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Cost of MS in USA for Indian Students

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Check out the cost of studying different MS courses in the US

In the US, MS courses are one of the most popular degrees among international students. It is highly sought after in the country. International students can gain valuable learning experience and land well-paid employment in the future by finishing a two-year MS in different specialised programmes in the USA. So, if you are thinking of pursuing an MS course in one of the universities in the US, then it might be the right destination for you.

Why study MS courses in the US?

Many Indian students choose to study in the USA for a variety of reasons, including the high quality of education, the diversity of the country, and the abundance of work opportunities. Studying in the US comes with many advantages - happening campus, friendly environment, financial aid, and immense opportunities to grow as an individual. The universities in the US offer multiple specialised MS courses from which you can choose the one you like to study.

Cost of studying MS courses in the US

In the US, the tuition fee for an MS degree is based on the credit hour of the course and the type of university (i.e., public, or private university). Do remember that the minimum credit hours of an MS programme are 30 hours. The average cost of a master's degree for Indian Students in the US is between $30,000 and $120,000, which comes to approximately INR 24 -96 lacs. However, it might vary from institution to institution and on the specialisation opted.

Scholarships to study in the US

Studying in the US can be affordable if you plan well in beforehand, you can apply to different scholarships offered by the top universities and colleges in the USA before the deadlines. Many scholarships are also offered by the US government, and various private and public organisations as well. When applying to any of these scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility criteria carefully.

S.No.	Name of the scholarship	Description
1	Fulbright- Nehru Fellowships	Criteria for international students who are applying to MS courses, this scholarship covers tuition fees, accident, and sickness coverage as per US guidelines, airfare, and living costs
2	Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Program (Government-funded)	This program is a part of the Fullbright programme and aims to bring an accomplished young and mid-career professional from a developing country to study in the US for 10 months of non-degree graduate study and related practical experience This program covers tuition fees, monthly maintenance allowance, living expenses, airfare, professional expenses like field trips, etc
3	#YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship (Non-Government scholarship)	It’s a scholarship and social media campaign designed to welcome international students into the US higher education system irrespective of the subject area In this, the participating university and college will offer you two annual and renewable scholarships that will include a minimum cover of 50% of tuition fees to enroll in the selected international undergraduate program
4	IEFA (Non-Government scholarship)	This is a summer program sponsored by Abbey Road Inc. which gives scholarships to 14-18 aged high school student that shows exemplary performance in their academics and extracurricular activities It offers five $1,000 student scholarships each year in specific areas (feel free to reach out to IDP for more information)
5	AAUW International Fellowships (Non-Government scholarship)	These fellowships are awarded to international women students for full-time study and research in the US. It supports both graduate and post-graduate students accredited in the US institutions Number of scholarships is: Master’s/first professional degree: $5,000-$18,000 Graduate or Postdoctoral: $18,000-$30,000

Cost of living in the US

The typical cost of living in the US is projected to be between $10,000 and $18,000 per year or around $1,000 and $1,500 per month. This covers the price of your lodging, board, meals, transit, textbooks, appropriate attire for the weather, and entertainment.

Living essentials	Expenses
Transportation	$100 to $300 (INR 7,575 – 22,727)
Food	$30 to $40 (INR 2,272 – 3,030)
Accommodation	$1000 t0 $2000 (INR 75,758 – 1,51,516)
Other	$300 to $600 (INR 22,727 – 45,456)

Most affordable states in the US

The most affordable states for international students in the US can vary depending on factors such as tuition and cost of living. However, some states that are generally considered to be more affordable include:

Utah
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Arkansas
Indiana
Tupelo, Mississippi
Texas
Pennsylvania

It's important to note that while these states may have lower tuition rates, they may also have a lower standard of living. Additionally, it is worth looking at the specific universities within these states to compare their costs and the resources they have to offer international students.

It is always good to research the universities and their area cost of living before deciding.

Average salary after doing MS course in the US

Here are some of the average salaries for specialised courses in MS, which you can go ahead with:

Specialisation	Range	Average salary
Software Engineer	$72,000 - $13,7000	$99,882
Data Scientist	$72,000 - $1,30,000	$97,543
Mechanical Engineer	$66,000- $10,9000	$83,084
Senior Software engineer	$95,000- $16,7000	$126,563
Data Analytics	$52,000 - $91,000	$69,656
Project Manager	$57000 - $12,2000	$83,574
Electrical Engineer	$69,000 - $1,18,000	$87,264

*According to the PayScale data 2023

If you are thinking of studying MS courses in the US and not sure where to start, do not worry, here’s help! You can get in touch with international education experts at IDP who can help you through the entire admission procedure.