Top Ten Most Expensive Universities
For many prospective international students, the most pressing issue to consider is how much it will cost to study at their chosen institution. The tuition fees charged largely depend on the country in which you choose to study. But if you really want to calculate the costs of studying at one of the world’s top universities, below is an overview of current fees for domestic and international students at the 10 top universities in the QS World University Rankings® 2015/16.
For the UK universities featured here, prices are given for several different subjects, to give an idea of the range. Most of the featured US universities charge a standard rate across the majority of subjects and for students of all nationalities. This year’s list of the world’s top 10 universities also includes Switzerland’s ETH Zurich, where fees for most programs are lower than in the UK or US.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US
Annual tuition fees 2015/16:
| UNDERGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| All UG programs: | US$46,704 |
| POSTGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Most PG programs: | US$38,660 |
2. Harvard University, US
Annual tuition fees 2015/16:
| UNDERGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| All UG programs: | US$45,278 |
| POSTGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Most PG programs (excl. PhDs*): | US$41,832 (for years one and two) US$10,876 (for years three and four) |
*PhD students at Harvard University receive full financial support, including cover of tuition, other fees and the cost of living (cost of living stipend currently at US$2,850).
=3. University of Cambridge, UK
Annual tuition fees 2016/17:
| UNDERGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science: | £9,000 (€12,258) | UK£24,069 (US$35,310) |
| Mathematics: | £9,000 | UK£17,640 (US$25,888) |
| Management: | £9,000 | UK£24,069 (US$35,310) |
| History: | £9,000 | UK£15,816 (US$23,198) |
| POSTGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science (MPhil): | £11,175 (€15,235) | UK£28,308 (US$41,544) |
| Engineering (MPhil): | £7,176 (€9,785) | UK£24,309 (US$35,671) |
| Politics (MPhil): | £15,000 (€20,453) | UK£24,000 (US$35,215) |
| History (MPhil): | £10,500 (€14,321) | UK£20,535 (US$30,136) |
=3. Stanford University, US
Annual tuition fees 2015/16:
| UNDERGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| All UG programs: | US$45,729 ($15,243 per quarter) |
| Summer tuition fees (optional): | US$8,525 |
| POSTGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Engineering: | US$48,720 ($16,240 per quarter) |
| Most other PG programs: | US$45,729 ($15,243 per quarter) |
| Summer tuition fees (optional): | US$10,307 |
5. California Institute of Technology (Caltech), US
Annual tuition fees 2015/16:
| UNDERGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| All UG programs: | US$43,710 (+$1,680 mandatory fees*) |
| POSTGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| All PG programs: | US$43,710 (+$1,554 mandatory fees*) |
*As is the case at many US universities, all programs at Caltech are subject to further fees. In addition to tuition and living costs, all students will be expected to secure health insurance either through Caltech or a comparable plan. Caltech’s health insurance plan for 2015/16 costs $2,646.
6. University of Oxford, UK
Annual tuition fees 2016/17:
| UNDERGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science: | £9000 (€12,258) | UK£22,515 (US$33,049) |
| Engineering (four years): | £9000 | UK£22,515 (US$33,049) |
| Politics: | £9000 | UK£15,295 (US$22,456) |
| History: | £9000 | UK£15,295 (US$22,456) |
| POSTGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science (MSc): | £7,185 (€9,809) | UK£18,770 (US$27,564) |
| Engineering (MSc/DPhil): | £4,200 (€5,734) | UK£18,770 (US$27,564) |
| Politics (MSc/MPhil): | £11,940 (€16,300) | UK£18,770 (US$27,564) |
| History (MSt): | £6,550 (€8,944) | UK£17,555 (US$25,780) |
7. UCL (University College London), UK
Annual tuition fees 2015/16:
| UNDERGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science: | £9,000 (€12,258) | UK£20,700 (US$30,410) |
| Engineering: | £9,000 | UK£20,700 (US$30,410) |
| Politics: | £9,000 | UK£15,660 (US$23,006) |
| History: | £9,000 | UK£15,660 (US$23,006) |
| POSTGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science (MSc): | £10,765 (€14,710) | UK£22,350(US$32,823) |
| Engineering (MSc): | £10,765 (€14,710) | UK£22,350(US$32,823) |
| Politics: | £9,835 (€13,435) | UK£17,250 (US$25,334) |
| History (MA): | £8,755 (€11,959) | UK£17,250 (US$25,334) |
8. Imperial College London, UK
Annual tuition fees 2016/17:
| UNDERGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science: | £9,000 (€12,258) | UK£26,750 (US$39,265) |
| Engineering: | £9,000 | UK£26,750 (US$39,265) |
| POSTGRADUATE | UK & EU STUDENTS | INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Computer science (MSc): | £12,500 (€17,068) | UK£28,200 (US$41,367) |
| Engineering (MSc): | £11,000 (€15,018) | UK£27,900 (US$40,923) |
9. ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Switzerland
Annual tuition fees 2015/16:
| UNDERGRADUATE AND POSTGRADUATE | SWISS & NON-SWISS STUDENTS |
| All programs (excl. PhDs) | CHF 580 per semester + CHF 64 compulsory semester fee* = total fees per year: CHF 1,288 (US$1,274). |
*ETH Zurich charges its students CHF 64 per semester to cover the costs of the Academic Sports Association Zurich (ASVZ), the Scholarship Fund and the Student Union fee for general services.
10. University of Chicago, US
Annual tuition fees 2015/16:
| UNDERGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| All UG programs: | US$49,026 |
| POSTGRADUATE | DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS |
| Most PG programs (excl. PhDs): | US$44,178 (for one year) |