BIG AMBITIONS. INFORMED DECISIONS.   YOUR STUDY ABROAD JOURNEY, MADE CLEARER.
Assess My Study Options
New York City skyline at night
USA

Cost of studying in the USA

Tuition, living costs and visa fees, and why your I-20 sets the real number you must plan for.

Find courses that fit my budget
Photo: Paulo Barcellos Jr., CC BY-SA 2.0 · Credits

Last updated 29 September 2026Figures checked against official sources, listed at the end

US study costs at a glance

USD 25,000 to 35,000Public tuition per year
USD 45,000 to 65,000Private tuition per year
USD 1,200 to 2,500+Living costs per month
USD 185F-1 visa fee
USD 350SEVIS I-901 fee
I-20 amountWhat you must document

Tuition by level

Bachelor’s, public universityUSD 25,000 to 35,000 a year (out-of-state rate)
Bachelor’s, private universityUSD 45,000 to 65,000 a year
Master’sUSD 20,000 to 45,000 a year
PhDOften funded through assistantships and tuition waivers

Worked example: a public university

Tuition (assumed)USD 30,000
Living: 12 × USD 1,500 (college town)USD 18,000
F-1 and SEVIS feesUSD 535
First-year total before flightsUSD 48,535

Your university’s cost of attendance, printed on the I-20, is the figure your bank documents must cover.

Calculate your full study cost

Enter all costs in the same currency. No fee or exchange rate is filled in automatically.

Other costs can include travel, visa fees, insurance and one-off charges. Do not deduct a scholarship you have not been awarded.

Enter your figures to calculate a full-course estimate.

Formula: ((annual tuition + 12 × monthly living) × years + other costs) × (1 + contingency ÷ 100). This is not a visa financial-evidence calculation.

Cost FAQs

Why do international students pay more at public universities?

Public universities charge international students the out-of-state rate.

Can on-campus work cover my costs?

Only partly. On-campus jobs usually pay USD 12 to 18 an hour for up to 20 hours a week in term.

See the money you must show

Official sources

These are dated editorial checks, not a live data feed. Recheck the original page before applying or paying.

About this guide. Researched by the Student Visa From Bangladesh editorial team from the official sources listed above and last checked on 29 September 2026. We are not a university or a government agency, and admission and visa outcomes are never guaranteed. Read our editorial policy.