Understand how the fee charged to international students by universities abroad works and how much it costs to study at five of the best universities in the world.
Have you ever wondered how much it costs to study at Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge or another of the best universities in the world? Well, today we’re going to satisfy your curiosity.
How much will it cost to study in abroad?
In the world’s top study destinations, most universities and colleges charge an annual fee for undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Tuition fees – which are tuition fees, the cost of the course – generally apply to an academic year of classes (from September to May in the northern hemisphere, for example), unless otherwise specified by the university. There are schools with quarterly or semester systems that can break your yearly prices by two or three.
Some universities, on the other hand, charge by academic credit . Each subject in the undergraduate curriculum is equivalent to a specific number of credits. Thus, the student will need to multiply the value by the number of credits he must take in the semester or academic year.
If you have difficulty understanding or calculating the cost of the course, universities usually have a department, secretariat or financial team to help clear your doubts and help you understand the correct value, explain the ways to make the payment and even find options for scholarships available for international students.
Another noteworthy factor is that at most universities, the amount changes from year to year. That is, what you paid in the first year of graduation will no longer be the same in the second and so on.
Tuition fees differ based on many variables. One is whether you are a native or foreign student. In virtually every major study destination in the world, international students pay more for higher education .
What is included in the annual fee for universities abroad?
What is included in the amount charged also varies from university to university. Take an example from the University of Portsmouth in the UK. Her tuition fees include:
- The value of the graduation (classes, supervision, exams, etc.);
- The graduation ceremony;
- The maintenance and use of university facilities and equipment, such as computer rooms, access to laptops, libraries and laboratories;
- Access to resources such as e-magazines and educational videos;
- Membership in the University’s Students’ Union;
Afterwards, the student will still have additional costs that are not included in the tuition fees , such as handouts and books, work prints, student accommodation, meal plan, excursions, among others. In the case of international students, there is even more, such as visas and airline tickets.
Why do universities abroad charge international students more?
According to an article on the website of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), countries have the view that national resources and taxpayers’ money should not be spent to subsidize international students, so that they increasingly aim to charge the total cost of tuition fees for international students.
It is even for this same reason that, in the United States, universities differ between in-state students and out-of-state students .
Some of the countries that have positioned themselves firmly as a study destination in recent years also see paying international students as an important source of revenue for their higher education sector.
while in Sweden and Denmark, higher education is free for natives, but foreigners pay more or less the full cost of the course.
Another reason universities charge higher fees for international students is services maintained exclusively for them. As they are not citizens of the country, they end up needing extra monitoring and universities have to report to the government. Institutions are somewhat obliged to ensure that admitted foreign students have the proper documents or legal requirements.
In addition, there are exclusive features that end up being extra expenses for the university, such as extra English (or another language) classes and an international secretary to assist you throughout the duration of the course.
How much does it cost to study at the best universities in the world?
Well, now that we’ve clarified how universities charge for higher education abroad, let’s focus on the value of some of the most renowned universities in the world (routinely ranked in the top ten in the world in major university rankings).
We also brought some curiosities and explanations about each of them.
Important: the following values refer to the 2022-2023 school year. Each year, the amount is subject to change. Whenever you want to know the prices of a university abroad, look for the Tuition Fees page on the official website (it may also appear as cost of attendance ).
How much does it cost to study at Harvard?
The annual cost of a degree at Harvard University in the United States in 2022-2023 is US$52,659. With the extra expenses, the total amount looks like this:
| Course | $52,659 |
| Extra Fees | $4,602 |
| Accommodation | $12,056 |
| Food | $7,446 |
| Amount | US$ 76,763 |
Harvard also advises that there is an expense of approximately US$ 3,500 with books and other materials and US$ 4,080 with mandatory annual health insurance.
How much does it cost to study in Oxford?
Oxford University in the UK charges between £27,840 and £39,010 annually to international students for their degrees. The fee includes tuition, supervision, academic services and facilities used by the student; but exclude accommodation and other living costs.
“If you are not classified as a native ( Home ) student, you will be classified as a foreign ( Overseas ) student”, explains the official website. Oxford advises that, as an international student, you do not have access to UK government loans and will pay a significantly higher tuition fee, which will vary depending on your course.
How much does it cost to study at MIT?
The 2022-2023 academic year for an undergraduate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) costs US$57,590.
“The student’s annual budget, or ‘attendance cost,’ is the total amount we estimate it will cost to attend MIT for one year,” explains the Institute’s website. It actually costs further than twice that quantum($,590) for MIT to give state- of- the- art exploration installations and faculty for undergraduate scholars, but we subsidize it up to that cost.”
With other expenses, the total value of a year of graduation at MIT reaches US$ 79,850, as shown in the table on the official website:
| Course | US$57,590 |
| student life rate | $396 |
| Accommodation | $11,980 |
| Food | US$6,810 |
| Books ans materials | $850 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,224 |
| Amount | $79,850 |
How much does it cost to study in Cambridge?
The annual cost of a degree at the University of Cambridge in the UK depends on the field of study:
| Areas | Value |
| Anglo-Saxon, Nordic and Celtic Studies, Archeology, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Economy, Education, English, History, History and Modern Languages, History and Politics, Art History, Human, Social and Political Sciences, Earth Economy, Right, Linguistics, Modern and Medieval Languages, Philosophy, Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion | £23,340 |
| Mathematics | £26,031 |
| Architecture, Geography, Music | £30,537 |
| Chemical engineering, Computer Science, Engineering, Management Studies, Production engineering, Natural Sciences, Psychological and Behavioral Sciences | £35,517 |
| Medical Science and Veterinary Science | £60,942 |
In addition to this fee, all international students are normally required to pay an annual fee to their specific faculty within Cambridge which covers a range of educational, domestic and pastoral services and support. The amount of the fee varies across the university’s 31 faculties – but is around £8,000 to £11,000.
How much does it cost to study at Stanford?
The 2022-2023 academic year at Stanford University in the United States costs $57,693 for undergraduates. With other expenses, the value looks like this:
| Course | US$ 57,693 |
| accommodation and food | US$ 18,619 |
| student life rate | $2,145 |
| Books and materials | US$1,350 |
| Personal expenses | $2,355 |
| Amount | US$ 82,162 |
New undergraduates, both incoming and transfer students, will also be required to pay the New Student Orientation Fee of $525 and the Documentation Fee of $250.