A. Cost of Application:

a. Application Fees:

$40 to $150 per University

b. Courier Charges:

Rs 1500 per University (US Universities need hard copies of your authenticated documents like transcripts, recommendation letters, etc.)

c. Academic Test:

Academic entrance examinations will cost you around $100 to $200 per examination, and most students take at least 2 tests. Assume that you will be spending at least $500 on tests

d. Score Reporting:

Test scores like GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, IELTS have to be reported by the testing agencies (like ETS), which may cost up to $ 50 per University (an average cost for reporting scores of all tests you may have taken)

B. Tuition Fees and Living Expenses:

Tuition Fees

In the USA, tuition fee largely depends on whether you plan to study at a Public or Private Institution (refer to the difference between public and private Institutions here).

Estimated tuition fee (per year):

Private Institution:

$23000 to $50000 per year. At some Universities, it could go beyond $60000 per year

Public Institution:

$15000 to $32000 per year

Community College:

$8000 to $14000 per year

Living Expenses

Estimated Living Cost:

$10000 to $12000 (per year). An average of $800 to $1200 per month should be considered as safe

This includes your accommodation (room and board), travel, food, some books, some clothing and may be some entertainment expense too.

Please find below a range of costs that have been considered while estimating the above listed living expenses:

a. Books and study materials will cost $500 to $1000 approximately per academic year

b. Travel costs within the US will be between $300 and $700 approximately

c. Room and Board will cost between $3000 and $7500 approximately per year. Allow an additional $1000 to $2000 for vacation periods when the dormitory might be closed

d. If you will be living off campus, the cost of renting an apartment will be between $300 and $600 a month, but could be much higher contingent on the location of the school. Meals should cost about $2500 a year, assuming that you do not fancy too many outings

e. Clothing will cost $500 or more annually (if you go to cold places, you better buy some clothes that suit their weather; otherwise you may shiver)

f. Personal expenses will cost around $2000 approximately per year

The College Board publishes college costs, required admissions tests, and other useful information in The International Student Handbook of US Colleges

C. Other Costs:

Air tickets:

$500 to $2000 (depending when you finish your admission process and / or book tickets)

Health / Medical Insurance:

$300 to $500 per year per person

Car:

If you wish to buy a car, assume that it will cost you around $4000

Family Member:

If you take along other family members with you, assume that your annual expenses will increase about 15% or $5000 approximately for each additional family member