International degree-seeking students often spend a lot of time researching universities where they may want to study. This process does not only involve listing universities. Several factors should be considered, including location, eligibility requirements, admission steps, financial aid, and tuition costs. It can be an overwhelming task, especially when there are many options.

This is also true for international students planning to study in the US. There are thousands of colleges and universities in the country that admit international students, so narrowing down your list can take a lot of time. To help you compare options, we have listed the tuition costs of several US universities. The tables are categorized by type of institution and show estimated annual academic costs for undergraduate and graduate programs where a reliable general figure is available.

Tuition Costs in the USA

The figures below use the latest official tuition pages available as of May 2026. They are intended for comparison and usually exclude housing, meals, books, health insurance, personal expenses, transportation, and other fees unless noted. Graduate tuition can vary widely by school, program, credit load, and residency status, so students should always check the official program page before applying.

IVY LEAGUE INSTITUTIONSLOCATION (city)EST. ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE TUITIONEST. ANNUAL GRADUATE TUITION
Harvard UniversityCambridge, Massachusetts59,320 USD57,328 USD
Yale UniversityNew Haven, Connecticut72,500 USD50,900 USD
Princeton UniversityPrinceton, New Jersey68,140 USD65,210 USD
Columbia UniversityNew York, New York70,170 USD56,840-94,388 USD
Brown UniversityProvidence, Rhode Island74,568 USD74,560-74,568 USD
Dartmouth CollegeHanover, New Hampshire71,697 USD50,188-71,697 USD
Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York71,266 USD20,800-86,596 USD
University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania63,204 USDVaries by program
SELECTED US INSTITUTIONSLOCATION (city)EST. ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE TUITIONEST. ANNUAL GRADUATE TUITION
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)Cambridge, Massachusetts66,720 USD66,720 USD
Stanford UniversityStanford, California67,731 USD65,445+ USD
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)Pasadena, California68,574 USD65,622 USD
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)Berkeley, California50,210 USD40,094 USD
University of ChicagoChicago, Illinois73,266 USDVaries by division
Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, Maryland68,670 USDVaries by school
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)Los Angeles, California55,976 USD29,991 USD
New York University (NYU)New York, New YorkVaries by school and credit loadVaries by school and credit load
University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan63,962-68,444 USD60,634 USD
Northwestern UniversityEvanston, Illinois69,375 USD68,919+ USD
PUBLIC INSTITUTIONSLOCATION (city)EST. ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE TUITIONEST. ANNUAL GRADUATE TUITION
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North Carolina43,152 USD29,421 USD
University of VirginiaCharlottesville, Virginia61,695 USDVaries by program
University of California, DavisDavis, California44,130 USDVaries by program
University of California, San DiegoSan Diego, California52,536 USD36,575 USD
University of FloridaGainesville, Florida30,900 USDVaries by program and credit load
PRIVATE INSTITUTIONSLOCATION (city)EST. ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE TUITIONEST. ANNUAL GRADUATE TUITION
Duke UniversityDurham, North Carolina70,265 USD67,724 USD
Rice UniversityHouston, Texas71,140 USDVaries by program
Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, Tennessee67,934 USDVaries by program
University of Notre DameNotre Dame, Indiana69,280 USD69,110 USD
Georgetown UniversityWashington, D.C.74,520 USD71,031 USD
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGESLOCATION (city)EST. ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE TUITIONEST. ANNUAL GRADUATE TUITION
Williams CollegeWilliamstown, Massachusetts76,300 USDProgram-specific
Amherst CollegeAmherst, Massachusetts75,330 USDn/a
United States Naval AcademyAnnapolis, MarylandNo tuition for U.S. midshipmen; limited nominated international candidates may applyn/a
Pomona CollegeClaremont, California71,660 USDn/a
Swarthmore CollegeSwarthmore, Pennsylvania72,722 USD, including booksn/a
COMMUNITY COLLEGESLOCATION (city)EST. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL TUITION AND FEES
De Anza CollegeCupertino, California10,224 USD
Pasadena City CollegePasadena, California11,382 USD
Santa Barbara City CollegeSanta Barbara, California10,776 USD
Western Iowa Tech Community CollegeSioux City, Iowa5,112 USD
Foothill CollegeLos Altos Hills, California10,224 USD
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIESLOCATION (city)EST. ANNUAL UNDERGRADUATE TUITIONEST. ANNUAL GRADUATE TUITION
Spelman CollegeAtlanta, Georgia30,042 USDn/a
Howard UniversityWashington, D.C.37,996 USD39,608+ USD
Florida A&M UniversityTallahassee, Florida16,500 USD18,396 USD
Tuskegee UniversityTuskegee, Alabama21,802 USDVaries by program
Morehouse CollegeAtlanta, Georgia30,122 USDn/a

The tables above show estimated tuition or tuition-and-fee figures for selected US institutions. Actual costs vary by program, degree level, residency status, course load, and academic year. Students should also expect additional expenses such as housing, meals, books, health insurance, technology fees, transportation, and personal expenses. The type of institution also plays a major role in cost. For example, public universities and community colleges are often less expensive than private universities, although out-of-state and international tuition can still be significant. If you are planning to study in the US and tuition is one of your top priorities, this list can help you compare costs across several types of institutions.

We hope this article on tuition fees in America was helpful. To learn more, check out our Guide to Studying in the USA and Available Programs for International Students sections!

About the Author: Hyun Lee

Hi! I am Hyun, and I am the founder at Global Scholarships. I've received a full-tuition scholarship at Birmingham-Southern College and a $1,000 Burger King Scholarship for my undergraduate degree and was offered a fully funded scholarship consisting of tuition, living stipend, and health insurance for computer science Ph.D. program at North Carolina State University. You can read more about my scholarship journey here. If you are interested, you can follow me on Linkedin where I regularly write about scholarships.

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