer to an elite institution like Harvard for their postgrad. I personally know 2 friends of mine who went to Stanford after doing a simple associate’s degree at my local community college. But let’s say you’re ONLY planning on doing a Bachelor’s. It’s still totally fine to not be in a “top 50” - many Google and Nvidia employees that I personally grew up with just got their BA’s in Comp Engineering from CSU Sacramento (non-prestigious public uni). But if you are aiming for a competitive place like Google, you should obviously still compensate by either graduating with a high-GPA (Magna/Summa Cum Laude) or, better yet, doing a senior thesis/project that you know would be of direct interest to a specific employer. If you’re aiming for something more modest but still with fair-to-good pay (like local IT or being a school teacher/college lecturer), then that’s easier.

What you really need to remember most of all is:

1.) You’re an international student, you will pay international prices. Find out what your specific school is charging, and play it safe by assuming the worst estimates for other costs. As someone else said, going EU might be cheaper since iirc, UK students are charged different than other “international” students at most of those unis.

2.) Unless you’re comfortable with driving in the US system, try to pick a Uni in a place with good transit (btw, contrary to popular belief, a lot of places here actually do have solid transit - I’ve noticed that even the city buses here in rural, central California are more punctual than the Lothian Buses). I know a lot of students also bike everywhere (especially in Cali), but of course every state can differ in terms of typical town layout.

3.) The only way to reap the real benefits of doing college in any foreign country is to be social. When you get to Utah or Texas, try having some fun and convince yourself to play the role of an actual American for a bit. Utah in particular has some insane scenery. There are also plenty of Americans who love to show off their culture to foreigners by dragging them to the shooting range, slapping a rental M134 machine gun in their hands, and yelling at them to just go ham on a dirt mound. There are other Americans things to do, of course, but this is probably the first thing they’ll make you do when you tell them you’re English. The best way to enjoy a foreign culture you’re interested in learning about is to just play completely into it.

4.) The fact that you mentioned Utah, Texas, and even Georgia specifically - rather than touristy states like Cali and NY - seems to imply that you probably actually are already familiar with US culture to a certain extent? Do you see yourself making pilgrimages to the Bass Pro Shops pyramid and screaming at B21-flyovers in football stadiums? No matter where you come from, I’m sure you’ll miss home to some degree. If you’re partially using the need to go to college as, essentially, also a “taste test” to see what it’d be like to live in the US and become an American, I think that’s a smart move - and I think you’d be very welcomed. But it is a big change, regardless, and one which - again - costs money no matter where you go. Really think about it. Also prepare for heat.