MS in the USA: the total cost for Indian students in rupees (2026-27), university by university

An MS in the USA is the most expensive master’s most Indian families will look at, and the range is wide. The same degree can cost under ₹80 lakh at a public university in Texas and ₹2 crore or more at a private university in Pittsburgh or New York. The difference is mostly tuition, which you can check before you apply.

We took each university’s own 2026-27 estimate for an international graduate student, usually the figure it puts on your I-20, for fourteen universities popular with Indian students. This guide turns them into full budgets in rupees, adds the visa and insurance costs, and explains the 2026 rule changes that affect what you pay and how long you can stay. Every figure links to its source and was checked on 8 October 2026. Rupees use US$1 ≈ ₹96; the official reference rate on 30 September was ₹95.98.

How much does an MS in the USA cost for Indian students?

About ₹39 lakh to ₹1.05 crore for one academic year, tuition and living costs together, and roughly ₹79 lakh to ₹2.1 crore for a two-year master’s. Public universities sit at the lower end: two years cost about ₹79 lakh to ₹1.33 crore at the ones we checked. These are five worked budgets:

Each budget is twice the university’s one-year estimate plus the $350 SEVIS fee and $185 visa fee. Those estimates cover nine months, so the summers between and after are extra, as are flights. Doubling can overstate tuition: USC Viterbi’s own figure for a 33-unit MS over four semesters is $94,229 in tuition and fees, against $112,098 for two of its I-20 years. Programmes that finish in three semesters, or need fewer credits than the I-20 assumes, cost less; check your programme’s credit requirement.

What do US universities say a year costs?

Each university publishes the amount you must show for your I-20, the document you need for the F-1 visa. For 2026-27, one academic year ranges from about $41,000 at Texas A&M to over $109,000 at Columbia:

These are not like-for-like. Some include health insurance and some do not; a few are financial-aid budgets rather than I-20 figures. Use your own university’s page for the final number, but this gives you the range.

How is US tuition charged?

Usually per credit or per semester, so your total depends on how many credits the programme needs. Some examples for 2026-27:

• Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science: $62,200 a year for a master’s.
• USC Viterbi: $2,742 per unit; a 33-unit MS over four semesters comes to $94,229 in tuition and fees.
• Northeastern: $1,922 per credit for Khoury College (computer science) graduate programmes, $1,977 for engineering.
• Georgia Tech: $16,540 a semester in tuition, before mandatory fees, for 12 or more hours for a master’s student from outside the US; $19,377 for the MS in electrical and computer engineering.
• UIUC: $40,444 a year for Grainger Engineering, before fees.

What does it cost to live in the USA as a student?

About $15,000 to $32,600 for the nine-month academic year, depending on the city. The universities’ own living estimates show the gap:

In our experience, Indian students in shared flats spend less than these estimates in college towns, and close to them in Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Budget extra for the summer months if you stay for an internship.

How much does a student need a month in the USA?

About ₹1.6 lakh a month in a college town and ₹3 to 3.5 lakh in Boston, Los Angeles or Pittsburgh, by the universities’ own living estimates spread over nine months: $14,996 at Texas A&M is about $1,670 a month, $27,728 to $28,044 at Northeastern and USC about $3,100, and $32,590 at Carnegie Mellon about $3,600. Rent is the largest part, and in our experience the first month costs more because of the rental deposit.

How much is health insurance for international students?

About $1,800 to $5,900 a year, set by your university rather than by law. Study in the States says F-1 students have the responsibility to purchase health insurance, and that requirements and fees differ from school to school. Some 2026-27 figures: Purdue’s international student plan $1,776.40, Texas A&M $3,023, Northeastern’s student plan $3,049, Florida $3,185 and Columbia $5,903.

What are the visa and one-time fees?

• SEVIS fee: $350, paid online before the visa interview.
• Visa application fee: $185 for an F-1, the fee the State Department set in 2023; it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
• Visa integrity fee: a $250 fee set by a 2025 law, adjusted for inflation each year and charged when a visa is issued. Boston University reported in May 2026 that some consular posts had begun charging it. Budget about ₹24,000 for it, a little more as the amount is adjusted.

Together that is about $785, or roughly ₹75,000, before flights.

How much money do you need to show for an F-1 visa?

The amount on your I-20, which is the university’s estimate for one academic year, less any funding the university is giving you. The regulation requires documentary evidence of financial support in the amount indicated on the Form I-20. In our experience, consular officers in India expect to see that sum in bank balances, fixed deposits or a sanctioned education loan, with a clear plan for the second year. Our proof of funds guide covers what counts.

Can an assistantship reduce the cost?

Yes, sometimes by most of the tuition, but plan without one until it is in writing. At UIUC, assistantships of 25 to 67 percent time generate a tuition waiver, though in some cases only the resident portion is waived. At Georgia Tech, research and teaching assistants pay a minimum of $25 tuition plus mandatory fees. Assistantships go mostly to PhD students and research-based master’s; in our experience, few MS students get one in their first semester.

Are there scholarships for Indian MS students in the USA?

Few large ones, but one Texas rule can help. Texas public universities may charge resident tuition to a non-resident student who holds a competitive scholarship of at least $1,000 for the year. Texas A&M applies it to graduate students with competitive scholarships of at least $1,000, and UT Dallas’s business school says international students who receive one in the fall may be eligible for in-state tuition for two consecutive semesters. It is at each university’s discretion and the places are limited, but it replaces non-resident tuition with the resident rate.

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships fund tuition, living costs and travel, though USIEF says the funding may not cover everything. In the 2026-27 round they were open only in fields such as economics, public health, journalism and urban planning, and only for applicants with at least three years of relevant work experience. Engineering and computer science are not among them.

Can you work while studying in the USA?

On campus only, at first. F-1 students can work on campus but not more than 20 hours per week when school is in session. Off-campus work during the course is limited to Curricular Practical Training linked to your programme. After graduation, Optional Practical Training gives up to 12 months, and STEM graduates can apply for a 24-month extension, so up to three years in all.

What changed in 2026: duration of status, the H-1B fee and visa rules?

• Fixed admission period, on hold: a final rule would admit F-1 students for a fixed period tied to the I-20, up to four years, instead of “duration of status”. It was due on 15 September 2026, but a federal court in Massachusetts paused it before it took effect, so students keep duration of status while the lawsuit continues. Boston University expects the government to appeal, which could bring the rule in with little notice; a master’s would fit within four years if it does take effect.
• The $100,000 H-1B payment: a federal court vacated the guidance on 8 June 2026, and DHS says it will comply, though it plans to collect if the order is lifted. The proclamation has been extended to September 2027. USCIS says it does not apply to a change of status granted inside the US, such as from F-1 to H-1B.
• H-1B selection: the lottery is now weighted by wage level, in force for the 2027 cap season, so higher-paid offers have better odds.
• Visa interview: the US Mission in India asks F-1 applicants to set all social media accounts to public and to apply in their country of residence or nationality. Our F-1 interview guide covers the interview itself.

What does it cost to send money from India?

Money paid from an education loan by a financial institution carries no tax collected at source. From your own savings, TCS is 2% on the amount above ₹10 lakh a financial year, credited against the sender’s income tax. For loans to cover a US degree, including lenders that do not need collateral, see our collateral-free loan guide and education loan guide.

Is an MS in the USA worth the cost?

For strong technical profiles who get work after graduation, often yes. NC State says its recent graduate students reported an average salary of over $92,975 in their first job across all graduate programmes, and Carnegie Mellon’s networking and security master’s reported median salaries of $145,000 to $146,700 in 2025. But staying beyond OPT depends on the H-1B, which is never certain, so the loan should be one you could repay from an Indian salary if you had to come home.

Engineering graduates should also read our MS after BTech guide, which covers GRE, deadlines and funding. To compare countries, see our cost guides for the UK, Canada and Australia, or our page on studying in the USA.