The USA is a dream destination for international students. Degrees offered by American universities and colleges are renowned worldwide and attract students even if the duration of the studies can be longer when compared to courses from European countries.
Graduating a Bachelor’s or Master's program in the USA is also a great advantage since many of the country’s universities are famous for the brilliant academic environment and the innovative teaching methods and tools.
Tuition fees for Master’s studies in the US
How much is a Master's degree in the USA? It depends. Tuition fees can vary depending on multiple factors, like discipline, length of study, university, city, and so on.
Based on the programmes listed on our portal, you can see that although people generally perceive the US as an expensive study destination, there are many affordable Master’s programmes you can choose from.
- Over 330 Masters with tuition fees between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- Over 1,200 Masters with tuition fees between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- Around 5,600 Masters with tuition fees between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- Around 15,400 Masters with tuition fees over 20,000 USD/year
Find out details about public universities and colleges in the US as well as more information on what are The Most Affordable US Universities for International Students.
Universities we recommend in the USA
- University of California, Berkeley (UCB) – tuition between 19,900 – 26,545 USD/year
- University of San Francisco – tuition between 14,210 – 53,280 USD/year
- Northeastern University – tuition between 19,700 – 64,625 USD/year
- Drexel University – tuition between 0 – 60,975 USD/year
- Florida Atlantic University – tuition between 12,290 – 43,010 USD/year
Tuition costs listed above are based on the study programmes on Mastersportal.com. You might be able to find both cheaper and more expensive degrees at these universities.
Tuition fees at top-ranked universities
Here is a list with tuition fees at top-ranked U.S. universities:
- Princeton University – average tuition of 44,000 USD/year
- Harvard University – tuition between 5,500 – 33,000 USD/year
- University of Chicago – tuition between 13,500 – 39,500 USD/year
- Yale University – tuition between 22,000 – 46,000 USD/year
- Columbia University – tuition between 23,000 – 59,000 USD/year
At these top American universities, some study programmes like Law, International Relations, Visual Arts, MBAs, and others can cost over 60,000 USD/year.
Online Masters from universities in the US
Here is a short selection of universities offering online Masters in the US in case you want to save up on travel and living costs and study from home:
Master's tuition fees in the US based on the study subject
1. Tuition fees for Business Masters
- 100 Masters in Business with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 260 Masters in Business with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 1,200 Masters in Business with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 3,400 Masters in Business with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Business programmes, like MBAs, can cost over 70,000 USD/year.
2. Tuition fees for Engineering Masters
- 20 Masters in Engineering with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 80 Masters in Engineering with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 540 Masters in Engineering with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 2,100 Masters in Engineering with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Engineering programmes can cost over 47,000 USD/year.
3. Tuition fees for Law Masters
- 2 Masters in Law with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 20 Masters in Law with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 110 Masters in Law with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 440 Masters in Law with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Law programmes can cost over 50,000 USD/year.
4. Tuition fees for Medicine Masters
- 30 Masters in Medicine with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 150 Masters in Medicine with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 720 Masters in Medicine with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 2,150 Masters in Medicine with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Medicine programmes can cost over 64,000 USD/year.
5. Tuition fees for Computer Science and IT Masters
- 45 Masters in Computer Science & IT with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 90 Masters in Computer Science & IT with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 470 Masters in Computer Science & IT with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 1,450 Masters in Computer Science & IT with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Computer Science & IT programmes can cost over 55,000 USD/year.
6. Tuition fees for Humanities Masters
- 45 Masters in Humanities with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 220 Masters in Humanities with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 840 Masters in Humanities with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 1,950 Masters in Humanities with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Humanities programmes can cost over 50,000 USD/year.
7. Tuition fees for Education Masters
- 60 Masters in Education with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 330 Masters in Education with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 1,550 Masters in Education with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 2,650 Masters in Education with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Education programmes can cost over 40,000 USD/year.
8. Tuition fees for Social Sciences Masters
- 45 Masters in Social Sciences with tuition between 0 – 5,000 USD/year
- 210 Masters in Social Sciences with tuition between 5,000 – 10,000 USD/year
- 990 Masters in Social Sciences with tuition between 10,000 – 20,000 USD/year
- 2,850 Masters in Social Sciences with tuition over 20,000 USD/year
Some Social Sciences programmes can cost over 35,000 USD/year.
Scholarships for international students coming to the US
Many universities and colleges offer financial assistance to international students. Study fields that usually receive more generous funding include Engineering, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences.
In addition to universities, there are other commissions and organisations that offer scholarships and financial aid to international students based on different criteria, like:
- academic achievements
- financial need
- extracurricular activities
Some examples of scholarships you can apply to:
- The Fulbright Foreign Student Program – helps young artists and researchers to study abroad in the USA.
- Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship Program – mostly for Master’s level courses but sometimes the foundation also considers applications for PhD programs.
- For university-specific scholarships, visit the school’s official website. You can also ask information about financial aid during your application process.
- Other scholarships are available on the Scholars4dev official website.
You can also check out the Studyportals Scholarship to get some help on financing your studies abroad.
Check out more scholarship opportunities in the United States.