Studying in United States
The widest choice of programmes, and the least predictable cost.
The US has more programmes than any other destination and no central body that publishes what they cost. Everything that governs your visa — funds, tuition, living costs — comes from the individual school on your Form I-20, which is why two offers from the same country can differ enormously.
Visa and entry in United States
Student visa
F-1 for academic study; M-1 for vocational study.
Issuing authority
The Department of State issues the visa. The Department of Homeland Security, through the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, certifies the schools and runs SEVIS.
How you apply
Get accepted at a SEVP-certified school, receive Form I-20, pay the SEVIS I-901 fee, complete form DS-160, then attend a visa interview.
Proof of funds
There is no single federal amount. You must show funds covering the cost of attendance your school certifies on Form I-20.
Language requirement
Not a federal requirement. Each institution sets its own English requirement as a condition of admission.
Health cover
Not federally required for the visa. Many universities require health cover as a condition of enrolment, at their own rates.
Fees in United States
Tuition fees
No US government body publishes a tuition range. The figure that governs your visa is the cost of attendance printed on your Form I-20 by the school itself.
Scholarships in United States
Official scholarships
The Fulbright-Nehru fellowships, run by the binational United States-India Educational Foundation, are the main official India–US funding route.
Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships
Open to Indian citizens for a master's in designated fields. Highly competitive, with its own eligibility and application cycle.
Official page (opens in a new tab)Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowships
Open to Indian PhD scholars registered at an Indian institution, for research in the US.
Official page (opens in a new tab)
Admission in United States
Who recognises institutions
Schools must be SEVP-certified by DHS to enrol F or M students. There is no federal admissions regulator beyond that.
Application route
There is no government portal. Most undergraduate institutions accept the Common Application, a private non-profit; graduate applications normally go directly to each university.
Entry requirements
Set entirely by each institution. Admission and visa eligibility are separate steps — an offer does not guarantee a visa.
After graduation in United States
Post-study work rights
Optional Practical Training (OPT) allows up to 12 months of work tied to F-1 status. Eligible STEM graduates can add a 24-month STEM OPT extension.
Using the degree in India
For most academic subjects there is no separate Indian licensing step. Regulated professions — medicine, nursing, law, architecture, accountancy — are each governed by their own Indian regulator, and a foreign qualification is not automatically accepted. Confirm the position with that regulator before you enrol, not after you graduate.
What families get caught out by.
Not warnings for their own sake — each of these changes the cost or the outcome.
DHS published a final rule on 17 July 2026 introducing a fixed period of admission for F-1 students, with an extension-of-stay procedure. Read the current rule before assuming a duration-of-status stay.
Institutional aid varies far more than the visa rules do — two offers can differ by an entire degree's worth of money.
STEM OPT is degree-dependent, so the field you choose changes your post-study work window.
Courses for which Indians search United States
Based on Indian search interest, not enrolment data, rankings or a NooPro recommendation.
Computer Science / IT
Largest employer base; visa outcomes are uncertain.
Data Science / AI / Analytics
Deepest research and industry concentration.
Law / LLM
Bar eligibility varies by state.
MBA / Management
Highest cost and highest variance in outcomes.
MS / Master's
Widest programme choice; highest total cost.
PhD / Research
Longer programmes; assistantships are typical.
Public Health / Finance
Wide specialisation choice; high cost.
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