Cost of studying in United States (2026)
Total yearly cost
₹35–70L
All-in: tuition + rent + food + transport + insurance, in INR. Local currency: USD ($).
Cost breakdown
Monthly figures in local currency unless otherwise noted.
| Component | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | See per-course pages below for tier-by-discipline. | Varies by program and university. |
| Rent | $800–2,500/mo | Single occupancy, off-campus. |
| Food | $300–600 | Mix of home cooking + occasional eating out. |
| Transport | $50–150 | Student transit pass. |
| Health insurance | $1,500–3,000/yr | Mandatory; many universities bundle this. |
City-by-city rent comparator
Picking a tier-2 city instead of the capital can drop your yearly total by 20-40%.
| City | Rent | Food | Transport |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $1,800–2,500 | $500–600 | $120–150 |
| San Francisco | $2,000–3,000 | $450–550 | $80–120 |
| Austin | $1,000–1,600 | $300–400 | $50–80 |
Cost of United States masters programs by course
Each page shows tuition tier (P25-P75) for that discipline, computed from live university listings.
Cost of Computer Science & AI in United States
Top universities offering Computer Science, Software Engineering and AI/ML masters programs
See tuition tier →
Cost of Data Science in United States
Best universities for Data Science, Analytics and Business Intelligence masters programs
See tuition tier →
Cost of MBA & Business in United States
MBA programs for Indian students — tuition, IELTS/GMAT, scholarships and post-study work
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Cost of Engineering in United States
Top universities for Mechanical, Electrical, Civil and Robotics engineering masters
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Cost of Cybersecurity in United States
Top universities offering Cybersecurity, Information Assurance and Digital Forensics
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Cost of Medicine & Healthcare in United States
Best universities for Medicine, Public Health, Nursing and Bio-tech masters
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Cost of Finance & Accounting in United States
Top universities for Finance, Accounting, FinTech and Investment masters
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Cost of Law & Policy in United States
Top universities for LLM, Public Policy and International Relations programs
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Cost of Arts & Humanities in United States
Top universities for Arts, Literature, Media and Communication programs
See tuition tier →
Cost of Architecture & Design in United States
Top universities for Architecture, Urban Planning and Design programs
See tuition tier →
Build a budget for United States
Talk to a NexStudy counselor about scholarship offsets, education loans and cost-saving city choices for United States.
Studying in the US in 2026-27 costs Indian students roughly $45,000–$75,000 a year (about ₹43–72 lakh) for a bachelor's at a public flagship, $45,000–$80,000 a year (₹43–77 lakh) for a two-year MS, and $130,000–$141,000 (₹1.25–1.35 crore) for the first year of a top MBA. Published tuition averages $31,880 at public universities for out-of-state students and $45,000 at private non-profits, living costs add $16,000–$20,000 outside the biggest cities, and government visa fees are $535.
How is the cost of studying in the USA structured, and why does it vary so much?
US universities publish a "cost of attendance" made up of tuition, mandatory fees, housing and food, books, transport and personal expenses. Public universities charge three rates: in-state, out-of-state and, for F-1 students, out-of-state plus an international fee. Private universities charge one rate to everyone and use financial aid to discount it. The College Board's 2025-26 averages show the spread: $11,950 for in-state students at public four-year universities, $31,880 out-of-state, $4,150 at public two-year colleges, and $45,000 at private non-profit universities.
The number on your Form I-20, and therefore the number you must prove at the visa interview, is the university's full cost of attendance for one year, before any loan. Sticker prices are misleading in both directions: the College Board estimates that students at private non-profits paid an average net tuition of $16,910 in 2025-26 after grant aid, while international students at public universities rarely receive need-based grants and pay close to the published rate.
Location is the second lever. State universities in Texas, Indiana, Arizona, Georgia and the Midwest publish housing-and-food estimates around $16,000–$17,000 a year; business schools in Philadelphia, Boston and the Bay Area budget $28,000–$42,000 for the same line. For most Indian families the choice between a flagship in a mid-sized city and a private university on a coast is a difference of ₹15–30 lakh a year.
Tuition fees in the USA for Indian students 2026-27: by level and type of university
National averages from the College Board (2025-26) alongside published 2026-27 rates for international students at specific universities, read on 26 September 2026. Tuition here means tuition plus mandatory fees for a full academic year of two semesters.
| Level and university type | Tuition and fees (USD/year) | Approx. INR/year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community college (public two-year), national average in-district | $4,150 | ₹4 lakh | International students pay out-of-district rates, typically 2–3x this; a 2+2 transfer route |
| Bachelor's, public four-year, national average out-of-state | $31,880 | ₹30.5 lakh | Up $1,060 on 2024-25; international rate is this plus an international fee |
| Bachelor's, Purdue University, international (base) | $32,104 | ₹30.8 lakh | Includes $3,310 international student tuition; base tuition frozen for Indiana residents since 2013 |
| Bachelor's, Purdue University, international (computer science, data science, engineering) | $36,154 | ₹34.6 lakh | Differential fee of $2,025 per semester for students entering Fall 2026 or later |
| Bachelor's, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, international | $42,248–$53,078 | ₹40.5–50.8 lakh | Range depends on major; engineering and business at the top |
| Bachelor's, private non-profit, national average | $45,000 | ₹43 lakh | Up $1,750 on 2024-25; the most selective privates charge $60,000–$70,000 |
| Master's, Purdue University, international graduate (base) | $29,194 | ₹28 lakh | $14,597 per semester including $200 international fee |
| Master's, Purdue University, international graduate (engineering/CS) | $30,318 | ₹29 lakh | Assistantships waive most of this for funded students |
| Master's, Northeastern University (MS in AI, Data Science, Robotics) | $1,922 per credit ≈ $30,750 for 16 credits a year | ₹29.5 lakh | A 32-credit MS totals about $61,500 in tuition |
| MBA, Texas McCombs, non-resident | $61,214 | ₹58.6 lakh | Class of 2027 programme cost; $2,000 deposit |
| MBA, Wharton | $93,008 | ₹89 lakh | Tuition $87,970 plus $5,038 university fees, 2026-27 |
| MBA, Stanford GSB | $89,187 | ₹85.4 lakh | Tuition only, 2026-27; total cost of attendance $140,940 |
Sources: College Board Trends in College Pricing 2025 highlights; Purdue Bursar 2026-27 undergraduate and graduate tables; Illinois admissions cost page 2026-27; Northeastern tuition page; McCombs, Wharton and Stanford GSB MBA cost pages, all read 26 Sep 2026. $1 = ₹95.8.
Living costs in the USA for Indian students: what universities budget for 2026-27
These are the universities' own cost-of-attendance lines, which is what your I-20 will be built from. Indian students sharing off-campus apartments in mid-sized cities regularly spend less than the university estimate; students in Manhattan, Boston or the Bay Area spend more.
| Expense | Mid-cost campus (Purdue, Illinois) | High-cost campus (Philadelphia, Boston, Stanford) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing and food (9 months) | $15,858–$16,734 (≈ ₹15.2–16 lakh) | $28,000 (HBS) · $30,545 (Wharton) · $42,102 (Stanford, housing plus a living allowance that includes personal expenses) | Shared off-campus rooms in Indian student areas cost $600–$900 a month in Texas and the Midwest |
| Health insurance | $2,000–$3,049 (Northeastern plan $3,049) | $4,954 (HBS) · $5,018 (Wharton) · $8,808 (Stanford) | Mandatory; waivers only for plans meeting the university's standard |
| Books and supplies | $1,090 (Purdue) · $1,200 (Illinois) | $1,123 (Wharton) · $2,256 (Kellogg one-year MBA) | Second-hand and library copies cut this sharply |
| Transport | $570 (Purdue) · included in other expenses (Illinois $2,840) | $1,044 (Wharton) · $2,068 (Kellogg) | Add one return flight to India: $900–$1,500 |
| Personal and miscellaneous | $2,200 (Purdue) · $2,840 (Illinois) | $4,703 (Wharton) · $3,780 (Kellogg) | Phone, clothing, laundry, entertainment |
| Total non-tuition budget | ≈ $20,000–$21,000 (≈ ₹19–20 lakh) | ≈ $37,000–$52,000 (≈ ₹35–50 lakh) | What the I-20 will add on top of tuition |
Sources: Purdue and Illinois 2026-27 cost tables; Northeastern fee table; HBS, Wharton, Stanford GSB and Kellogg MBA cost-of-attendance pages, all read 26 Sep 2026. $1 = ₹95.8.
Total cost of studying in the USA in Indian rupees: four worked budgets
Each budget adds published 2026-27 tuition and the university's own living estimate. They exclude the one-time $535 in visa and SEVIS fees, return flights, scholarships, assistantships and on-campus earnings.
| Scenario | Per year (USD) | Per year (INR) | Whole programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-year bachelor's, Purdue, base programme, international | $32,104 tuition + $16,734 housing/food + $3,860 books, transport, misc ≈ $52,700 | ≈ ₹50.5 lakh | ≈ $211,000 (≈ ₹2.0 crore) over four years, before tuition increases |
| 4-year bachelor's, Illinois, engineering, international | Up to $72,976 all-in | ≈ ₹70 lakh | ≈ $292,000 (≈ ₹2.8 crore) over four years |
| 2-year MS, Purdue, engineering or CS, international | $30,318 tuition + $16,734 housing/food + $3,870 other ≈ $50,900 | ≈ ₹48.8 lakh | ≈ $102,000 (≈ ₹98 lakh) over two years; a half-time assistantship can remove most of the tuition |
| 2-year MS, private university, big city (Northeastern-type per-credit) | ≈ $30,750 tuition + $25,000 living + $3,049 insurance ≈ $58,800 | ≈ ₹56 lakh | ≈ $118,000 (≈ ₹1.13 crore); co-op semesters carry no tuition and pay a salary |
| 2-year MBA, Wharton | $135,441 first-year cost of attendance | ≈ ₹1.3 crore | ≈ $270,000 (≈ ₹2.6 crore) over two years; Stanford $140,940 and HBS $130,318 first year, Kellogg two-year MBA $130,072 |
Sources as above plus State Department fee page and ICE I-901 page, read 26 Sep 2026. Tuition typically rises 2–4% a year (College Board recorded 2.9% for public in-state and 4.0% for private in 2025-26). $1 = ₹95.8.
Which one-off costs do Indian students forget to budget for?
- Tests: GRE General Test $249 outside India (ETS India prices it in rupees), TOEFL rescheduling $69 and additional score reports $29 each, Duolingo English Test $70. Two attempts at one test plus score reports to eight universities can run to ₹50,000.
- Applications: $75 (UT Dallas) to $120 per university, plus transcript and courier fees from your Indian college. Eight applications cost roughly ₹70,000–₹90,000.
- Visa: $185 application fee, $350 SEVIS I-901 fee, travel to the consulate city for biometrics and interview, and courier return of the passport.
- Work authorisation later: Form I-765 for OPT costs $470 online or $520 on paper, and again for the STEM extension. Premium processing of an OPT application is $1,780 if you need a decision fast.
- Enrolment deposit and first-semester fees remitted from India under the RBI Liberalised Remittance Scheme (limit USD 250,000 per financial year per resident). Tax collected at source applies above a threshold and is lower for loan-funded remittances; the rate has changed in recent budgets, so confirm with your bank.
- Arrival: airport transfer, first month's rent and security deposit (often two months' rent up front), bedding and kitchen basics, a US SIM, and winter clothing in northern states. Budget $2,000–$3,000 (≈ ₹1.9–2.9 lakh) for the first month beyond the university estimate.
How do Indian students pay for a US degree: loans, assistantships and part-time work
Education loans do most of the lifting. SBI's Global Ed-Vantage scheme, as one public-sector example, lends above ₹7.5 lakh up to ₹3 crore for full-time courses abroad, is collateral-free up to ₹50 lakh for select premier institutions, charges a processing fee of 0.5% (minimum ₹10,000, maximum ₹50,000) plus GST, sanctions before the I-20 and visa, starts repayment six months after the course ends, and allows up to 15 years to repay with an interest deduction under section 80E. Private banks and NBFCs offer non-collateral loans at higher rates, and US-based lenders lend in dollars against future earnings without an Indian co-signer. Compare the effective rate, the moratorium interest treatment and the margin (the share you must fund yourself) rather than the headline rate.
Assistantships are the biggest cost reducer for graduate students. A teaching or research assistantship at a public university normally waives non-resident tuition and pays a stipend for 20 hours of work a week; it is common for PhD and thesis-track MS students in engineering and the sciences and rare in professional master's and MBA programmes. Merit scholarships at private universities typically cover 10–50% of tuition. Undergraduate international students receive far less aid, with a handful of need-blind universities the exception.
Part-time work covers living costs, not tuition. F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week in term and full time in breaks; state minimum wages on 1 July 2026 ranged from the federal $7.25 in Texas and Pennsylvania to $15.15 in Arizona, $16.90 in California, $17.00 in New York City and $18.40 in Washington DC. At $15 an hour for 20 hours over a 32-week academic year, an on-campus job earns about $9,600 (≈ ₹9.2 lakh) before tax. F-1 students in their first five calendar years are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes, which raises take-home pay by 7.65% compared with a resident worker.
Cut the two-year MS bill without cutting the outcome
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to study in the USA for Indian students per year?
For 2026-27 a public university bachelor's costs about $52,700 a year all-in at Purdue (≈ ₹50 lakh) and up to $72,976 at Illinois (≈ ₹70 lakh); a two-year MS at Purdue costs about $50,900 a year (≈ ₹49 lakh); a top MBA such as Wharton costs $135,441 for the first year (≈ ₹1.3 crore). Living costs alone run $16,000–$20,000 outside the largest cities.
What is the cost of MS in USA in Indian rupees?
Tuition runs from $29,194 a year at a public flagship (Purdue, ≈ ₹28 lakh) to about $61,500 for a 32-credit MS at a private university like Northeastern (≈ ₹59 lakh), plus $16,000–$25,000 a year in living costs. A full two-year MS therefore costs roughly ₹87 lakh to ₹1.07 crore before assistantships, scholarships or campus earnings.
What is the average tuition fee in the USA for international students?
The College Board's 2025-26 average published tuition and fees are $31,880 at public four-year universities for out-of-state students, which international students pay plus an international fee, and $45,000 at private non-profit universities. Public two-year colleges average $4,150 for local students, and in-state public tuition averages $11,950, a rate F-1 students do not get.
How much are living expenses in the USA for a student per month?
Universities in mid-cost states budget about $1,750–$1,850 a month for housing and food over a nine-month year (Purdue $16,734, Illinois $15,858 for 2026-27), roughly ₹1.7 lakh. Business schools in Philadelphia, Boston and the Bay Area budget $3,100–$4,700 a month. Indian students sharing apartments in Texas or the Midwest often spend $1,000–$1,300 a month.
Is studying in the USA cheaper than the UK for Indian students?
Per year, no: a UK master's is one year at £9,000–£30,000 tuition, while a US MS is two years at $29,000–$62,000 a year. Over the whole degree the US costs roughly two to three times as much. The US offsets that with 12–36 months of OPT work, assistantships that can waive tuition, and higher graduate starting salaries in technology fields.
Can I cover my US study costs with part-time work?
Only partly. F-1 students can work on campus up to 20 hours a week in term and full time in breaks. At the $15–$17 minimum wages of Arizona, California or New York that earns about $9,600–$10,900 (≈ ₹9.2–10.4 lakh) over a 32-week year, which covers rent and food in a mid-cost city but not tuition. Off-campus work in the first year is not permitted.
How much education loan can I get for studying in the USA?
Public-sector banks lend up to the full cost of attendance: SBI's Global Ed-Vantage scheme covers loans above ₹7.5 lakh up to ₹3 crore, collateral-free up to ₹50 lakh for select institutions, with repayment over up to 15 years starting six months after the course. NBFCs and US-based lenders offer non-collateral loans at higher rates; the loan sanction letter counts as proof of funds for the I-20 and visa.
What is the visa cost for studying in the USA?
The government fees are $185 for the F-1 visa application and $350 for the SEVIS I-901 fee, a total of $535 or about ₹51,000 per student. Dependants pay $185 each but no SEVIS fee. Later, work authorisation for OPT costs $470 when filed online or $520 on paper.
Official sources used on this page
- College Board — Trends in College Pricing 2025: highlights (2025-26 averages) — College Board · checked 26 September 2026
- Purdue University Bursar — Undergraduate tuition and fees 2026-27 — Purdue University · checked 26 September 2026
- Purdue University Bursar — Graduate tuition and fees 2026-27 — Purdue University · checked 26 September 2026
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — Tuition and cost estimate 2026-27 — University of Illinois · checked 26 September 2026
- Northeastern University — Tuition and fees (graduate per-credit rates, health plan) — Northeastern University · checked 26 September 2026
- Wharton MBA — Tuition and financial aid 2026-27 — University of Pennsylvania · checked 26 September 2026
- Stanford GSB — MBA cost of attendance 2026-27 — Stanford University · checked 26 September 2026
- Kellogg School of Management — Full-Time MBA tuition and expenses 2026-27 — Northwestern University · checked 26 September 2026
- Harvard Business School — MBA cost of attendance 2026-27 — Harvard University · checked 26 September 2026
- US Department of State — Fees for visa services — US Department of State · checked 26 September 2026
- ICE SEVP — I-901 SEVIS fee — US Immigration and Customs Enforcement · checked 26 September 2026
- USCIS — Fee schedule G-1055 (edition 09/09/26) — US Citizenship and Immigration Services · checked 26 September 2026
- US Department of Labor — State minimum wage laws (updated 1 Jul 2026) — US Department of Labor · checked 26 September 2026
- ETS — GRE General Test fees — Educational Testing Service · checked 26 September 2026
- ETS — TOEFL iBT fees — Educational Testing Service · checked 26 September 2026
- Duolingo English Test — for applicants (price and turnaround) — Duolingo · checked 26 September 2026
- SBI — Global Ed-Vantage overseas education loan — State Bank of India · checked 26 September 2026
- RBI — Liberalised Remittance Scheme FAQ — Reserve Bank of India · checked 26 September 2026
- IRS — Foreign student liability for Social Security and Medicare taxes — Internal Revenue Service · checked 26 September 2026
- Texas McCombs — Full-Time MBA tuition and financial aid — University of Texas at Austin · checked 26 September 2026
- Wise — USD to INR mid-market rate — Wise · checked 26 September 2026
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