5 Cheapest Universities in the USA for Indian Students — Tuition and Living Costs

Courses in usa

Table of contents

Author

Picture of Shivani Mani

Shivani Mani

Lead, Student Success - FundRight

Like what you read?

Like what you read? Share with your community

Summary

  • Here’s a table summarising the tuition fees, living costs, and other related costs to study at 5 of the most affordable universities in the USA for Indian students.
  • The top 5 universities are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (QS World University Ranking 1), Stanford University (QS World University Ranking 3), Harvard University (QS World University Ranking 5), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) (QS World University Ranking 6), and University of Chicago (QS World University Ranking 10).
  • The only sources you can find are relatives who passed out decades ago or a random blog on the internet who has read 5 other blogs on the topic.

Here are 3 pieces of information for you to mull over:

  1. Indian students form 20% of the total international students studying in the U.S. with the number being 232,851.
  2. India sends the second-highest number of international students to the U.S. 
  3. Over 62,000 Indian students received student visas from the U.S. Embassy in the summer of 2021 alone.

The conclusion? Indian students love to study in the U.S. 

Why? Here are 3 key reasons:

  • 25 U.S. universities are featured in the top 100 in the QS World University Rankings 2022. The top 5 universities are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (QS World University Ranking 1), Stanford University (QS World University Ranking 3), Harvard University (QS World University Ranking 5), California Institute of Technology (CalTech) (QS World University Ranking 6), and University of Chicago (QS World University Ranking 10).
  • The U.S. government allows international students to work a part-time job for up to 20 hours a week. Furthermore, the U.S. government allows international students to work a full-time job for up to 40 hours a week during summer vacations and holidays.
  • The U.S. universities allow students to have academic flexibility such as the option to study several subjects before choosing a major at undergraduate levels and transfer admission (transferring credits from one university to another university).      

However, studying in the U.S. doesn’t come cheap. You need to pay up to $55,000 a year in tuition fees. Furthermore, you need to pay up to $40,000 a year in food, living, and accommodation expenses as well. 

Even with scholarships and education loans, the expenses can quickly burn a hole in your pocket. 

We know what you’re wondering, “I must find the cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students. That’s what this article is going to help you with.

In the next seven minutes, we’ll discuss all about the cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students. You’ll know the tuition fees, living costs and other related costs to study at these universities by the time you finish reading the article.

However, before you decide on the cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students, you must choose a university first. An overwhelming step when you have hundreds of choices including 5 universities placed in the top 10 of the QS World University Ranking 2022.

You want more information. However, the only sources you can find are relatives who passed out decades ago or a random blog on the internet who has read 5 other blogs on the topic. 

That’s when you need AI by your side. 

That’s when you need SelectRight.

More on SelectRight later. Back to discussing everything about the cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students for now. 

Note: the information is true at the time of writing. That’s September 2022.

Here’s a table summarising the tuition fees, living costs, and other related costs to study at 5 of the most affordable universities in the USA for Indian students.

Cost Northwest Missouri State University University of Wisconsin Purdue University  California State University, Long Beach Dakota State University
Tuition Fees $6,364.80 $12,176.00 $31,104  $3,588 $5,968.50
Food and accommodation $5,500.00 $14,446.00 $10,030 $10,258 $3,732.00
Books and course supplies $2,667.60 $1,150.00 $1,050 $1,000 Varies

5 cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students — a complete guide

Northwest Missouri State University

One of the most affordable universities in the USA, the university is home to 7,870 students. The university offers 21:1 students: faculty ratio. Furthermore, 98% of the students receive employment offers as well.

Northwest Missouri State University

Here’s a table breaking down the costs to study at the Norwest Missouri State University:

Tuition fees $6,364.80
Books and course supplies $2,667.60
Living expenses (for 9 months) $5,500.00
Health insurance $1,479.00
Student service and orientation fees $250.00
Total $16,261.40

University of Wisconsin

The university — which is one of the most affordable universities in the USAtopped the chart of national public universities by Washington Monthly. Furthermore, the university boasts of 20 Nobel Prize winners coming from the alumni.

The University of Wisconsin allocates over $1 billion each year for groundbreaking research and inquiries in the fields of stem cells, cosmic rays, and the origins of life.

University of WisconsinHere’s a table breaking down the costs to study at the University of Wisconsin:

Tuition fees $12,176.00
Education and course material supplies $1,150.00
Food and accommodation $14,446.00
Transportation $832.00
Loan fees $262.00
Personal $5,468.00
Total $34,334.00

Purdue University

One of the most affordable universities in the USA, Purdue University has been featured among the Top 10 most universities in America by the U.S. News and World Report, 2022. 

The university offers more than 200 undergraduate majors. 

Purdue University

Here’s a table breaking down the costs to study at the Purdue University:

Tuition fees $31,104 
Accommodation $10,030
Books and supplies $1,050
Transportation $2,370
Miscellaneous  $1,590
Total $46,144

California State University, Long Beach

The university is the third-largest institute among all the 23 institutes in the California State University (CSU) system. The university offers 63 academic departments. 

Over 37,000 students study at the university of which 3,000 are international students.

California State University, Long Beach

Here’s a table breaking down the costs to study at the California State University, Long Beach:

Tuition fees $3,588
Accommodation $4,860
Food $5,398
Books and supplies $1,000
Other living expenses $1,760
Total $16,606

Dakota State University

The university topped the chart of the best online colleges in South Dakota for 2020 by TheBestSchools.org. 3,219 students study at the Dakota State University.

The students have an average ACT score of 23.2. The university boasts of a 99% placement rate for its latest batch as well.

Dakota State University

Here’s a table breaking down the costs to study at the Dakota State University:

Tuition fees $5,968.50
Food and accommodation $3,732.00
Wireless computing fee $398.75
Total $9.829.25

However, even after learning about the 5 cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students, you might still feel overwhelmed. You might still have questions. 

That’s when SelectRight offers the help you need. At SelectRight, we offer:

  • An active discord community sharing real-life university experiences and daily actionable tips from existing students of your preferred universities.
  • A series of webinars educating you on multiple topics such as how to reach out to and interact with alumni from the universities and how to shortlist universities.
  • A University Finder Widget allowing you to download the program details of the top 500 universities with information such as loan probability, the correlation between exam score and the education loan interest rate, and ROI calculations. 

Let’s take a look at the FAQs regarding the most affordable universities in the USA for international students.

Most affordable universities in USA for indian students: Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the most affordable universities in the USA for international students?

5 of the cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students are:

  1. Northwest Missouri State University
  2. University of Wisconsin
  3. Purdue University
  4. California State University, Long Beach
  5. Dakota State University

2. What’s the average cost to study in the U.S. for Indian students?

You need to pay up to $55,000 a year in tuition fees. Furthermore, you need to pay up to $40,000 a year in food, living, and accommodation costs as well.

3. How can I study in the U.S. with less income?

Your best bets are:

  • Get a scholarship
  • Get an education loan
  • Choose one of the cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students

We have already shared 5 of the most affordable universities in the USA in this article. Furthermore, here are an additional 5 cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students:

  • Arkansas State University
  • Brigham Young University
  • University of South Florida
  • Oklahoma State University
  • Mississippi State University

4. Can I get scholarships and financial aid to study in the U.S.?

Yes. Most universities in the U.S. offer scholarships and financial aid to study in the U.S. including the 5 cheapest universities in the USA for international students we discussed in this article.

5. What is the cheapest university in the USA for Indian students?

It’s hard to pinpoint the cheapest university in the USA for Indian students. However, 5 of the most affordable universities in the USA are:

  1. Iowa State University
  2. University of South Florida
  3. Arizona State University
  4. California State University, Long Beach
  5. Dakota State University

Cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students — choose SelectRight to choose better

The article has gathered all the information on the cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students. However, you might still have questions on how to choose a university that’ll be best suited for your needs.

How to choose the most affordable universities in the USA from hundreds, not to mention 5 of them featured in the top 10 of the QS World University Rankings 2022? 

Furthermore, your only information sources are old uncles who passed out thirty years ago or a random blog on the internet with half (or worse, misinformation). 

Feeling overwhelmed? SelectRight is here to guide you through the process. At SelectRight, we offer:

  • Unbiased and personalized university recommendations based on our analysis of over 10,000 STEM, CS, and MBA programs.
  • Expert guidance on multiple aspects of your application such as SOP review, LOR review, and application review.
  • Exclusive events where you could network with officials from your preferred universities and clear any doubts you have.

It’s like having Ramanujan crunch the numbers for you, so you go to a massive-RoI university. 

Cheapest universities in the USA for Indian students — choose SelectRight to choose better

Like what you read? Share with your community

About the author

Picture of Shivani Mani

Shivani Mani

Lead, Student Success - FundRight

Shivani, aka ‘Sheen’ brings in 15+ years of experience in banking & finance. An IIM-A alumna, she actively interacts with students & provides actionable solutions to their study abroad funding issues.

Trending Topics

University Icon

Cut through the selection chaos

Let AI curate your University Shortlist in just 10 mins

Start Shortlisting!

Related Blogs

Get USA Master's Education Loan Approval in Just 2 Days
Start for Free

Tuheena Raj - Reportees

kshama

Kshama

Brands and Communications

Tarang Mohin - Reportees

sarthak prakash

Sarthak Prakash

Brands and Communications

Vivek Kumar Srivastava - Reportees

dadi pratushan

Dadi Pratushan

Associate, B2B Partnerships

hemanth k b

Hemanth K B

Sr. Associate, B2B Partnerships

sairam gottipalli

Sairam Gottipalli

Sr. Associate, B2B Partnerships

shobhit jindal

Shobhit Jindal

Sr. Associate, B2B Partnerships

Nandan Singh Danu- Reportees

arka ghosh

Arka Ghosh

Assistant Manager, Admin and Operations

Abhishek Raj - Reportees

yadvendra chauhan

Yadvendra Chauhan

Data Research Associate

harshit kumar

Harshit Kumar

Data Research Associate

suravi parik

Suravi Parik

Data Research Associate

Abhishek Anshu - Reportees

harsh ahuja

Harsh Ahuja

Software Engineer_FE

namrata nadgauda

Namrata Nadgauda

SDET

Ayushkumar

Ayush Kumar

OJT_Tech

SarthakArora

Sarthak Arora

SDE-2 Fullstack

prakhar shukla2

Prakhar Shukla

SDE-2 Fullstack

Dheeraj scaled

Dheeraj Shukla

QA Engineer

Krishnakant Nokwal- Reportees

Harshita scaled

Harshita Jajani

Product Design

Vardan Mishra - Reportees

Daksh

Daksh Bana

Product Associate

Vishnu - Reportees

ajay sunil kharade

Ajay Sunil Kharade

QA Specialist

chetty vivek

Chetty Vivek

SDE-1 Fullstack

debmalya bhattacharya

Debmalya Bhattacharya

Software Engineer_FE

lavanya gunnam

Lavanya Gunnam

SDE-1 Backend

Asakti Dev - Reportees

himanshu ramola

Himanshu Ramola

Student Success Manager-FR

aashima

Aashima

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

shubham khandelwal

Shubham Khandelwal

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

naushad ahmad

Naushad Ahmad

Manager, Student Success-FR

ayushi ranjan

Ayushi Ranjan

Senior Associate, Student Advisor

naveen kumar

Naveen Kumar

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisor

poojitha

Poojitha

Senior Associate, Student Advisor

rahul yadav

Rahul Yadav

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

sanjeev kumar singh

Sanjeev Kumar Singh

Manager, Student Success-FR

kottana kusuma

Kottana Kusuma

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

kumari garima 1

Kumari Garima

Assistant Manager, Student Loan Advisor

mohit shrimali

Mohit Shrimali

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

peddinti keerthana

Peddinti Keerthana

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisor

shivam agarwal

Shivam Agarwal

Manager, Student Success-FR

piyush saxena

Piyush Saxena

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

samiksha rai

Samiksha Rai

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

vandana uniyal

Vandana Uniyal

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

Bikramjit Chakraborty - Reportees

pasala subhashini

Pasala Subhashini

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

priyanka pedduappari

Priyanka Peddauppari

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

satti vivek reddy

Satti Vivek Reddy

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

subha biswas

Subha Biswas

Manager,Student Success-FR

anitra roy

Anitra Roy

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

reshab barman

Reshab Barman

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

vysyaraju sashank kumar raju

Vysyaraju Sashank Kumar Raju

Assistant Manager, Student Loan Advisory

abhijit saikia

Abhijit Saikia

Manager, Student Success-FR

maniteja mudanga

Maniteja Munaga

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

podila bhavani

Podila Bhavani

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

thumma mahitha

Thumma Mahitha

Associate, Student Loan Advisor

Jayesh Rao - Reportees

varun sharma

Varun Sharma

Manager, Student Success - FR

ayushi singh

Ayushi Singh

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

himanshu verma

Himanshu Verma

Student Success Manager-FR

ankit thakur

Ankit Thakur

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

archana jain

Archana Jain

Assistant Manager, Student Loan Advisory

Pranav Prabhu - Reportees

angad singh chaudhry

Angad Singh Chaudhry

Manager, Student Success-FR

bhukya renuka bai

Bhukya Renuka Bai

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisory

archith siddoju

Archith Siddoju

Regional Business Head

kondengala yogesh

Kondengala Yogesh

Manager, Student Success-FR

a rana sai reddy

A Rana Sai Reddy

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

prabhanjan shivva

Prabhanjan Shivva

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisory

thutta hem durgish

Thutta Hem Durgish

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisory

mohammad khaja muzammil

Mohammad Khaja Muzammil

Manager, Student Success - FR

nikhil kumar

Nikhil Kumar

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

nishitha dorepally

Nishitha Dorepally

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisory

ravina ketini

Ravina Ketini

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisory

Tanya Popli - Reportees

ganapavarapu kumar

Ganapavarapu Kumar

Manager, Student Success - FR

naviya r

Naviya R

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

shashank penugonda

Shashank Penugonda

Senior Associate, Student Advisory

shilpa kumari rawal

Shilpa Kumari Rawal

Senior Associate, Student Loan Advisory

syed waseem sajjad

Syed Waseem Sajjad

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

rajat kapoor2

Rajat Kapoor

Manager, Student Success - FR

aditi mohapatra

Aditi Mohapatra

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

geetika sharma

Geetika Sharma

Associate, Student Loan Advisory

Mayank Kumar Bothra - Reportees

esha sharma

Esha Sharma

Lending Partnerships

Provider

Title and Desc

HDFC

ICICI

Team - General Management

ananya kommera

Ananya Kommera

Manager,Brand Communication Design

tuheena raj

Tuheena Raj

Senior Manager,Brands and Communications

tarang mohin

Tarang Mohin

Senior Manager, Brands and Social Media

priyanka aggarwal

Priyanka Aggarwal

Senior Account Manager, University Partnerships

sanchit panwar

Sanchit Panwar

Account Manager, University Partnerships

nakul dixit

Nakul Dixit

Account Manager, University Partnerships

parth kaura

Parth Kaura

AVP, Corporate Strategy and Planning

surbala k

SurBala K

Manager, International Partnerships

alana sobleman

Alana Sobelman

Brands and Communications

Team - Finance and Accounts

pushkar kumar

Pushkar Kumar

Senior Associate, Finance and Accounts

tripti rani

Tripti Rani

Accounts Executive

Ajay Goswami

Ajay Goswami

Manager-Finance and Accounts

Manish Kumar

Manish Kumar

Assistant Manager-Finance and Accounts

Team - Growth

hasil

Hasil

Lead, Domestic Partnerships

anandhu mohan

Anandhu Mohan

Manager, Domestic Partnerships

arindam banerjee

Arindam Banerjee

Assistant Manager, Digital Marketing

vivek kumar srivastava

Vivek Kumar Srivastav

Lead, Domestic Partnerships

akansha dagar

Akansha Dagar

Senior Designer, UI/UX

akash borah

Akash Borah

Associate, Performance Marketing

ajeet kumar

Ajeet Kumar

Associate, Digital Marketing

nirmit ahuja

Nirmit Ahuja

Community Associate

ChaturvediAbhishek

Abhishek Chaturvedi

Manager-Domestic Partnerships

Team - Talent Management

dikshita das

Dikshita Das

Assistant Manager, Talent Management

nandan singh danu

Nandan Singh Danu

Deputy Manager Admin

rajeev kumar singh

Rajeev Kumar Singh

Manager, Admin and Operations

kavya devanaka

Kavya Devanaka

Talent Management Trainee

Patrali Pic

Patrali Mukherjee

Assistant Manager, Talent Management

Team - Talent Management

abhishek raj

Abhishek Raj

Senior Business Analyst

abhishek wunnava

Abhishek Wunnava

Product Manager

Anshu

Abhishek Anshu

Tech Lead

nischal polishetty

Nischal Polishetty

Production Support Engineer

prankul

Prankul

Product Design

kk

Krishnakant Nokwal

Product Design

umesh podapati

Umesh Podapati

Salesforce Developer

vardan mishra

Vardan Mishra

Mishra Product Manager

vishnu 1

Vishnu

Tech Lead

shubham jangid

Shubham Jangid

Consultant SDE-2 FE

prakash maurya

Prakash Maurya

Consultant SDE-2 BE

Ashutosh scaled

Ashutosh Kumar

Consultant SDE-2 BE

Garima

Garima Mangla

Consultant SDE-2 BE

Team - Talent Management

adit sean obrian

Sean O'Brian

International Growth & Strategy

sayaka ono idris

Sayaka Ono Idris

Associate, International Growth and Development

Team - Talent Management

gautam sahni

Gautam Sahni

Motion Graphic Designer

caliph adam faredie

Caliph Adam Faredie

Senior Manager Communications

raghav bansal

Raghav Bansal

Graphic Designer

nidhi mehra

Nidhi Mehra

Graphic Designer

paras thappa

Paras Thappa

Senior Designer UI/UX

rajat malik

Rajat Malik

Associate Producer

atul s lal

Atul S Lal

Motion Graphic Designer

harshita chaudhary

Harshita Chaudhary

Digital Ad Copywirter

PiyushAgrawal

Piyush Agrawal

Digital Ad Copywirter

Team - Talent Management

asakti dev

Asakti Dev

Assistant Vice President Growth

bikramjit chakraborty

Bikramjit Chakraborty

Manager, Student Success-FR

jayesh rao

Jayesh Rao

Manager, Learning & Development - FR

pranav prabhu

Pranav Prabhu

Manager, Student Success-FR

tanya popli

Tanya Popli

Manager, Student Success-FR

Team - Talent Management

kale veera vanitha

Kale Veera Vanitha

Manager, Student Success - SR

arvind singh rajpurohit

Arvind Singh Rajpurohit

Program Manager, Student Success - SR

manish madanwad

Manish Madanwad

Program Manager, Student Success - SR

akula akshay

Akula Akshay

Senior Growth Associate - SR

bhargavi mopidevi

Bhargavi Mopidevi

Growth Associate - SR

bhagyalaxmi sahoo

Bhagyalaxmi Sahoo

Senior Growth Associate - SR

asv siddhartha

A.S.V. Siddhartha

Manager, Student Success - SR

saikiran g 1

Saikiran G.

Senior Growth Associate - SR

lavanya swaero

Lavanya Swaero

Growth Associate - SR

Team - Talent Management

Rectangle 24199

Monoj D S

Deputy Manager,Student Engagement FR

yash

Yash Kumar Goyal

Manager, Lending Partnerships

mayank

Mayank Kumar Bothra

Assistant Manager,Lending Partnerships

shoaurya gupta

Shaurya Gupta

VAS Partnership

manish

Manish Jain

Manager,VAS Partnership