MS in USA: Universities, Fees 2026, Eligibility, Jobs

An MS in USA is a great option for Indian students considering pursuing higher studies abroad. Home to more than 650 universities offering MS courses, the United States stands as one of the best countries for these programs due to its renowned universities and the high-quality education it provides to its students. A majority of the universities offering masters in USA have a course duration of 2 years. However, a few of the universities have a duration of 1 - 2+ years. 

A few of the best universities in the USA for MS are MIT, Stanford, Harvard University, Princeton University, UCLA, etc. To pursue an MS in USA, students are required to have a bachelors degree and an English language proficiency score. The average salary of an MSc in Computer Science graduate is USD 113,000 per year (Around INR 98.2 lakh). Check all the details about MS in USA, such as entry requirements, top universities, cost of studying, popular specializations, etc. from this page. 

Read about- Study in USA for Indian students 

Why Study MS 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 course in USA such as MIT, Stanford University, etc. 

• No #1 globally: USA is considered number 1 choice in world for studying MS program 

• USA is known to provide its MS students with 3 years Optional Practical Training (OPT) period to work in USA. 

Why Study Masters in USA?

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 is among the popular specializations in USA for international students. Some popular MS specializations include various specializations among computer science, like AI, Data Science and Cyber Security; Engineering, like Chemical, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering. International students can pursue the MS degree in USA in multiple specializations such as Biology; IT & Networking; etc. 

Best 10 MS Specializations in USA 

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

Computer Science Engineering	Mechanical Engineering
Biology	Big Data & Analytics
Accounting	Chemistry
Mathematics	Finance
Electrical Engineering	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 the course. According to QS World University Rankings, USA is home to 7 top 20 universities in the world for Engineering. Metrics on which universities are ranked are Academic Reputation, Employer Reputation, Faculty/Student Ratio, Citations per faculty and International Faculty Ratio. 

Best 10 MS in USA 

Below mentioned are top 10 universities which provide MS in USA. Along with that, QS rankings mentioned below apply for Engineering in USA as a whole stream for Indian students-  

Universities	Shiksha MS Ranking 2026	QS Rank 2025 (Engineering and Technology)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	#1	#1
Stanford University	#2	#3
University of California - Berkeley Campus	#3	#6
Harvard University	#4	#9
Cornell University	#9	#30
Georgia Institute of Technology	#10	#15
Columbia University	#11	#50
The University of Texas at Austin	#13	#33
Johns Hopkins University	#14	#107
Yale University	#16	#56

MS in USA Eligibility 

It is important for Indian students to be eligible in all the admission criteria requires by the universities in USA. Each university in USA might have different eligibility criteria for MS. Below mentioned are some eligibility criteria that students must fall under to get admission in MS.  

• 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. 

• CGPA- Minimum CGPA of 3.0 out of 4 is required. Some universities like Georgia Institute of Technology may ask for higher CGPA. 

• English Language Requirement- Language proficiency test like IELTS or TOEFL are mandatory for MS in USA. US universities accept minimum 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 universities in USA for MS, 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 course in USA are given as follows: 

• UG Degree 

• Academic Transcripts 

• LOR 

• SOP 

• CV 

• Extracurricular certificates 

• Work experience letters 

• Passport size photos 

• English Test Scores 

MS in US Cost 

Listed below is a table that provides insight into the tuition fees to study an MS Degree in the USA and the approximate cost of living for several top universities. Even though the tuition fee to study MS in the USA will be in the range of INR 10 L - 40 L or more, a majority of the top-ranked universities have tuition fees ranging between INR 20 L - 40 L or more. The table below lists the top universities in USA with their tuition fee, where Harvard University is the most expensive in terms of tuition fees, followed by Cornell University and MIT- 

Top Universities offering MS in USA	Tuition fees
Massachusetts Institute of Technology	INR 38 L - 1 Cr
Stanford University	INR 31 L - 1 Cr
Harvard University	INR 19 L - 80 L
California Institute of Technology (CalTech)	INR 47 L - 59 L
University of California - Berkeley Campus	INR 22 L - 79 L
University of Pennsylvania	INR 19 L - 81 L
Columbia University	INR 30 L - 95 L
The University of Texas at Austin	INR 9 L - 59 L
Pace University	INR 13 L - 49 L
John Hopkins University	INR 35 L - 81 L

Living Expenses 

Besides paying the tuition fees, students are required to bear the living expenses. For one year, this can be around INR 15 L or more. The following are the estimated costs of living of the top universities for MS in USA based on the place they are in- 

University	Estimated Cost of Living Range per year (INR)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	INR 19.19 L – INR 21.81L
Stanford University	INR 21.81 L – INR 24.43 L
Harvard University	INR 19.19 L – INR 21.81 L
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	INR 18.32 L – INR 20.94 L
University of Chicago	INR 18.32 L – INR 20.94 L
University of Pennsylvania	INR 19.19 L – INR 21.81 L
Cornell University	INR 16.58 L – INR 19.19 L
University of California, Berkeley	INR 19.19 L – INR 21.81 L
Yale University	INR 18.32 L – INR 20.94 L
Johns Hopkins University	INR 18.32 L – INR 20.94 L

Cost of MS in the USA for Indian Students 

Scholarships for MS in USA 

Tuition Fee for studying MS in USA is bit expensive, still students travel to USA for higher education as there are scholarships and other funding options available which lowers the financial burden. More than 1500 fully funded scholarships for masters available in the USA from top universities. These scholarships for MS in the USA cover not only tuition fees, but some even take care of accommodation, health insurance and other travel expenses. Mentioned below is list of scholarships available for students for MS in USA- 

1. Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships (Government Funded): Applicable for students applying for master’s or PhD programs in the US. This covers:

• Tuition Fee 

• Accident & sickness coverage (as per US guidelines) 

• Living costs 

• Airfare 

2. InlaksShivdasani Foundation Scholarships- Applicable for students applying for full-time master’s or PhD programs in the US. 
3. AAUW International Fellowships (Non-Government scholarship): Applicable to international women students for full-time MS study & research work in the US. The scholarship covers:

• Master’s/first professional degree: USD 20,000 

• Graduate or Postdoctoral: USD 25,000 - USD 50,000 

Jobs after MS in USA 

The Return on Investment for pursuing a master’s degree is influenced by various factors including tuition fees and potential earnings post graduation for Indian students. A few of the top employers after doing Masters in USA are Amazon, Walmart, IBM, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, etc. On average, the salary of an MSc in Computer Engineering degree is USD 109,000 (INR 98.41 L) per year. Whereas, the average salary for an MSc in CS graduate is USD 113,000 (INR 1.02 Cr) per year. Listed below are the specialization-wise salaries are given below- 

Average Salary	Cost in INR
Software Engineer	USD 104,570 (INR 94.41 L)
Data Scientist	USD 103,747 (INR 93.67 L)
Senior Software Engineer	USD 133,408 (INR 1.20 Cr)
Machine Learning Engineer	USD 113,175 (INR 1.02 Cr)
Data Engineer	USD 103,959 (INR 93.86 L)

 

Kanishka Gambhir01-15-2026 01:32