Tuition Fees at the World’s Top Universities

One thing that international students are often concerned about is how much tuition will cost at their chosen university. Tuition fees vary across schools and courses and largely depend on the country in which you choose to study (visit our country guides for details).

Below is an overview of current fees for domestic and international students at the 10 top universities in the QS World University Rankings® 2021 – including information about the financial aid available.

For the UK universities featured here, prices are given for several different subjects, to give an idea of the range. Most of the featured US universities charge a standard rate across the majority of subjects and for students of all nationalities. The list of the world’s top 10 universities also includes Switzerland’s ETH Zurich, where fees for most programs are lower than in the UK or US.

10. UCL (University College London), UK

Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE	UK & EU STUDENTS	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Computer science:	£9,250 (~€10,430)	UK£31,270 (~US$39,500)
Engineering:	£9,250	UK£28,619 (~US$36,150)
Economics:	£9,250	UK£23,290 (~US$29,420)
History:	£9,250	UK£21,260 (~US$26,860)

 

POSTGRADUATE	UK & EU STUDENTS	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Computer science (MSc):	£13,640 (~€15,210)	UK£28,410 (~US$35,890)
Engineering (MSc):	£13,640 (~€15,210)	UK£28,530 (~US$36,040)
Economics (MSc):	£22,010 (~€24,550)	UK£28,530 (~US$36,040)
History (MA):	£11,170 (~€12,460)	UK£23,340 (~US$29,480)

This year UCL (University College London) is ranked 10^th in the world in 2020, down two spots. This prestigious institution charges top UK fees to home/EU students and fees ranging from £19,720 to £28,610 for international undergraduates (~US$24,980-$36,234).

UCL offers a selection of bursaries and scholarships for international students from around the world and there are also many international scholarships to study in the UK. It’s also implemented fixed fees for international undergraduates (excluding medical students), meaning your fees will stay the same rate every year.

UCL has more information for prospective students available on its website.

9. University of Chicago, US

Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All UG programs:	US$57,642 (Plus $1,656 Student Life Fee)

 

POSTGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Most PG programs (excl. PhDs):	Average of US$49,734 (for one year)

Ranked ninth in the world this year, the University of Chicago is a private research university which was founded in 1890 and teaches around 16,445 students.

Although it only offers need-blind admission (i.e. financial need will not impede any student’s chances of admission) to students from the US, the university pledges to meet the full demonstrated need of admitted students, with financial aid for international students in the form of grants or scholarships. You should apply for this aid during the admissions process.

All students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, with no separate application required.

More information for prospective students is available on the University of Chicago’s website.

9. Imperial College London, UK

Annual tuition fees 2020/21

UNDERGRADUATE	UK & EU STUDENTS*	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Computer science:	£9,250 (~€10,430)	UK£31,170 (~US$39,480)
Engineering:	£9,250	UK£31,750 (~US$40,210)

 

POSTGRADUATE	UK & EU STUDENTS	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Computer science (MSc):	£15,500 (~€17,350)	UK£32,000 (~US$40,530)
Engineering (MSc):	£14,000 (~€15,670)	UK£32,500 (~US$41,120)

Ranked eighth in the world this year, Imperial College London charges undergraduate-level UK and EU students the full £9,250 in annual tuition fees, which will likely rise each year in line with inflation. The university has a specialized focus on medicine, STEM and FAME subjects, and this narrower subject range means less fluctuation in fees for international students, with the majority of undergraduate programs costing £31,750-33,000 (~US$40,180-41,760) per year.

For funding opportunities to study at Imperial College London, search for studentships, international scholarships and fellowships targeted at students within the STEM and FAME fields. Several businesses that work closely with Imperial College London sometimes sponsor particularly high-achieving students, so it’s worth doing some research.

Some international scholarships offered exclusively to women in male-dominated industries (including many of the subjects in which Imperial College specializes) are available here. For general scholarships to study in the UK, visit our listing here.

More information for prospective students is available over on the school’s own website.

7. University of Cambridge, UK

Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE	UK & EU STUDENTS	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Computer science:	£9,250 (~€10,430)	UK£33,825 (~US$42,800)
Mathematics:	£9,250	UK£24,789 (~US$31,367)
Management:	£9,250	UK£33,825 (~US$42,800)
History:	£9,250	UK£22,227 (~US$28,130)

 

POSTGRADUATE	UK & EU STUDENTS	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Computer science (MPhil):	£12,255 (~€13,720)	UK£33,342 (~US$42,190)
Engineering (MPhil):	£8,337 (~€9,330)	UK£29,343 (~US$37,130)
Politics (MPhil):	£16,320 (~€18,265)	UK£29,220 (~US$36,980)
History (MPhil):	£11,460 (~€12,825)	UK£24,960 (~US$31,590)

The UK’s University of Cambridge charges domestic and EU students the maximum fees allowed under government regulations on undergraduate-level programs: £9,250 per year. Internationally the prices fluctuate slightly more, with courses costing overseas students £22,227-£58,038 (~US$28,130-$73,460).

Although financial support for international students to study at the UK’s top universities is limited and highly competitive, there are a number of funds and international scholarships offered via the UK government, international organizations and sometimes opportunities to gain funding from your home government, depending on your country of origin. To find out more, visit our list of international scholarships to study in the UK.

The University of Cambridge’s website also provides information about funding options for both undergraduate and graduate studies.

6. ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland

Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE	SWISS & NON-SWISS STUDENTS
All programs (excl. PhDs)	CHF 730 per semester + CHF 69 compulsory semester fees* = total fees per year: CHF 1598 (~US$1660)

 *ETH Zurich charges students a total of CHF 69 per semester (~US$72) to cover the costs of the Academic Sports Association Zurich (ASVZ), the Scholarship Fund and the Student Union fee for general services. 

Located in Switzerland, ETH Zurich specializes in engineering and the natural sciences, and is the only university in continental Europe to be ranked within the top 10 of the QS World University Rankings® 2021. It’s by far the most affordable option among the universities on this list, with international students paying the same as home students.

PhDs students earn a salary which starts at CHF 47,040 (~US$48,777) in the first year, and pay a flat-rate tuition fee of CHF 1,350 (~US$1400) after registering for their doctoral exam. Other than this, PhD students also pay only a mandatory fee of CHF 37 (~US$38) per semester, to cover the costs of the ASVZ and the Scholarship Fund.

Living costs in Switzerland are high, but there are a range of scholarships available, including the Swiss Government Scholarships, which awards funding for foreign postgraduate students. General scholarships to study in Switzerland (or another European country) can be found listed here.

More information for prospective students is available on ETH Zurich’s website.

5. University of Oxford, UK

Annual tuition fees (2020/21):

UNDERGRADUATE	UK & EU STUDENTS	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS (inc. college fees)
Computer science:	£9,250 (~€10,430)	UK£36,065 (~US$45,650)
Engineering (four years):	£9,250	UK£36,065 (~US$45,650)
Politics:	£9,250	UK£27,285 (~US$34,630)
History:	£9,250	UK£27,285 (~US$34,630)

 

POSTGRADUATE (all inc. college fees)	UK & EU STUDENTS	INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Computer science (DPhil):	£7,970 (~€8920)	UK£26,405 (~US$33,420)
Engineering (/DPhil):	£7,970 (~€8920)	UK£26,405 (~US$33,420)
Politics (MSc/MPhil):	£13,075(~€14,640)	UK£24,910 (~US$31530)
History (MSt):	£11,605 (~€12,990)	UK£25,405 (~US$32,150)

As one half of the famous ‘Oxbridge’ pairing, the University of Oxford charges the full £9,250 for UK and EU students for all of its undergraduate programs. Internationally, this cap does not apply, meaning the University of Oxford is able to charge much higher rates for international students.

These sums (for international full-time undergraduates, including college fees) currently range from £24,910 in the humanities subjects up to £33,625(~US$42,557) in most STEM and FAME subjects. To search for a specific program, visit the University of Oxford’s fees and funding information for undergraduate or graduate studies.

4. California Institute of Technology (Caltech), US

Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All UG programs:	US$54,570 (+ $2,292 mandatory fees*)

 

POSTGRADUATE (fees are for 2019/20)	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All PG programs:	US$52,506 (+ $2,031 mandatory fees*)

*All programs at Caltech are subject to further fees. In addition to tuition and living costs, all students will be expected to secure health insurance either through Caltech or a comparable plan. Caltech’s health insurance plan for 2020/21 costs $2,726 per year.

Relatively small in size, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is another of the world’s top universities with a focus on subjects in the STEM group. To cover the cost of study at Caltech, students can apply internally and/or externally for grants, ‘work-study’, loans and scholarships.

Some external scholarships to study in the US are listed here. More information on the cost of studying at Caltech is available on the school’s own website.

3. Harvard University, US

Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All UG programs:	US$49,653

 

POSTGRADUATE (fees are for 2019/20)	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Most PG programs (excl. PhDs*):	US$48,008 (for years one and two) US$12,484 (for years three and four)

*PhD students at Harvard University receive full financial support, including cover of tuition, other fees and the cost of living (cost of living stipend currently at US$2,980).

As well as offering need-blind admission to domestic and international students, Harvard University offers international students the same access to financial aid as US citizens. Although federal aid and loans are often unavailable to overseas students, Harvard University provides more than 50 percent of all its students with financial aid and 55 percent of undergraduates receive the Harvard Scholarship. Aid given is based on financial need and if your parents earn less than US$65,000 annually, you are not required to make any contribution to payment.

For external scholarships to study in the US, visit this article, and for more information on admissions at Harvard University, visit the official website.

2. Stanford University, US

Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All UG programs:	US$55,473 ($18,491 per quarter)
Summer tuition fees (optional, 2019/20 fees):	US$17,493

 

POSTGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Engineering:	US$57,861 ($19,287 per quarter)
Most other PG programs:	US$54,315 ($18,105 per quarter)
Summer tuition fees (optional, 2019/20 fees):	US$17,493

Stanford University offers need-blind admission for US students, although not for international students. This means overseas students must secure a certain amount of funding through personal finance, scholarships, loans or other assistance.

All international students should request financial aid consideration at the time of application or risk not being eligible for any Stanford funding throughout their undergraduate life. Several international scholarships to study in the US are listed here.

Stanford University has more information about student costs and funding on its website.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US

 Annual tuition fees 2020/21:

UNDERGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
All UG programs:	US$55,450

 

POSTGRADUATE	DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Most PG programs:	US$53,450

Retaining its place at the top of the QS World University Rankings for the ninth time in a row, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is one of the five US universities to offer need-blind admission to both domestic and international students.

According to the institution’s website, MIT expected to award $136.3 million in financial aid to its students in 2019/20, with 89 percent of undergraduates receiving some financial aid. According to the university, the average total price paid by an MIT student receiving need-based aid is $23,442.

The average award for MIT students stands at $51,752, with the amount received calculated based on financial need.

This article was originally published in September 2014. It was last updated in June 2020.