LIST OF UNIVERSITIES
10 U.S. Colleges Offering the Most Affordable Tuition to International Students
University of Illinoi
The total enrollment is over 51,000 students, with students from over 100 different countries.
U.S. News ranked the University of Illinois as 47th in the list of "Best National Universities." It was ranked 45th in Forbes' "Top Universities for International Students," 22nd in Money's "Best Colleges," and 18th in Washington Monthly's "National University Rankings."
Tuition and Fees — $34,312
Acceptance Rate — 59%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 20:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 93%
Georgia Institute of Technology
U.S. News recognized Georgia Tech for its support for international students, ranking it 35th of the "Best National Universities." Forbes' "Top Universities for International Students" ranked it at 49th, and it is ranked 21st by Money's "Best Colleges."
Tuition and Fees — $33,794
Acceptance Rate — 21%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 19:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 97%
Purdue University - Indiana
Purdue enrolled 44,551 students in the 2020-2021 school year and received recognition for its support of international students by U.S. News. The university hosts nearly 10,000 international students each year, the fourth largest foreign student population of any university in the country.
The school was also ranked 53rd in U.S. News' "Best National Universities," 23rd in Money's "Best Colleges," and 39th in Washington Monthly's "National University Ranking."
Tuition and Fees — $28,794
Acceptance Rate — 60%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 13:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 92%
Virginia Tech University
Virginia Tech University is a public research university located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and established in 1872. It features seven research institutes and two university research centers.
The school enrolls over 36,000 students and hosts about 4,000 international students yearly. It received notoriety regarding its support for international students by the U.S. News.
The University was ranked in the top 100 by U.S. News' "Best National Universities." It was ranked 37th in Money's "Best Colleges" and 42nd in Washington Monthly's "National University Ranking."
Tuition and Fees — $32,893
Acceptance Rate — 70%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 14:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 92%
5. Brigham Young University - Utah
This private research university was established in 1975 in Provo, lending itself to the lower tuition cost. The school hosts about 1,323 international students.
Brigham Young University focuses on undergraduate education with 179 majors, but it also offers 62 masters and 26 doctoral degree programs.
Students attending the university follow an honor code that mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings. It is estimated that 99% of students are members of the LDS church.
U.S. News recognized Brigham Young as successful in supporting international students. It ranked the university among the top 100 in its "Best National Universities" list and ranked it 11th in its "Best Value Schools" list. The school also ranked 35th in Money's "Best Colleges."
Tuition and Fees — $5,970
Acceptance Rate — 67%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 20:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 90%
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6. North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University is a public research university in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is the largest 4-year college in the state. The school enrolls 36,304 students and hosts international students from 117 different countries.
The school's strengths lie in its engineering, statistics, agriculture, life sciences, textiles, and design programs. It offers 106 undergraduate degrees, 104 master's degrees, and 61 doctoral degrees.
U.S. News identified the school as successfully supporting international students. It ranks the university in the top 80 schools on its "Best National Universities" list while Money's "Best Colleges" ranks it 35th.
Tuition and Fees — $29,220
Acceptance Rate — 45%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 14:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 94%
7. University of Georgia, Georgia
The University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia. Established in 1785, it is one of the oldest public universities in the U.S.
This research university is known for its vibrant student community featuring nearly 800 student organizations. The University of Georgia is also known as one of the country's top three producers of Rhodes Scholars in the past 20 years.
The school enrolls over 38,000 students and more than 2,600 international students. U.S. News' "Best National Universities" ranked it 47th and identified it as successfully supporting international students.
Tuition and Fees — $31,120
Acceptance Rate — 46%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 19:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 96%
8. Ohio State University, Ohio
This public research university is located in Columbus, Ohio. Founded in 1870, the school offers over 200 undergraduate majors and many highly ranked graduate schools.
Ohio State University enrolls 61,391 students, 6,000 of which are international students from more than 100 countries. The school also hosts over 1,000 student organizations.
U.S. News ranked Ohio State University 53rd in its "Best National Universities" and identified it as supporting international students.
Tuition and Fees — $33,501
Acceptance Rate — 54%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 19:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 94%
9. Florida State University, Florida
Florida State University is a public research university located in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1851, the school has 16 separate colleges and over 360 programs of study. The university enrolls over 2,000 international students from more than 130 different countries.
Florida State University is home to the largest museum/university complexes in the nation and was also the birthplace of the commercially viable anti-cancer drug Taxol.
The university has 600 student organizations and 18 NCAA Division 1 sports teams. The school was ranked 58th in U.S. News' "Best National Universities" and is recognized supporter of international students.
Tuition and Fees — $21,673
Acceptance Rate — 36%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 21:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 93%
10. University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Just three miles from bustling Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh features a highly ranked School of Medicine, School of Education, and Swanson School of Engineering.
This public research school enrolls 28,391 students and 6,000 international students, scholars, staff, and faculty. The university is comprised of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and received the third largest federally sponsored health research fund among U.S. universities in 2018.
U.S. News' "Best National Universities" ranks it 58th and identifies it as helpful in supporting international students.
Tuition and Fees — $33,706
Acceptance Rate — 57%
Student/Faculty Ratio — 14:1
Freshman Retention Rate — 93%
Honorable Mentions
Rutgers University— New Brunswick, NJ
Tuition and Fees — $31,785
University Type — Public
U.S. News' "Best National Universities" (Top 70)
University of Minnesota, , Minnesota
Tuition and Fees — $33,325
University Type — Public
U.S. News' "Best National Universities" (Top 70)
Howard University — Washington, DC
Tuition and Fees — $28,440
University Type — Private
U.S. News' "Best National Universities" (Top 80)
Soka University of America — Aliso Viejo, CA
Tuition and Fees — $33,962
University Type — Private
U.S. News' "National Liberal Arts Colleges" (Top 30)
Thomas Aquinas College — Santa Paula, CA
Tuition and Fees — $26,000 University Type — Private U.S. News' "National Liberal Arts Colleges" (Top 40)
Bonus! 10 U.S. Colleges Awarding the Most Financial Aid to International Students
There are some universities that will provide a significant amount of financial aid to international students. There are often two different types of financial aid available to international students:
Need-Based Financial Aid — Many U.S. colleges offer financial aid for international students based on their financial need. Keep in mind most financial aid for international students is offered to graduate students.
Scholarships — Many schools and other educational organizations offer merit-based scholarships for international students. Usually the scholarship application is separate from the admission application.
Below are some of the American universities that award the most financial aid to international students in 2019-2023 school year.
University Locations
Columbia University New York, NY
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 299
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $71,069
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $64,380
Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 96
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $70,069
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $58,128
Amherst College Amherst, MA
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 133
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $70,250
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $60,890
Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 261
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $68,998
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $59,458
Williams College Williamstown, MA
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 108
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $68,456
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $50,760
Duke University Durham, NC
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 211
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $68,044
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $60,488
Stanford University Stanford, CA
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 245
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $68,000
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $56,169
Wesleyan University Middletown, CT
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 95
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $67,465
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $59,386
Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 67
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $67,165
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $54,656
Harvard University Cambridge, MA
Number of International Students Who Received Financial Aid in the 2019-2020 School Year: 605
Average Amount of Financial Aid Per Student: $66,805
Annual Cost of Tuition and Fees: $54,022