USA Universities with No Application Fees 2025 (Updated)
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If the application fee payment step is removed from the entire process of applying to US universities, won’t the process get easier? Yes, there are universities in the USA which do not require application fees for applying to its programs. There are around 50-60 US universities and colleges which do not require an application fee. As per Niche 2025 rankings for 'Best Colleges with No Application Fee' around 2,572 colleges have been ranked. Read on for more details about universities with no application fee for international students at US universities.
Check out: International Student Guide to the USA
- Why Apply to US Universities with an Application Fee Waiver?
- How to get application fee waived at US universities?
- List of Universities in USA Without Application Fees 2025
- US Universities With No Application Fee through Common App
- USA Universities Waiving-off Application Fees
- US Universities Without Application Fee FAQs
Why Apply to US Universities with an Application Fee Waiver?
There are various benefits of applying to non-application US universities. Since there are multiple expenses to cover when applying to US universities, curbing a few dollars will not hurt the pocket. Thus, it is essential that wherever it is possible applicants should look at saving a few extra bucks.
International applicants applying to multiple US universities can benefit by saving some dollars when applying to a no-application-fee university. Plus, getting an application fee waiver for genuine cases is equally a good opportunity for applicants.
How to get application fee waived at US universities?
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Visa applicationThe application fee can be waived at 20% of the universities in the USA for international students. There are the following ways to be eligible for an application fee waiver at US universities, applicable for international students only:
- There are universities like the University of New Haven that give application fee waiver codes, which students can enter into their application before submission.
- Students applying through Common App can get an application fee waiver through Common App’s need-based application fee waiver option in the profile. Check the difference between Coalition and Common App.
- International applicants applying through certain deadlines of either Early Action or Early Decision may also be eligible for an application fee waiver. Read: Why apply early to US universities?
- There are US universities that offer international students an application fee waiver if they apply via the Common Application.
- Some universities in the US do not accept application fees at all, which automatically makes the admission application free of cost for submission.
- In Cases, where students have extreme financial hardships, they can apply for an application fee waiver if the university accepts such requests. Harvard is one such example.
- Universities in the US may require students requesting an application fee waiver to submit their requests a few days before they submit their applications. If requests are accepted, students will be able to submit a free application to the US university.
- Lastly, there may be some universities in the US that may require an application fee during application submission, but the amount will be reverted back within a stipulated time period if the applicant qualifies for a fee waiver.
Note: Not all cases may apply to all US universities, thus students aiming to study in US universities must research well and weigh the pros and cons before requesting an application fee waiver. Also, do read about the cost of studying in the USA for international students.
List of Universities in USA Without Application Fees 2025
The following are the top universities in the US, which do not require an application fee from international students when they submit their admission applications:
| US Universities Without Application Fee |
||
|---|---|---|
| Wellesley College |
||
| Macalester College |
||
| Colby College |
||
| Reed College |
Tennessee College of Applied Technology |
|
| Tulane University |
||
| University of New Haven |
Eastern New Mexico University |
|
| Creighton University |
Furman University |
|
| Denison University | ||
| Worchester Poly Institute |
National University |
|
| Denison University |
William Carey University |
|
The above table is a mix of public universities, private universities and colleges in the US that offer international students an application fee waiver. While applying to affordable universities, also consider reading the USMLE exam guide if you are pursuing a medical degree in the US.
Check: Scholarships to Study in the USA for International Students
US Universities With No Application Fee through Common App
There are around 12 universities and colleges in the USA that accept free admission applications from international students if they submit them through the Common Application. These are also some of the US universities with no application fee for international students. Check out the following colleges and universities that offer international students application fees free through Common App:
- DePaul University
- CWRU
- Ohio Wesleyan University
- Hampshire College
- Macalester University
- Tulane University
- Earlham College
- Saint Louis University
- Trinity University
- St. Olaf College
- Transylvania University
- Hendrix College
If you are applying to these universities, you can apply to free application fee universities in USA.
Common App Need-Based Application Fee Waiver
There is another option for those applying to US universities through the Common App may be eligible for a need-based application fee waiver. This application fee is waived off by the Common App. Hence, if universities do not waive the application fee through any alternative option, students can apply for a Common App fee waiver through the Profile section of their application.
Note: Students must exercise caution and not apply for both alternatives that is, Common App need-based application fee waiver and university-based application fee waiver. Students must choose one option only to avoid confusion.
Read more about: Cost of Living in the USA
USA Universities Waiving-off Application Fees
There are certain US universities which do accept an application fee but also waive the fee in case international students have exemplary performance in their academics or standardised test scores. Following are such universities in the US:
Yale University
In the case of Yale University admissions, application fee waivers are applicable for Master’s and PhD students only. This is for both domestic and international students. Those students who wish to apply for a fee waiver must apply before submitting their applications so that they are exempted from submitting the fee. The fee waiver request usually takes two to three business days to assess the case.
Harvard University
Students who face extreme financial hardships and feel they won’t be able to pay the application fee for their Harvard admission application can apply for an application fee waiver request. This is applicable for both undergraduate and graduate admissions. This also makes Harvard eligible for universities with no application fee for international students in the USA.
Case Western Reserve University
International students applying for admission to CWRU are eligible for an application fee waiver. The application fee is waived for those who have extreme financial hardships in their families.
University of New Haven
The University of New Haven offers application fee waivers to those students who apply through Early Action I or II and Early Decision. There are also application fee waiving codes which can be redeemed while submitting the admission application, so that fee is not required to be paid. Read more about: Which type of application deadline to choose? if applying to US universities.
To conclude, it can be said that though not a lot of US universities may offer an application fee waiver, there are quite a handful and few top-ranking US universities that understand the burden of international students. Thus, students must check all possible ways and be sure of their requests for an application fee waiving requests while applying for admission to US universities. Check: International Student Visa Guide for USA
International students must apply online through the official website to get admission into California Institute of the Arts. They must meet the entry requirements of the programme and submit an online application by the deadline for admission at the institute. Applicants must create an account to start the California Institute of the Arts admission proess. Mentioned below are basic application requirements for international students:
- An online application and a non-refundable application fee of USD 85 or INR 7,410.64
- Personal essay
- High school and/or university transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation
- Portfolio
- Statement of purpose
- Proof of English proficiency
The institute offers a number of courses across a vast course catalogue that includes: Business Administration, Biology & Biological Science, Criminology, Mechanical Engineering, Finance, Computer Science, Health & Wellness among others.
Listed below are some prominent courses offered by URI:
· Bachelor's in Accounting
· B.S in Civil Engineering
· B.S. in Computer Science
· B.A in Communication Studies
· M.S. in Computer Science
· MBA
With a 99% acceptance rate, the University of South Dakota is easy to get into. The university follows an easy approach during admission. The university takes a simple admissions procedure. The high acceptance percentage does not mean that the university admits every applicant; rather, it suggests permissive admittance as compared to another university.
Students must prove themselves by scoring excellent academic scores, English proficiency requirements, and standardized test scores. Also, the university prioritizes factors, such as rigor of secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA, standardized test scores, application essays, recommendations, and more.
According to the University of South Dakota enrollment statistics for 2024, over 9,000 students were admitted. Out of the total, more than 7,000 pursued undergraduate programs and over 2,000 took graduate programs. Out of the total undergraduate enrollment, 221 students were international. Students can check the below table for the enrollment statistics of the university:
Particulars | Headcounts |
|---|---|
UG applicants | 7095 |
PG applicants | 2773 |
UG International | 221 |
Total | 9868 |
The University of South Dakota acceptance rate is 99%. This shows that the university is lenient during admission and follows an easy approach to selecting applicants for its UG and PG programs. Students must demonstrate their worth by meeting requirements for English proficiency, achieving high academic standing, and performing well on standardized tests. The institution prioritizes several other criteria, including the difficulty of the applicant's secondary school record, class rank, academic GPA, results on standardized tests, recommendation letters, and more.
The University of South Dakota popular majors include Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Education; Psychology; and more. Their appeal is mostly due to their high graduation rate, opportunities for study and research, superior pay packages, and employment in large corporations. Students can refer to the table below for the popular majors at the University of South Dakota along with the graduation percentage and alumni salaries:
Popular Majors | Graduate Percentage | Alumni Starting Salary |
|---|---|---|
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 19% | INR 37L |
Education | 11% | INR 35L |
Biological and Biomedical Science | 6% | INR 23L
|
Psychology | 5% | INR 23L |
Health Profession, and Related Programs | 30% | INR 32L |
The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.
US Universities Without Application Fee FAQs
Q. Which US university has no application fee?
A. There are multiple US universities which have the provision of either a no application fee or an application fee waiver. To name a few, starting from Ivy League schools in USA - Yale & Harvard, then some of the other popular ones include - Carnegie Mellon University, Northwestern University and others.
Q. Can I apply to US universities for free?
A. US universities which waive application fee or do not charge applicants for submitting an admission application is where applicants can apply for free. There are certain popular US universities to tier-3 universities which offer this provision.
Q. Does Yale have no application fee?
A. Yes, Yale offers international applicants a no-application fee provision if they belong to a family where the income is below the given limits like:
- USD 175 for those coming from family income of USD 30,000 or below, and,
- USD 125 for those coming from family income of USD 15,000 or below.
Q. Can I apply to Harvard without application fee?
A. Applicants who come from low income backgrounds are eligible to request for an application fee waiver for Harvard admissions. The application fee waivers at Harvard are offered on a case-by-case basis.
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