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

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.

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

1. 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.

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

2. University of Wisconsin

The university — which is one of the most affordable universities in the USA — topped 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.

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

3. 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. 

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

4. 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.

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

5. 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.

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

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. 

If you want to know more, drop us a mail at grad@gradright.com to have a chat with our education and financial advisors.

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

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

Answer: 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

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

Answer: 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.

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

Answer: 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

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

Answer: 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.

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

Answer: 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. 

Want to know more? Drop us an email at grad@gradright.com to strike a conversation with our finance and education advisors.     

We hope the article offered you all the information you need about the most affordable universities in the USA.