Studying at a U.S. college as an international student can rack up a high bill. Not only are there expenses for tuition, housing, meal plans, books and supplies, but international students also have to pay for travel costs, including airline tickets and visa applications.
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In an effort to recruit more international students, many colleges offer substantial financial aid packages.
For instance, the average amount given to international students was roughly $22,000 at the 937 undergraduate schools that submitted this data to U.S. News in an annual survey for the 2022-2023 school year. But the average aid was more than triple that — nearly $73,000 — at the 15 schools that gave the most financial aid to international students. These 15 colleges each awarded need-based aid, while five also provided merit aid.
[Read: Common Mistakes International Students Make When Applying to U.S. Colleges.]
Wellesley College awarded the largest amount of financial aid per international student on the list, about $78,000. During the 2022-2023 academic year, 82 international students received aid from the private liberal arts school in Massachusetts.
With the exception of California-based Stanford University, the schools that gave the most financial assistance to international students are located on the East Coast. Massachusetts is home to four, followed by three in New York. The rest are in Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Additionally, all but Skidmore College in New York — ranked at No. 39 among National Liberal Arts Colleges — placed in the top 20 of their respective ranking categories. Financial resources per student, including spending on instruction, administration and research, makes up 10% of the U.S. News Best Colleges ranking. While financial aid is not included in that ranking factor, better-resourced schools tend to also have more money for financial aid.
[See: 12 College Fees That May Surprise You]
These 15 colleges and universities are all private, with tuition and fees ranging from about $57,000 to nearly $65,000.
Among public schools, the University of Vermont — which charged almost $44,000 for out-of-state students — awarded the most aid, about $34,000, with funds given out to 117 international students during the 2022-2023 academic year. And although the average amount of aid was much lower at Arizona State University — about $10,000 per international student — it offered non-need-based aid to 2,304 international students, the most of any institution, public or private.
Below is a list of the 15 undergraduate institutions in the U.S. where the average amount of financial aid for citizens of other countries was the highest. Don’t see your school? Access the U.S. News College Compass to find financial aid figures, complete rankings and much more. Sign up for the U.S. News Extra Help: College Admissions free email newsletter to receive expert advice twice a month.
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15 U.S. Colleges That Offer the Most Financial Aid to International Students originally appeared on usnews.com
