Application fee is a major cost along with tuition & other fees. Students can apply to universities in USA without application fee to ease the financial burden.
Are you willing to study in USA to pursue your higher education? You will be pleased to know that there are several top-ranked universities in USA without application fee. International students apply to a number of universities in the USA in order to increase their acceptance prospects. However, the application fee for each university adds up to the overall cost, thus making their higher education abroad outrageously expensive.
In less than ten applications, you might end up paying more than $1000 (INR 74,270). Fortunately, a number of colleges in the United States provide free applications, and most of them offer waivers on application costs for online applications.
List of Universities in USA without Application Fee
There are various universities in the USA that offer high quality education without charging an application fee. Following are some of the best universities without application fee for international students in USA, along with their latest rankings:
| University | THE Rankings |
|---|---|
| Yale University | 3 |
| Wellesley College | 29 |
| Carleton College | 36 |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | 40 |
| Smith College | 43 |
| Case Western Reserve University | 48 |
| Mount Holyoke College | 54 |
| Bryn Mawr College | 66 |
| Grinnell College | 68 |
| Tulane University | 68 |
| Colby College | 71 |
| Macalester College | 77 |
| Reed College | 86 |
| Kenyon College | 94 |
| Colorado College | 102 |
| DePaul University | 111 |
| Trinity University | 113 |
| Denison University | 114 |
| Saint Louis University | 114 |
| Rhodes College | 121 |
| Union College | 132 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | 135 |
| Drake University | 144 |
| Sewanee – The University of the South | 147 |
| St. Olaf College | 149 |
| The College of Wooster | 158 |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | 162 |
| Lawrence University | 167 |
| Baylor University | 175 |
| Ursinus College | 178 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | 189 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | 198 |
| Juniata College | 200 |
| Michigan Technological University | 203 |
| Southwestern University | 205 |
| Earlham College | 217 |
| Beloit College | 225 |
| Centre College | 235 |
| University of Dayton | 240 |
| Hendrix College | 261 |
| Hampshire College | 285 |
| Hampden Sydney College | 298 |
| University of St. Thomas – Minnesota | 303 |
| Transylvania University | 401-500 |
Why do Colleges Charge an Application Fee?
Universities charge an application fee to avoid receiving piles of applications every year. The application fee is charged as a measure to ensure that only interested students are applying for admission. Another reason for charging an application fee is to cover the expenses incurred by the university during the application screening process.
How Much Does Application Fee Cost in the USA?
The average cost of application fee in USA is $44 (INR 3200), as per the data of 936 colleges recorded by US News. Whereas, 62 universities charge tuition rates as high as $78 [INR 5700] per student. With an application fee of $105 [INR 7800], the University of California, San Diego ranks first, followed by Arkansas Baptist College with an application fee of $100 [INR 7400].
Why Apply to US Universities that do not Charge an Application Fee?
The cost of pursuing higher education at USA is undoubtedly an expensive affair. The costs of standardized tests, application fee, and travel costs, etc., might pinch your pocket to some extent. Before even joining the university, you might have already spent around USD 100 [INR 7400] or more. Therefore, you can ease your financial burden by applying to universities with no application fee.
What You Must Know Before Applying to a College without Application Fee?
Application fee should not be the only factor to select a university in the USA. Other factors like school accreditation, curriculum, program requirements, rankings, etc., should also be considered. You must consider your interests and future goals before selecting a university in the USA. To reduce the financial burden, you can look for different grants and scholarships for international students.
Alternative Options for Saving Money on College Application Fees
Here are some of the alternative options for saving money on college application fees:
- Having a cost waiver for the SAT or ACT
- Being a part of a federal, state, or local programme that assists low-income students
- Living in a foster home or any other government-funded housing
- Incoming college students can successfully curate a list of potential colleges using this information. Consider inexpensive universities, free community colleges, institutions that accept fee waivers, or schools that don’t charge application fees from the start.
How to Apply to Universities in the USA without Application Fees?
Application for admission to free application fee universities in USA is accepted either through the university’s application portal or common application. The application process for US universities with free application fee is quite similar to those that charge application fee.
Take a look at the general steps of the application process for universities in USA without application fee discussed below:
- Shortlist the universities that offer your desired program. Make sure some of your options include US universities with no application fee for international students.
- Visit the official website of all universities you wish to apply to including free application fee universities in USA and check the eligibility criteria.
- Check the available intakes and application deadline for your chosen program.
- Complete the online application and submit the application fee wherever applicable and request for application fee waiver if required at universities in America without application fee.
- Upload all supporting documents for admission along with your application.
- Apply for scholarships for international students if you wish to avail financial aid.
- Track the status of your application and wait for the admission decision.
- If accepted, you will receive the offer for admission via email.
- Make sure you confirm your acceptance within the deadline specified on the offer and submit the tuition deposit.
Other Expenses Associated with the Application Process
There are some pre-arrival expenses that you cannot miss out while estimated your cost of studying in the USA. Take a look at the table below to learn about others costs involved in the application process for admission to universities in USA without application fee:
| Expense | Average Cost for Indian Students (INR) |
|---|---|
| TOEFL fees | 14,197 |
| IELTS fees | 16,250-18,895 |
| GRE fees | 16,098 |
| GMAT fees | 18,895 |
| SAT fees | 7,860 |
| ACT fees | 11,714 |
| Visa processing fees | 12,092 |
| SEVIS fees | 26,459 |
| Health insurance | 52,905-83,135 |
| Airfare | 51,016 |
