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Posted on 5 Sep '23
Why Studying in the USA May Not Be As Expensive As You Think
Cost is a huge factor when it comes to choosing a study abroad destination. At first glance, tuition fees in the USA can seem prohibitively high, so you may immediately discount it as an option, even if you’ve always dreamed of studying there.
There’s no denying that Masters study at an American university is a big financial commitment, but if you budget carefully and research your funding options, it may be more affordable than you think! We’ve explained why.
How much does it cost to study a PhD in the USA?
With over 1,000 universities in the USA offering postgraduate degrees, there’s a lot of variation when it comes to tuition fees.
The headline figures you might come across when researching tuition fees in the USA are often for prestigious Ivy League universities, which tend to charge between $45,000-60,000 per year. However, these are not representative of the country as a whole.
Public universities usually distinguish between in-state and out-of-state students, as opposed to domestic and international students. In-state students at public universities pay an average of $12,394 per year. Fees for out-of-state (including international) students will often be higher than this, sometimes up to twice as high – but this is still a far cry from the cost of an Ivy League degree!
International students at private universities generally pay the same rate as domestic students. The average cost of a postgraduate degree at a private university is $26,621 per year.
Ok, but that still sounds like a lot…
The good news is that relatively few students in the USA cover the full cost of their degree. Most government funding is reserved for US citizens, but there are several types of funding available for international students from universities.
These include both merit and needs-based scholarships, as well as assistantships, which provide a fee waiver or stipend in exchange for services to the institution. This might mean that you’re paid to help with undergraduate teaching, for example.
Even better, at Ivy League universities, which are amongst the most expensive in the country, PhD students are almost always fully funded. They will receive a generous funding package including full tuition fee coverage, a stipend to cover living costs and occasionally added benefits such as health insurance.
Because the USA is the world’s most popular study abroad destination, there is more funding on offer than in many other countries, especially for international students. This might be on offer from external organisations or from the government of your home country.
For example, the US-UK Fulbright Commission aims to promote student mobility between the two countries and provides funding packages for UK students in the USA worth up to $45,000. The Fulbright Commission also operates a wider Foreign Student Programme, which aims to attract international students to the USA and provides funding for citizens of over 150 countries. For example, the Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship for PhD students from India who want to study in the USA.
You can search for funding opportunities available for your nationality using Education USA’s dedicated search tool or read more about PhD funding in the USA in our full guide.
Want to know more? Read our dedicated guides to studying in the USA for information on top universities, visas, applications and more.
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