How much will studying abroad really cost?
Tuition is just one piece. Living, insurance, visa fees and family expenses are the silent budget killers. We also factor in scholarships and part-time work — most calculators don't.
💡 PhDs in the US/UK/CA/AU/EU are typically fully funded with TA/RA stipends. We default scholarship to 100% — adjust below.
High = NYC / SF / London / Sydney CBD. Low = mid-sized university towns.
Slide to estimate aid. Need-blind US schools (Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Amherst) often = ~80%. UK Chevening / Australia Awards = full ride. Self-funded = 0%.
That's $0/month across United States · Undergrad · 4 yrs.
≈ — years of typical local household income.
Cost breakdown
Universities within budget
in United StatesCalculating…
How we calculate it
Most calculators show only tuition. We add four cost layers and two offsets — closer to what you'll actually wire to a US university or remit to your kid abroad.
- Tuition — the school's published international rate (specific university) or country median for top-30 institutions. With inflation toggle on, we compound years 2..N at the country's typical tuition CAGR (US ≈ 4.5%/yr, EU ≈ 1-2%).
- Living — housing + food + transit + miscellaneous, indexed to your selected city tier. Mid-tier US college town ≈ $22k/yr; NYC/SF/London ≈ $32k.
- Insurance — mandatory student health coverage. US schools $3-5k/yr; UK NHS surcharge £1,035/yr; EU plans €600-900/yr.
- Visa — application fee + medicals + SEVIS-style charges. One-time, but real cash.
- Family uplift — partner/child = +45% living, +60% insurance.
Offsets that calculators usually ignore
- Scholarships / aid — applied as a % of tuition only (most need-based aid covers tuition first, then board). Need-blind US schools (Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale, Amherst) admit international students on merit and meet 100% of demonstrated need. Chevening, Australia Awards, Knight-Hennessy = full ride.
- Part-time work — when enabled, we apply your country's actual visa cap and a fair student wage. US F-1 = 20h/wk on-campus; UK Tier 4 = 20h; Canada study permit = 24h; Australia 500 = 24h. We use a 30-week academic year (term only — no summer, conservative).
Real talk
These are honest planning numbers, not quotes. Don't confuse "sticker" (what's on the website) with "net" (what you actually pay) — that gap can be 50-100% for top US privates if you qualify for aid. And don't budget at the average — add 10% buffer.