The overall cost of bachelor degree in USA comprises various elements. The cost of each of these elements be it tuition fees or living expenses depends on various factors. Take a look at the important factors influencing cost of undergraduate degree in USA for international students:
- Type of university
- Accommodation cost
- Location in US
- Lifestyle
Keeping these factors in mind, here is a detailed discussion on how these affect the overall cost of undergraduate degree in USA for international students:
1. Type of university
The tuition fees between public and private universities in the US vary significantly. Public universities are funded by the state government and therefore charge much lower fees i.e. around $20,000-35,000 per year compared to programs offered at private universities with fees $35,000-60,000 per year. If you are looking for affordable programs, opting for a public university shall be a good choice. For a further lower tuition, you can also consider applying to a few community colleges.
2. Accommodation cost
You will have to choose between on-campus and off-campus accommodation. Some universities make it compulsory for freshmen to live on-campus at least for the first year. While deciding between on and off-campus accommodation you must take a look at the various factors such as rent, distance from the university, transportation, etc. As freshmen it is best to live on campus for the first year in the US.
3. Location in US
If you are planning to pursue an undergraduate degree in US, you must understand that there are some cities where the living expenses are much higher compared to the others.
- Some of the cities with the highest cost of living include New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles among others.
- The cost of living in these cities range between $1,500-4,000 per month.
- On the other hand, some of the most affordable cities are San Diego, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Michigan, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, etc. where the average cost of living is around $800-1800 per month.
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4. Lifestyle
Your monthly living expenses will include rent of accommodation, groceries, food, transportation, health insurance and miscellaneous expenses. The monthly living undergraduate cost in US depends a lot upon your lifestyle and preferences, especially when we talk about off-campus accommodation, entertainment, shopping, food, grocery and other personal expenses.
- If you opt for public transportation, you will have to pay around $75-150 for a monthly pass.
- On an average, you will spend $400 per month on groceries. For a person who prefers to eat out regularly the money spent on meals will go up to $800 per month.
- An amount of $100 each for shopping and entertainment can be kept aside in your monthly budget.
- Apart from these, you can expect to spend another $2,000 as miscellaneous expenses throughout the year.