MS in Computer Science in USA

Last Updated on August 28, 2024

MS in Computer Science in USA is offered at many top universities where students can take admission, if they meet the eligibility criteria. Over 400 universities in the USA offer MS programs in Computer Science. This allows most students to get admission to the top course. At the same time, in the 2022-2023 academic year, approximately 1 million international students were enrolled in US institutions, with nearly 25% pursuing degrees in STEM fields like Computer Science. Furthermore, to be eligible to pursue an MS in Computer Science in USA, you must have completed 16 years of education and have an average GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 (80%) scale or higher. 

Additionally, Indians make up the second-largest group of international students in the US, with about 200,000 enrolled as of 2022 and a significant portion in Computer Science. Therefore, Over 90% of MS in Computer Science graduates secure employment within six months of graduation, with average starting salaries ranging from $80,000 to $120,000 annually. Tuition fees for MS in USA can range from USD 25,000 to USD 63,000 (~20.52 lakhs to 51.74 lakhs INR), depending on the university and specialisation. This blog post will discuss the MS in Computer Science in USA.

Top Universities for MS in USA

Among the top 10 universities in the world, MIT is ranked first for the MS in Computer Science in USA which is followed by Stanford, Harvard, Caltech, and the University of Chicago. 

Here is A list of the top 25 universities for MS in Computer Science in the USA, along with their acceptance rates is as follows:

QS World Rank 2024	University Name	Popular Courses for MS in the USA	Tuition Fees in INR
1	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	MS Electrical Engineering and Computer Science	USD 66,171 | INR 55,01,169
4	Harvard University	MS Computational Science and Engineering	USD 61,768 | INR 51,35,122
5	Stanford University	MS Computer Science	USD 60,816 | INR 50,55,977
10	UC Berkeley	Master of Law	USD 73,000 | INR 60,68,902
11	University of Chicago	MS Financial Mathematics	USD 72,010 | INR 59,86,598
12	University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)	MS Computer and Information Science	USD 38,184 | INR 31,74,451
13	Cornell University	M.S Computer Science	USD 29,500 | INR 24,52,501
15	California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	MS Mechanical Engineering	USD 63,402 | INR 52,70,966
16	Yale University	MS Statistics and Data Science	USD 48,300 | INR 40,15,451
17	Princeton University	M.S Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering	USD 60,410 | INR 50,22,224
23	Columbia University	M.S Data Science	USD 33,932 | INR 28,20,958
28	Johns Hopkins University	M.S Applied Health Sciences Informatics	USD 58,000 | INR 48,21,867
29	University of California, Los Angeles	M.S Electrical and Computer Engineering	USD 33,238 | INR 27,63,262
33	University of Michigan – Ann Arbor	MS Mechanical Engineering	USD 58,984 | INR 49,03,673
38	New York University (NYU)	MS in Data Science	USD 87,800 | INR 72,99,310
47	Northwestern University	M.S Computer Engineering	USD 60,465 | INR 50,26,797
57	Duke University	MS in Interdisciplinary Data Science	USD 62,620 | INR 52,05,954

Popular Courses for MS in USA

Some of the popular programs offered for the MS in Computer Science in USA, along with top universities offering them, are listed below: 

Program Name	University Name	MS in Finance in the USA
MS in Finance in the USA	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	42.7 Lakhs
	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	59 Lakhs
	Columbia University	48.1 Lakhs
	University of Southern California	19.4 Lakhs
	University of California, Berkeley	47.3 Lakhs
MS in Data Science in USA	Stanford University	40.3 Lakhs
	Harvard University	43.2 Lakhs
	Yale University	33 Lakhs
	University of Pennsylvania	20.8 Lakhs
	New York University	26.6 Lakhs
MS in Computer Science in USA	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	35.3 Lakhs
	Stanford University	58 Lakhs
	Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)	19.7 Lakhs
	University of California, Berkeley	19.6 Lakhs
	Harvard University	41.3 Lakhs
MS in Marketing in USA	Columbia University	50.8 Lakhs
	University of Southern California	19.4 Lakhs
	University of Texas, Austin	31.6 Lakhs
	Michigan State University	21.3 Lakhs
	Florida International University	23.7 Lakhs
MS in Business Analytics in USA	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	61.9 Lakhs
	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	50.2 Lakhs
	University of Texas, Austin	36.1 Lakhs
	Arizona State University	34.7 Lakhs
	Michigan State University	21.3 Lakhs

Affordable Universities for MS in USA for International Students

Many of top affordable universities for MS in Computer Science in USA for international students are listed below, along with their average tuition fees and cost of living:

Universities	Average Tuition Fee (in INR)	Average Cost of Living (in INR)
Minnesota State University	14.15 lakhs	11.22 lakhs
South Dakota State University	9.77 lakhs	6.58 lakhs
California State University—Fresno	11.66 lakhs	9.83 lakhs
Murray State University	10.88 lakhs	9.46 lakhs
Coppin State University	8.75 lakhs	10.91 lakhs
Southern Illinois University—Carbondale	20.21 lakhs	10.88 lakhs
Southeast Missouri State University	11.04 lakhs	9.64 lakhs
Truman State University	11.66 lakhs	9.83 lakhs
University of Nebraska—Kearney	10.61 lakhs	9.56 lakhs
Indiana University—South Bend	11.38 lakhs	11.91 lakhs
Minnesota State University—Mankato	13.20 lakhs	10.18 lakhs
Western Michigan University	12.28 lakhs	11.64 lakhs
University of Akron	12.05 lakhs	10.84 lakhs
Lindenwood University	14.38 lakhs	7.31 lakhs
Monroe University	11.64 lakhs	6.84 lakhs

Standardised Exam Scores for MS in Computer Science in USA

Since MS in Computer Science in USA is a competitive program, students must prepare for standardised tests like GRE, TOEFL, IELTS, etc., in a disciplined manner. The minimum score requirements for MS in USA are: 

University	GRE Scores Required	TOEFL iBT Score
Stanford University	328	100
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)	316	102
University of California, Berkeley	324	90
University of Washington	300	92
New York University	310	100
University of Texas Austin	300	79
Yale University	322	100
University of Chicago	Quant- 154 | Verbal- 155	104
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	Quant- 169 | Verbal- 158	100
University of Minnesota	Quant- 170 | Verbal- 153	79

Cost of MS in the USA

Tuition, books, accommodation and board, and other incidentals are all included in the total cost of attendance for master’s programs in the United States. It is advised that overseas students plan for their anticipated educational expenses in the United States. 

The costs for an MS in Computer Science in USA are listed below:

Cost Component	Estimated Range
Tuition Fees	$20,000 – $70,000 per year
Living Expenses	$10,000 – $20,000 per year
Health Insurance	$1,000 – $2,000 per year
Books and Supplies	$500 – $1,500 per year
Transportation	$500 – $1,200 per year
Miscellaneous Expenses	$1,000 – $2,000 per year
Visa Application Fee	$160 (one-time)
SEVIS Fee	$350 (one-time)

MS in USA Fees for Indian Students

University Name	Tuition Fees in USD	Tuition Fees in INR
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	66,171	55,01,169
Harvard University	61,768	51,35,122
Stanford University	60,816	50,55,977
UC Berkeley	73,000	60,68,902
University of Chicago	72,010	59,86,598
University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)	38,184	31,74,451
Cornell University	29,500	24,52,501
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)	63,402	52,70,966
Yale University	48,300	40,15,451
Princeton University	60,410	50,22,224
Columbia University	33,932	28,20,958
Johns Hopkins University	58,000	48,21,867
University of California, Los Angeles	33,238	27,63,262
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor	58,984	49,03,673
New York University (NYU)	87,800	72,99,310
Northwestern University	60,465	50,26,797
Duke University	62,620	52,05,954

Cost of Living in USA

The factors mentioned are those that are considered for expenditure in daily life. The average expense range for students in the United States is:

Categories	Annual Cost (INR)
Books and Supplies	69,147
Food	4,85,415
Apartment Housing with amenities	12,83,069
Dormitory Housing	5,68,699-8,92,984
Meal Plan for Dormitory Residents	1,86,390
Miscellaneous	4,97,093

Scholarships For MS in USA

Higher education in the United States is costly, and international applicants must be able to pay for their education to be admitted. International scholarships for MS in Computer Science in USA are:

Scholarship Name	Benefits
New York University Wagner Scholarship	25,000 USD to 47,000 USD
Fulbright Student Program	Grant funds for tuition, airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance
Clark University Scholarships	20,000 USD to 25,000 USD
Next-Gen Scholarship	1,000 USD
Aga Khan Foundation International Scholarship	50% of grants and 50% of loans is offered to students from developing countries
East Tennessee State University	11,500 USD per year
Iowa State University Scholarships	scholarships up to 10,000 USD
University of Oregon Scholarships	40 scholarships ranging from 7,500 USD to 30,000 USD

Placement for MS in USA

The Multiple jobs that must be taken on after three or five weeks of admission intimidates MS students. Jobs can be obtained on campus or through agreements the institution has with other industries. 

You can look at job possibilities in the US on Indeed or LinkedIn. Annual job fairs also make it easier to find work. In USA, a student’s average earnings after completing their master’s degree can reach USD 74,000.

Job Profile	Annual Median Salary (in USD)	Annual Median Salary (in INR)
Statistician	84,060	69.6 lakhs
Mathematician	103,010	85.3 lakhs
Software Developer	103,560	85.7 lakhs
IT Manager	139,220	1.15 crores
Computer and Information Research Scientist	114,520	94.8 lakhs
Biochemist	91,190	75.5 lakhs
Database Administrator	87,020	72 lakhs
Mechanical Engineer	85,880	71 lakhs
Civil Engineer	84,770	70.1 lakhs

Wrapping Up!!

MS in USA, also known as Masters in USA, is a two-year program offered by 70% of US universities. International students pursuing an MS typically choose Business and Management, IT, and Computer Science courses. To be eligible, students must have completed 16 years of education and have an average GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or higher. Tuition fees for MS in USA can range from USD 25,000 to USD 63,000, with a median annual salary of USD 71,330. Top universities offering MS in USA include MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Caltech, and the University of Chicago.

FAQs

Is USA Good for MS in Computer Science?

Yes, USA is highly regarded for MS in Computer Science. It offers world-class universities, cutting-edge research opportunities, and access to top tech companies. Graduates often benefit from strong industry connections, high-quality education, and excellent career prospects.

How Much Does MS in Computer Science Cost in USA?

The cost of an MS in Computer Science in USA typically ranges from $20,000 to $70,000 per year, depending on the university and location. Additional expenses like living costs, health insurance, and books can add $10,000 to $20,000 annually.

What is the salary for an MS in Computer Science in USA?

Graduates with an MS in Computer Science in USA can expect an average starting salary of $80,000 to $120,000 annually. Salaries can vary based on experience, location, and the specific job role, with top positions in tech companies often offering significantly higher pay.

Who is Eligible for an MS in Computer Science?

Eligibility for MS in Computer Science in USA generally requires:

• A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field.
• Good academic performance (usually a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale).
• GRE scores (though some programs may waive this requirement).
• English proficiency test scores (TOEFL or IELTS) for non-native speakers.
• Relevant work experience can be beneficial but is only sometimes required.