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The purpose of this article is to document the reasons why major American universities are so influential around the world, primarily by examining their appeal for students and academics. It seems that the inaugural publication of the famous Shanghai Ranking in 2003 led this kind of implicit ideal type to be accepted as an international standard, at least in France, despite it being fundamentally US-centric. I first focus on examining the historical conditions behind the formation of the “Great American University” (GAU) and the national context in which it developed. I then move on to identify the four keys to the GAU’s success: the university campus, excellence in undergraduate education, the research doctorate, and strength in the fields of business and engineering. Finally, I comment briefly on the danger of France naively and excessively imitating the GAU and using it as a model for reforms, as it has been doing for the last decade or so.