Many students shy away from studying in the US because they feel that tuition fees in universities over there are very expensive. Well this is not true as there are low tuition universities in the US as well. The private universities may be expensive, but the public ones are quite affordable. I have decided to publish a comprehensive list of universities in the US with low tuition fees, but before I do that let’s briefly look at the cost of living in the US for a student, admission requirements and how to apply for visa.
Cost of living in the US
Cost of living in the US varies from city to city. Places like Washington, California and area around New York usually have high living cost. If you spend moderately as a student you should expect to live on $500 to $1000 a month. This amount will cover the cost of food, clothes, accommodation, transportation and other expenses apart from tuition fees.
Admission requirements for study in the US
- To study in the US, students whose first language is not English must show proof of proficiency in the language. Most universities in the US accept TOEFL, IELTS or PTE.
- For admission into a masters program, universities in the US require.
- undergraduate (BS or bachelor’s degree ) GPA to be 3/4 (US system). It is equivalent to 80/100,12/20*(China) and 1st division ,65%*(For most Indian Universities)
- Application fees of $20 to $100 may be charged by the universities.
How to apply for visa
There are several steps to apply for a US student visa. The order of these steps and how you complete them may vary at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you apply.
- Complete the online visa application form: You must complete the online DS – 160 form. Click this link to access the form. https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/
- Schedule an interview: You must schedule an appointment for your visa interview in the country where you live.
- Prepare for your interview; Pay the non-refundable visa application fee, if you are required to pay it before your interview. When your visa is approved, you may also pay a visa issuance fee.
- Gather required documentation; Ensure that you gather all the required documents before your visa interview. The documents include the following;
- Passport valid for travel to the United States
- Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160 confirmation page
- Application fee payment receipt, if you are required to pay before your interview.
- Photo – You will upload your photo while completing the online Form DS-160
- Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status-For Academic and Language Students, Form I-20 or Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (M-1) Student Status for Vocational Students, Form I-20
Work and study in the US
You can work up to 20 hours per week while school is in session; if school is not in session, the rules may differ. Ensure that you maintain valid F-1 status while you are employed on campus. If you lose your F-1 status, you will be unable to continue on-campus employment.
List of low tuition universities in the US
- Louisiana Tech University, LA Total Cost to International Students: $17,472
- Truman State University, MO Total Cost to International Students: $19,702
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, NM Total Cost to International Students: $20,270
- University of Wisconsin — Eau Claire, WI Total Cost to International Students: $20,396
- University of Wisconsin — La Crosse, WI Total Cost to International Students: $20,711
- Mississippi State University, MS Total Cost to International Students: $21,741
- Appalachian State University, NC
Total Cost to International Students: $22,212 - University of Oklahoma, OK Total Cost to International Students: $22,635
- Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania, PA Total Cost to International Students: $23,130
- North Georgia College & State University, GA Total Cost to International Students: $23,369
- Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, LA Total Cost to International Students: $23,621
- Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, PA Total Cost to International Students: $23,748
- The University of North Carolina at Asheville, NC Total Cost to International Students: $23,868
- State University of New York College at Oneonta, NY Total Cost to International Students: $23,974
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, MN Total Cost to International Students: $24,048
- University of Arkansas, AR Total Cost to International Students: $24,150
- West Chester University of Pennsylvania, PA Total Cost to International Students: $24,181
- State University of New York College at Brockport, NY Total Cost to International Students: $24,208
- Millersville University of Pennsylvania, PA Total Cost to International Students: $24,349
- The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, NC Total Cost to International Students: $24,379
- State University of New York at New Paltz, NY Total Cost to International Students: $24,433
- Salisbury University, MD Total Cost to International Students: $24,484
- Oklahoma State University, OK Total Cost to International Students: $24,623
- State University of New York College at Cortland, NY Total Cost to International Students: $24,835
- Stony Brook University, State University of New York, NY Total Cost to International Students: $24,878
- State University of New York, Fredonia, NY Total Cost to International Students: $24,889
- State University of New York College at Geneseo, NY Total Cost to International Students: $25,076
- University of Utah, UT Total Cost to International Students: $25,208
- University of North Carolina School of the Arts, NC Total Cost to International Students: $25,479
- Illinois State University, IL Total Cost to International Students: $25,527
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, NY Total Cost to International Students: $25,536
- University of South Florida, FL Total Cost to International Students: $25,636
- State University of New York at Binghamton, NY Total Cost to International Students: $26,075
- University of Nebraska — Lincoln, NE Total Cost to International Students: $26,147
- Iowa State University of Science and Technology, IA Total Cost to International Students: $26,148
- University at Albany, State University of New York, NY Total Cost to International Students: $26,486
- Western Washington University, WA Total Cost to International Students: $26,603
- Georgia Southern University, GA Total Cost to International Students: $26,616
- North Carolina State University, NC Total Cost to International Students: $26,875
- The University of Alabama, AL Total Cost to International Students: $27,194
- Auburn University, AL Total Cost to International Students: $27,620
- Florida State University, FL Total Cost to International Students: $27,804
- Towson University, MD Total Cost to International Students: $27,886
- James Madison University, VA Total Cost to International Students: $27,942
- Missouri Univ. of Science and Technology, MO Total Cost to International Students: $28,559
- California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA Total Cost to International Students: $28,619
- University of Missouri — Columbia, MO Total Cost to International Students: $28,762
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, VA Total Cost to International Students: $28,782
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD Total Cost to International Students: $28,841
- University of Mary Washington, VA Total Cost to International Students: $28,926
- Washington State University, WA Total Cost to International Students: $29,387
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA Total Cost to International Students: $29,417
- University of Central Florida, FL Total Cost to International Students: $29,469
- The University of Tennessee, TN Total Cost to International Students: $29,566
- The University of Iowa, IA Total Cost to International Students: $31,292
- College of New Jersey, NJ Total Cost to International Students: $31,588
- Colorado State University, CO Total Cost to International Students: $31,744
- Ohio State University, OH Total Cost to International Students: $31,863
- A&M University, TX Total Cost to International Students: $31,926
- University of South Carolina, SC Total Cost to International Students: $31,996
- University of Wisconsin — Madison, WI Total Cost to International Students: $32,143
- University of Florida, FL Total Cost to International Students: $32,234
- The College of New Jersey, NJ Total Cost to International Students: $32,404
- College of Charleston, SC Total Cost to International Students: $32,427
- George Mason University, VA Total Cost to International Students: $32,608
- The University of Texas at Dallas, TX Total Cost to International Students: $32,663
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC Total Cost to International Students: $33,184
- University of Delaware, DE Total Cost to International Students: $33,294
- Clemson University, SC Total Cost to International Students: $33,484
- University of Oregon, OR Total Cost to International Students: $33,709
- University of Pittsburgh, PA Total Cost to International Students: $33,802
- University of Washington, WA Total Cost to International Students: $34,351
- University of Maryland, College Park, MD Total Cost to International Students: $34,392
i am very thankful for this information that you have provided.
i would like to ask if you could assist with schools that can give scholarships though these listed schools have low tuition.
moreover, can i be updated with schools that require a low application fee, since we will have to at least apply for about 4 or more schools?
Hi Ken, all universities and colleges in the USA have financial aid for students. For the application fee, I can’t tell the ones that are low. What I will advice you do is check the university’s website and there you will see the application fees they charge.
Thanks
Help pls by the of God
Thanks for this info provided am so grateful just that am a little confuse right because of the amount, wish you say are low tuition universities so please help me with some clarifications , i wish to know if the Louisiana Tech University tuition fee is one thousand seven hundred or seventeen thousand four hundred and seventy two dollars? thanks and hope to read from you asap
thanks you for helpful information in your article. however , i would like to know about lowest tuition and fee of colleges for international students in georgia state. Could you help me to find out more information. i’m looking forward your reply
regards