Top 20 US universities with most generous financial aid for international students

By Minh Nguyet January 27, 2025 | 03:00 pm PT

Twenty universities in the U.S. provide the most generous financial aid for international students, with an average amount of US$82,000, approximately $10,000 higher than the tuition fees.

Many U.S. universities have a need-based financial aid policy for international students, based on their family's financial capability.

According to data from 868 universities surveyed by the US News and World Report for the 2023-2024 academic year, the average aid for international students is about $23,800.

However, at about 20 schools, this number is three times higher – averaging $82,000. All of these are private institutions, known for their abundant financial resources.

Rank	University	Average Financial Aid (USD/year)	Tuition (USD/year)
1	Vassar College	86,258	70,050
2	Wellesley College	86,187	67,824
3	Georgetown University	85,795	68,016
4	Haverford College	85,402	69,884
5	Williams College	84,142	68,240
6	Wesleyan University	83,486	69,652
7	Duke University	83,486	66,326
8	Cornell University	83,060	68,380
9	Washington and Lee University	82,358	66,800
10	College of the Holy Cross	81,875	63,650
11	Dartmouth College	81,378	66,123
12	Amherst College	81,202	69,820
13	Providence College	80,368	62,520
14	Yale University	80,285	67,250
15	Stanford University	79.500	65.910
16	Smith College	79,023	64,870
17	Pomona College	79,018	65,000
18	Brown University	78,765	65,656
19	Princeton University	78,606	65,210
20	Vanderbilt University	78,582	65,008

Vassar College tops the list with over $86,000 in aid. In the 2023-2024 academic year, 52 international students at this college received financial aid. At the bottom of the list, Skidmore College offers an average aid of over $78,600, which is about $13,000 more than its tuition fees.

Five Ivy League schools are among the top in terms of financial aid for international students, with annual amounts ranging from $78,000 to $83,000. In terms of total number of students aided, Princeton University leads with 514 international students receiving support, followed by Yale (445 students), Dartmouth (418), Cornell (334), and Brown (265).

Some universities offer lower average aid amounts but support a larger number of applicants. For example, the average aid at Arizona State University is only about $12,700, but it supports the most international students – 2,985 in total.

Sinh viên Đại học Vassar. Ảnh: Vassar College

Vassar College students, U.S. Photo by Vassar College

The U.S. remains the world's top study destination. Last academic year, the country hosted more than one million international students from over 200 countries and territories.

U.S. News data from 324 universities indicates that average tuition fees in the U.S. range from $12,000 to $46,000 per year, depending on whether the student is in-state or out-of-state. Public universities have increased fees by 127-158%, while private institutions charge the same tuition for international and domestic students, having increased by 132%.