US study abroad costs surpass $100,000

The cost of studying abroad in the US has reached an all-time high, with tuition, room and board, insurance, and other expenses exceeding $100,000 per year at six universities for international students.

A VnExpress survey of 100 universities from the US News National Universities (NU) and Liberal Arts Colleges (LAC) rankings reveals that the cost of attending New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in the 2025-2026 academic year is over $103,400. This figure includes tuition, living expenses, insurance, books, travel, and other personal expenses for international students during their first year.

This cost is currently the highest among US universities, surpassing last year's record of $98,400 set by Vanderbilt University.

Barnard College ranks second with an estimated annual cost of $103,000. Bryn Mawr College and Georgetown University follow closely behind, with projected first-year costs for international students exceeding $102,000 and $101,000, respectively. Tufts University and Wellesley College round out the list with estimated costs of around $100,500.

Several other universities in the top 100, including Harvard, Princeton, Vanderbilt, University of Southern California, Amherst College, and Tufts, have listed typical academic expenses ranging from $90,000 to $98,700. Tuition accounts for 70% to 80% of this total.

No.	University	Cost (USD/year)
1	New York University	103,448
2	Barnard College	103,011
3	Bryn Mawr College	102,156
4	Georgetown University	101,000
5	Tufts University	100,682
6	Wellesley College	100,541

This surge in costs was anticipated, as US university tuition has been steadily increasing by 3% to 9% annually.

Over the past 20 years, college expenses have risen by approximately 40%, based on data collected by US News from 324 universities last year.

Tuition fees alone at public universities have seen a 127% to 158% increase, depending on whether students are in-state or out-of-state residents. Meanwhile, private universities, which do not differentiate tuition fees between international and domestic students, have experienced a 132% increase.

Universities attribute these rising costs to inflation, increased faculty salaries, and investments in infrastructure.

To assist students, many universities offer generous financial aid packages. For instance, Harvard University and Stanford University cover all tuition and living expenses for students whose families earn less than $100,000 per year. MIT, Rice University, and the University of Pennsylvania offer similar policies for students whose parents earn less than $75,000. Princeton University's threshold is $150,000.

The US remains the most popular study abroad destination globally. In the 2023-2024 academic year, it attracted over one million international students from more than 200 countries and territories. These students contribute about $50 billion to the US economy.

Vietnamese students, numbering over 22,000, represent the sixth largest international student group in the US.