The United States has more of the world’s top universities than any other country, including MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and Yale, and a flexible system in which students usually choose their major after a broad first year. Costs are high (about $90,000–100,000 a year at leading private universities), but several universities give international students need-based aid that meets their full demonstrated need, and some admit them need-blind, such as Princeton, Amherst, Dartmouth and Bowdoin. Important: since 1 January 2026, student visas are not issued to nationals of several countries, including Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Mauritania.
18
universities listed
22
scholarships & discounts
10
government programmes
English
teaching languages
August
academic year starts
Government scholarships & national programmes
Scholarships funded by the state or its official bodies for international students.
Other international opportunities in this country (8)
Fellowships, competitions, leadership summits and volunteering hosted or run from here — not study scholarships, so not included in the scholarship count.
• Bachelor’s: 4 years; the first year is usually broad (liberal arts) and the major is chosen later.
• Community colleges: 2-year associate degrees at lower cost, often followed by transfer to a university to finish a bachelor’s.
• Master’s: 1–2 years; PhD: usually 5–6 years, and many PhD programmes are fully funded with a stipend.
• The academic year starts in late August or September, with semesters or quarters.
• Language of study: English. There are state (public) universities and private universities; the large private ones have the most financial aid.
How to get admitted
1) Bachelor’s through the Common App or Apply Coalition (the University of California has its own UC Application). For fall 2027 entry:
• Early Decision / Early Action: usually 1 November 2026 (Princeton, Penn, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Caltech); Amherst 9 November; Bowdoin 15 November.
• Regular Decision: 1–5 January 2027 (Princeton, Columbia, Dartmouth 1 Jan; Cornell 2 Jan; Caltech 4 Jan; Penn, Amherst, Bowdoin 5 Jan).
• University of California (Berkeley, UCLA, etc.): 1 October – 30 November 2026.
2) Tests: SAT or ACT required at Princeton (from the 2027 class), Penn, Cornell, Caltech and Dartmouth; optional at Columbia, Amherst and UChicago. An English test (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo) if you were not taught in English.
3) Financial aid: usually requested with the application through the CSS Profile or the university’s own form; many universities are need-aware for international applicants.
4) Master’s and PhD: apply directly to the programme, usually between December and February.
5) After admission the university issues the Form I-20 once you prove you can fund the first year.
Fees and living costs
Examples of 2026-27 undergraduate tuition from official websites (per year):
• Harvard $62,226 (total with housing and food $91,634).
• Penn $65,670 (total $94,582) — MIT $66,720 — Stanford $67,731 — Princeton $68,140 (budget $94,624).
• Johns Hopkins $68,670 — Dartmouth $71,697 — Yale $72,500 — Columbia $72,800 — Cornell $73,946 — Amherst $75,330.
• UC Berkeley (public) for international students: $57,484 in tuition and fees, about $93,944 with campus housing.
Aid: Princeton, Amherst, Dartmouth and Bowdoin admit international students need-blind and meet their demonstrated need; Columbia, Cornell, Penn and Caltech meet admitted students’ need but are need-aware in admission. The average international award at Amherst in 2025-26 was over $84,000. Public universities such as Berkeley give no need-based aid to international students.
Visa, residence permit and health insurance
You need an F-1 student visa (or J-1 for exchanges and fellowships):
1) Admission, then the Form I-20 from the university once you prove funding.
2) Pay the SEVIS fee ($350), complete the DS-160 and pay the application fee ($185), then attend the embassy interview.
3) A new $250 Visa Integrity Fee is paid when the visa is issued and may be refunded later if you keep to the visa rules (the refund process is not final yet).
4) Since June 2025, F, M and J applicants must set their social-media profiles to public for review.
5) Entry restrictions since 1 January 2026: visas are fully suspended for nationals of 19 countries, including Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Afghanistan and Iran, and for holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents; student and exchange visas (F, M, J) are suspended for nationals of 19 more countries, including Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Tanzania. Exceptions include dual nationals using a non-restricted passport and people holding a valid visa issued before that date. Check travel.state.gov before applying.
6) The rule limiting student admission to a fixed four-year period was blocked by a federal court on 14 September 2026, so “duration of status” still applies.
Working while studying
• During studies: on-campus work up to 20 hours a week in term and 40 hours during breaks; off-campus work only through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) after one full academic year.
• After graduation: Optional Practical Training (OPT) for 12 months, plus a 24-month extension for STEM graduates working for an E-Verify employer.
• Note: a rule proposed on 8 October 2026 would charge schools $70,000 for a first OPT recommendation and $30,000 for a STEM extension; it is only a proposal and current rules still apply.
• Changing from F-1 to an H-1B work visa inside the US is exempt from the $100,000 H-1B fee.
Key questions and answers regarding eligibility, documents, and application steps for 2026 / 2027.
Yes, at some universities: Princeton, Amherst, Dartmouth and Bowdoin admit international students need-blind and meet their demonstrated need, and Columbia, Cornell, Penn and Caltech meet admitted students’ need. For graduate study there are full awards such as Fulbright and Knight-Hennessy at Stanford.
Need-blind means applying for aid does not affect the admission decision. Need-aware means the university considers your ability to pay because aid for international students is limited, though it usually meets the need of those it admits.
It depends on the university: required at Princeton (from the 2027 class), Penn, Cornell, Caltech and Dartmouth; optional at Columbia, Amherst and UChicago. An English test (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo) is usually required if you were not taught in English.
Early Decision / Early Action is usually 1 November 2026, Regular Decision 1–5 January 2027, and the University of California application 1 October – 30 November 2026. Financial aid is usually requested with the application.
The SEVIS fee is $350, the application fee $185, and a $250 Visa Integrity Fee is paid when the visa is issued and may be refunded later if you follow the visa rules.
Since 1 January 2026, visas are not issued to nationals of Sudan, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Syria or to holders of Palestinian Authority travel documents, and student visas are not issued to nationals of Mauritania. Exceptions include dual nationals with a non-restricted passport and holders of a valid visa issued before that date. The list can change, so check travel.state.gov before applying.
During studies you can work on campus up to 20 hours a week in term. After graduation there is 12 months of OPT, with a 24-month extension for STEM graduates. A proposal (October 2026) to charge large OPT fees is not in force.
