MS in USA: Universities, Fees 2027, Eligibility, Jobs

An MS in USA is a 1 to 2 year master’s degree offered in 30+ specialised fields. Admission to MS in the US is tough, competition is high and selection rate is the highest for Ivy League universities.

To pursue an MS in USA, you need a recognised bachelor’s degree, English test scores, GRE scores, supporting documents and proof of funds for your I-20. Annual tuition at top US universities for MS ranges from about ₹27.9L - ₹66.7L. Since MS in US is a STEM course, its graduates are eligible to work in the US for up to 36 months through OPT plus the 24-month STEM OPT extension.

You will get A to Z of MS courses in USA here if applying from India. Get the best universities for masters in USA, the actual cost of doing MS in US with INR figures, eligibility, intakes, F-1 visa fees and post-study work options.

MS in USA: Key Highlights (2027)

Parameters	Details
Degrees Awarded	MS / MSc / MEng / MSBA / MFin
Duration	1 to 2 years (30 to 36 credits)
Popular Specialisations	Computer Science | Data Science | Business Analytics | Engineering | Finance
Top Universities for MS in US (QS 2027)	MIT Stanford Harvard Caltech University of Chicago
Intakes to Apply for MS in US	Fall (Aug/Sept), Spring (Jan), limited Summer
Common Eligibility for MS in US	Bachelor's degree (4-year preferred), GRE (or GMAT) + ELP
Annual Tuition Fee	USD 29,194 to USD 69,717
Post-Study Work Permissions	12 months OPT + 24 months STEM OPT (up to 36 months)
Key Scholarship for Doing MS in US	Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships (USIEF)

Why Study Masters in USA?

United States has the world’s largest international student population. It also has one of the world’s largest and most varied higher education systems. There are many courses just like MS which are offered best in USA. If you are still thinking about best country to get MS degree from, here are top reasons why US could be your dream destination!  

• World’s as well as USA’s top universities offer MS in US such as MIT, Stanford University, etc. 

• No #1 globally: USA is considered #1 choice in world for studying MS in abroad. 
• India was the top sending country with 363,019 students, a 10% rise over the previous year.
• There were 488,481 international graduate students, and 57% of all international students were in STEM fields.

• 294,253 students stayed on for Optional Practical Training (OPT), a 21% increase. This shows how many graduates use the MS as a route to US work experience.

Top MS Degree Courses in USA for Indian Students 

There are a variety of MS courses in USA which are offered by the best colleges for masters. MS in Computer Science in USA is among the popular specializations in USA for international students.  

Best 10 MS Specializations in USA 

Listed below are the top MS Specialisations in USA for Indian students: 

Populary Opted MS Specialisations in USA
MS in Computer Science Engineering	MS in Mechanical Engineering
MS in Biology	MS in Big Data & Analytics
MS in Accounting	MS in Chemistry
MS in Mathematics	MS in Finance
MS in Electrical Engineering	MS in Networking, Hardware & Security

Top Universities for MS in USA 

There is a high demand for MS in USA due to the country being home to some of the world's top colleges for MS. According to QS, USA is home to 7 top universities in world for Engineering. 

Best 10 MS in USA 

Below are the top 10 universities which provide Masters in USA for Indian students. Along with that, the QS rankings mentioned below apply to Engineering colleges in USA as a whole stream for Indian students:

US Universities Offering MS Courses	QS World University Ranking 2027
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	#1
Stanford University	#2
Harvard University	#5
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	#7
University of Pennsylvania	#15
Cornell University	#16
Yale University	=16
Johns Hopkins University	#20
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	=21
University of Chicago	#24

MS in USA Eligibility 

Each university will have different eligibility criteria for MS in USA. Below are common eligibility criteria to get admission to universities in USA for masters:

• Undergraduate Degree: UG Degree should be in a relevant field. International students are expected to have minimum of 75% in their bachelors to get admitted to any good university in USA. 
• Standardised Test Score: GRE is widely accepted for core Science & Engineering courses. However, GMAT may be an alternative for Business courses.
• English Language Requirement- Language proficiency test like IELTS or TOEFL are mandatory for MS in USA for Indian students. Aim for score of 6.5 - 7.0 in IELTS or about 80-90 in TOEFL.

MS in USA Requirements for International Students 

To get into the top universities in USA for Masters, students are requires to submit some documents. These documents gives a proof of your identity and education to universities. The general admission requirements for MS in USA are given as follows: 

• UG Degree 

• Academic Transcripts 

• LOR 

• SOP 

• CV 

• Extracurricular certificates 

• Work experience letters 
• English Test Scores

Cost of Doing MS in US (From India)

Listed below is a table that provides insight into the tuition fees to study an MS degree in USA and the approximate cost of living for several top universities. The cost of studying MS in USA ranges between INR 19 L - 1 Cr+. Check out cost of doing MS in US from top ranking universities in 2027:

US Universities	Cost of Doing MS in USA (in INR)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	INR 36 L - INR 78 L
Stanford University	INR 30.27 L - INR 1.23 Cr
Harvard University	INR 18.23 L - INR 65.51 L
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	INR 45.02 L - INR 56.26 L
University of Chicago	INR 24.9 L - INR 69.28 L
University of Pennsylvania	INR 18.37 L - INR 78 L
Cornell University	INR 17.83 L - INR 61.1 L
University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	INR 22.42 L - INR 71.08 L
Yale University	INR 37.13 L - INR 72.79 L
Johns Hopkins University	INR 33.38 L - INR 78.45 L

Also if you want to cut down your cost of doing MS in US from India, consider other alternatives. There are also 1 year MS courses in US. These courses are not just low on budget but also offer MS in a shorter time span. Also consider living expenses - USD 10k-15k in your cost of studying budget.

Scholarships for Masters in USA 

Pursuing an MS in US, the cost of which crosses INR 1.23 Cr in some cases, requires some solution. There are various scholarships that Indian students can consider. Go for fully funded scholarships in US, if not, look for partial funding options. Some important ones are as follows:

1. AAUW International Fellowships (Non-Government scholarship)
2. University-based scholarships for MS
3. Need-based scholarships in USA
4. Fully funded scholarships like - Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships (Government Funded)
5. Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships (externally funded)

Apart from scholarships, consider RA/TA as well. Offered by departments, more often in research-based MS programmes. At Georgia Tech, for instance, a full tuition waiver covers only the base-rate tuition, so professional programmes may still carry extra charges.

Jobs after MS in USA

These median salaries are for US occupations that MS graduates commonly move into. The figures come from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, using May 2025 wage data and 2025-35 job projections.

Job Roles after MS in USA	Relevant MS Course	Median Annual Salary	Projected Growth Rate 2025-35
Computer & Information Research Scientist	MS in Computer Science / AI	$140,300 (₹1.34 crore)	22%
Software Developer	MS in Computer Science	$135,980 (₹1.30 crore)	10%
Information Security Analyst	MS in Cybersecurity / CS	$129,180 (₹1.24 crore)	21%
Data Scientist	Masters in Data Science	$120,230 (₹1.15 crore)	35%
Financial Risk Specialist	MS in Finance	$117,330 (₹1.12 crore)	7% (financial analysts overall)
Computer Systems Analyst	MS in Information Systems	$105,850 (₹1.01 crore)	8%
Financial & Investment Analyst	MS in Finance	$102,740 (₹98.3 lakh)	7%
Operations Research Analyst	MSBA / Masters in Analytics	$88,940 (₹85.1 lakh)	12%

Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook (May 2025 wages). INR at ₹95.7/USD.

A few of the top employers after doing Masters in USA are Amazon, Walmart, IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, etc. Once you understand why a master's degree is needed in the USA, you can begin shortlisting universities for admission.

Need help in applying for the right MS course in the US? Sign up on Shiksha Abroad Counselling and request a callback from our team of experts! Get end-to-end help in one place for all your study abroad dreams. 

Aishwarya Bhatnagar09-25-2026 18:09