MS in Computer Science from UMass Lowell Entry : Fees, Deadlines, Admissions and Scholarships

UMass Lowell Master of Science (M.S.) Computer Science is a graduate degree in Lowell, Massachusetts, delivered full-time on campus for international students. The programme requires 30 credits and has no fixed duration published on the current official page. Applicants need a bachelor’s degree or United States equivalent with computer science preparation, and annual tuition and mandatory fees are US$34,717 (INR 33.18 Lakhs) for Spring 2027 planning.

The curriculum combines algorithms, systems, artificial intelligence, data mining, cybersecurity and an optional thesis, so it suits applicants with strong computing or related mathematics preparation. Its General and Cybersecurity options give career direction, but future-year fees and course-specific employment outcomes are not published.

• Students can shape six elective courses around artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, databases, networks or human-computer interaction.
• The degree uses the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics field, so verify its code before counting post-study work.
• Applicants may pursue an optional master’s thesis or use up to six thesis credits in place of two electives.

Also Check: UMass Lowell graduate admission

UMass Lowell Computer Science Fees and Living Costs 2027

For the Spring 2027 target intake, the official 2026-2027 international graduate estimate is the latest cycle-specific cost reference. It is based on nine credits per semester and includes the international fee and health insurance within mandatory fees.

Annual fee context: the figures below apply to full-time, on-campus international graduate study, while the application fee is charged once.

All INR conversions in the article use a conversion rate of USD 1 = INR 95.5699 as of 15 August 2026. Rates fluctuate daily, verify before applying.

Source: UMass Lowell 2026-2027 Graduate Tuition and Fees and International Graduate Student Estimate of Expenses.

The US$34,717 (INR 33.18 Lakhs) annual figure is a university estimate, not a locked programme invoice. Credits above nine per semester or individual charges can raise the bill, so confirm the final schedule before accepting an offer.

No international enrollment deposit or fixed payment schedule is published on the checked fee surfaces, which means applicants should confirm both before accepting an offer.

• The university requires financial documentation for one year before issuing the student visa document, even though the student remains responsible for the full programme cost.
• Mandatory fees include technology, student activity, international and health insurance charges, so comparing tuition alone understates the first-year budget.
• The 30-credit curriculum does not make a future two-year total predictable because later rates and the student’s credit load are not yet published.

Read More: USA cost of living for international students

Cost of Living in Lowell for Computer Science Students

UMass Lowell estimates US$19,942 (INR 19.06 Lakhs) in annual living expenses for international graduate students. The official estimate combines room and board, books, personal expenses and more, so it should not be read as a separate rent or grocery schedule.

Source: UMass Lowell International Graduate Student Estimate of Expenses, 2026-2027.

A calculated first-year planning budget adds US$34,717 (INR 33.18 Lakhs) in tuition and fees to US$19,942 (INR 19.06 Lakhs) in living costs. That equals US$54,659 (INR 52.24 Lakhs), a one-year Spring 2027 baseline rather than a guaranteed two-year total.

Later academic-year prices and the student’s final credit schedule can change the eventual amount.

Key insight: The one-year estimate reaches US$54,659 (INR 52.24 Lakhs). Indian applicants should secure full-course funding before treating scholarships or campus work as relief.

UMass Lowell Computer Science Admission 2027

Admission is open for the current rolling cycle, and the department accepts applications for both Spring and Fall entry. UMass Lowell evaluates the complete file, so an Indian applicant should verify prerequisite coverage before paying the US$50 (INR 4,778) application fee.

The university requires a bachelor’s degree or United States equivalent, while the Computer Science department expects preparation across six named knowledge areas. No course-specific minimum grade point average (GPA), class profile or admission rate is published for international applicants.

Intake context: the current Computer Science FAQ states that applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with no fixed final deadline or decision date published.

Applications are reviewed after all required materials are received, and earlier submission can preserve time for visa documentation and funding decisions. The department does not publish a guaranteed decision timeline, so applicants should not plan travel from an assumed response date.

Academic eligibility

Applicants need a bachelor’s degree or its United States equivalent from an accredited institution, plus a satisfactory academic record and substantial computer science preparation. The department may consider a three-year bachelor’s degree from India based on the quality of the previous institution, but the university makes the equivalency decision.

Prerequisite coverage is the main selection screen. The department may admit applicants missing one or two areas as conditions, but work experience does not earn graduate credit.

• Compare every transcript course with the six knowledge areas because missing preparation can become a condition after admission.
• Prepare concise course descriptions or syllabi when an Indian transcript uses titles that do not clearly show algorithms, operating systems or discrete mathematics.
• Do not treat professional experience as a substitute for graduate credit because the department assesses work experience only for possible knowledge-area evidence.

English-language proficiency

English-language proficiency (ELP) is required unless a university-approved waiver applies, and the current Kennedy College of Sciences page lists the accepted routes below. ELP evidence demonstrates that the applicant can begin graduate reading, writing and technical coursework without a language pathway.

Score conflict: the college-level page lists higher thresholds than the Computer Science FAQ. Use the stricter number until Graduate Admissions confirms the programme-specific rule.

Score scale note: the checked university pages do not identify a TOEFL scale, so no conversion to a revised TOEFL scale is made here.

• Send official scores early because the Computer Science FAQ states that TOEFL results must be less than two years old.
• Request a waiver only when you meet the international admissions rule of at least two full-time academic semesters of university study in the United States.
• Use the IELTS route when you want the clearest published threshold, but verify the conflicting TOEFL and DET guidance in writing before submission.

Also Check: UMass Lowell graduate programs

Tip for Indian students: Build an evidence map for the six prerequisite areas before applying. A complete transcript match can matter more than an unverified GPA target because no numeric Computer Science minimum is published.

UMass Lowell Computer Science Application 2027

The application route is rolling for Spring and Fall entry, but a complete file must arrive before the department reviews it. Indian applicants should therefore prepare transcripts, English scores and recommendations before opening the application rather than treating rolling admission as an unlimited window.

UMass Lowell uses the Kennedy College of Sciences graduate application, charges a US$50 (INR 4,778) fee, and asks master’s applicants for a statement of purpose and two recommendation letters. The department does not publish a fixed decision date, so the practical milestone is a complete submission that can enter review.

Application stages

Stage one is prerequisite checking: match your transcript to the six Computer Science knowledge areas and resolve any missing course evidence before submission. This reduces the risk that a conditional admission creates extra coursework, cost or time after arrival.

Stage two is file completion: upload every required item and monitor the application portal because the university says all materials must be received before review.

The application should include a completed form, the maximum two-page statement of purpose, two master’s-level recommendations, transcripts and official test scores where required. Unofficial transcripts may be used during application, but accepted students must later provide official records.

• Use the statement of purpose to connect your prior systems, theory or applied computing work with the General or Cybersecurity option.
• Ask recommenders to comment on graduate-level computing ability because the department evaluates preparation rather than work experience alone.
• Keep scanned records consistent across names, dates and degree titles because international transcript review can delay a file that needs clarification.
• After admission, reserve time for the Form I-20 process because UMass Lowell requires one year of financial documentation before issuing the student visa document.

Rolling admission changes the value of timing even without a final date: early submission can preserve access to places, assistantship review and visa processing time. The university says many programmes fill openings several months before the semester, so an Indian applicant should treat the target intake as a capacity decision.

Do not wait for a final cutoff when the department has not published one.

Application tip: Rolling admission does not remove capacity risk. Submit a complete Spring 2027 file before relying on assistantship review or arranging visa travel.

UMass Lowell Computer Science Scholarships 2027

The clearest entry award for an Indian applicant is the Graduate International Excellence Scholarship for full-time, on-campus international master’s study. The award is automatic consideration rather than a separate application, but priority timing and available funds affect whether a late applicant is reviewed.

UMass Lowell also lists limited teaching and research assistantships, while a separate graduate fellowship route can support enrolled students. These routes do not create a guaranteed reduction in the US$34,717 (INR 33.18 Lakhs) annual tuition and fees estimate.

Target-cycle context: the scholarship page is labelled 2026-2027 and explicitly covers Fall and Spring starts, making it the relevant published funding cycle for Spring 2027.

Source: UMass Lowell Graduate International Excellence Scholarships, 2026-2027.

For Spring 2027, the published priority date of 15 July 2026 has passed, but the university says later applications may still be considered if awards remain. Fall 2027 applicants can target 15 January 2027 while completing the admission file.

Assistantships and graduate funding

Teaching and research assistantships are limited, competitive and separate from admission, with research roles depending on faculty funding and fit. Qualified full-time students must maintain at least nine credits per semester, and the university does not publish a Computer Science master’s award amount for Spring 2027.

• Use the international scholarship as a possible tuition offset, not as proof that the full financial requirement is covered.
• Ask whether an assistantship applies to international tuition and health insurance because the published general guidance does not state a Spring 2027 Computer Science package.
• Keep a funding plan that works without campus employment because assistantships are limited and international students must show financial support for the programme.

Scholarship reality: The maximum published award is US$20,000 (INR 19.11 Lakhs) over four semesters, but Spring 2027 priority timing has passed. Apply only after confirming late-award availability.

UMass Lowell Computer Science Salary 2027

No course-cohort salary, offer rate or placement report is published for the Master of Science in Computer Science. This means the programme cannot support a course-specific payback forecast from official graduate outcomes.

University pages instead provide external market benchmarks for New England and Massachusetts software roles. These figures show the labour market around the programme, not what a typical UMass Lowell graduate earns.

Source: UMass Lowell Computer Science programme pages citing Lightcast 2025 and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The programme page names Amazon, BAE, Cisco, Fidelity, Google, IBM, Intel, MITRE, Microsoft, Oracle and Raytheon among reported graduate workplaces. Employer presence confirms examples of employment, but it does not establish recruiting volume, salary or a course placement rate.

The same programme material cites 9.7% projected New England job growth from 2023 to 2035 in a Lightcast view. It also cites 25% projected software-engineer growth from 2022 to 2032 in a Bureau of Labor Statistics view.

These projections describe occupations or regions, so they should inform a job search plan rather than a repayment promise.

Return on investment (ROI) for Indian applicants

The current one-year cost baseline is US$54,659 (INR 52.24 Lakhs), while course-specific graduate outcomes are unpublished. A rational ROI decision therefore depends on funding, work-authorisation eligibility and the applicant’s target market rather than a claimed median salary.

• The current one-year budget baseline is US$54,659 (INR 52.24 Lakhs), so request the 30-credit billing plan and model financing without assuming future rates stay unchanged.
• The degree uses the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics field, so verify its code before counting post-study work.
• The Lightcast median is a New England market benchmark rather than a course outcome, so test loan affordability against a lower personal salary scenario.
• The scholarship maximum is US$20,000 (INR 19.11 Lakhs) over four semesters, so keep backup funding for the remaining tuition and living costs.
• The United States benchmarks are not Indian-return salaries and no course outcome is published, so compare an India-return income case before taking a dollar-denominated loan.

Gross salary is not take-home pay because taxes, benefits, location and deductions vary; use a current United States tax calculator before converting a benchmark into loan repayment capacity.

ROI reality: The university publishes a strong market context but no course outcome rate. Fund the degree against the verified cost baseline and treat the United States salary figures as external benchmarks.

United States Visa for UMass Lowell Computer Science Students 2027

International students normally use F-1 student status for this full-time on-campus degree. UMass Lowell requires nine credits per semester to maintain international graduate status. F-1 is the United States academic student classification. The current nonimmigrant visa application fee is US$185 (INR 17,680), while the I-901 Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee is US$350 (INR 33,449). Together, these fees are US$535 (INR 51,130); review the official United States student visa guidance after receiving Form I-20.

• During study, keep the required nine-credit load and confirm any part-time plan with the international office before relying on it for F-1 status.
• The university lists this degree as Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) eligible, with 12 months of Optional Practical Training and a possible 24-month extension.
• H-1B specialty-occupation status depends on an employer petition, cap rules and the higher of actual or prevailing wage, while permanent residence has no fixed course-linked timeline.
• F-2 status may cover a spouse and unmarried minor children, but F-2 dependants are not employment-authorised in the United States.

The post-study route is a possible work window, not an employment guarantee, because eligibility depends on degree classification, authorised work and government rules. The United States Department of Labor requires H-1B employers to pay the higher of actual or prevailing wage, so no single Computer Science salary threshold guarantees sponsorship.

Check Out: USA student visa requirements

Visa reality: The degree offers a STEM-eligible route, but the 36-month work possibility remains conditional. Verify the degree code, maintain F-1 status and budget for the US$535 (INR 51,130) initial visa and SEVIS fees.