Washington University (WashU) Courses and Fees 2026

Washington University in St. Louis fees for Indian students total USD 71,310 (INR 68.04 Lakhs) per year for undergraduate and USD 69,190 (INR 66.02 Lakhs) per year for a full-time graduate programme, before scholarships. The three programmes Indian students apply to most are the MS Computer Science, MS Data Analytics and Statistics, and the Olin Full-Time MBA.

Your realistic entry is the Fall 2027 intake (August 2027). Spring 2028 opens next for a small set of graduate programmes; WashU is a Fall-primary university, so plan around August 2027 as the anchor date.

• Undergraduate tuition (2026/27 rate applied to Fall 2026): USD 71,310 (INR 68.04 Lakhs) per year
• Graduate McKelvey engineering, full-time: USD 69,190 (INR 66.02 Lakhs) per year
• Full-Time MBA (Olin), all four semesters: USD 145,400 (INR 1.39 Crore) total tuition
• Per-unit rate below 9 units (Master’s): USD 2,450 (INR 2.34 Lakhs) per credit unit
• Chancellor’s International Scholars need-based aid: automatic consideration for admitted first-year international undergraduates, no separate form

An Indian student on the MS Computer Science pays about INR 1.91 Crore as an all-in two-year budget (tuition, living, F-1 costs). A four-year undergraduate budget lands near INR 3.87 Crore before any need-based aid.

All INR figures use 1 USD = INR 95.42, mid-market rate on 12 August 2026 from xe.com.

Compare admission requirements and deadlines: Washington University in St. Louis Admissions for Indian Students

Washington University in St. Louis Tuition Fees by Programme

Undergraduate tuition at WashU is a single flat rate applied to every degree in Arts & Sciences, McKelvey Engineering, Olin Business, and Sam Fox Design. Graduate tuition varies by school: the McKelvey School of Engineering charges a per-semester full-time rate, and Olin Business School charges a flat programme total.

Washington University in St. Louis Undergraduate Fees

Every undergraduate programme is billed at the same annual rate, whether the student reads Computer Science, Finance, or Biology. WashU does not price by major at the undergraduate level.

Source: WashU 2026-27 tuition announcement and WashU Bulletin. Mandatory fees add USD 1,412 (INR 1.35 Lakhs) per year: student activity fee USD 712 and health & wellness fee USD 700.

Washington University in St. Louis Graduate Fees

The seven programmes below cover what Indian applicants pick most. McKelvey Master’s degrees use a single full-time semester rate; the Olin MBA is a fixed four-semester total.

Sources: McKelvey Graduate Tuition and Olin MBA Cost, Aid and Scholarships. Full-time McKelvey rate covers 9-21 units per semester at USD 34,595 (INR 33.01 Lakhs). Below 9 units, the per-unit rate is USD 2,450 (INR 2.34 Lakhs).

Washington University in St. Louis Fee Trend by Year

WashU undergraduate tuition has risen every year since 2021-22, but the pace has softened. The 2025-26 rise was 3.72%, the smallest single-year increase in the last five cycles, and the 2026-27 rise of 4.50% is still below the 6.54% jump that took families by surprise in 2024-25.

Sources: WashU 2026-27 announcement, 2023-24 announcement, 2022-23 announcement. YoY % recomputed from paired years.

Cost of Living at Washington University in St. Louis for Indian Students

St. Louis is one of the cheapest major US university cities: total living costs run about USD 27,000-30,000 (INR 25.76-28.63 Lakhs) a year, roughly half of what a student would spend in New York or the Bay Area. The Danforth Campus sits in the Central West End, close to Forest Park and well-served by the MetroLink light rail.

Sources: WashU 2026-27 Housing and Meal Plan Rates for on-campus figures; off-campus rent and grocery figures from Numbeo St. Louis. WashU does not publish a single line-item Cost of Attendance for graduate international students; the university’s own aid pages point undergraduates to a bundled figure.

Off-campus housing brings down the housing plus utilities line by roughly 25% if you share a two-bedroom flat with one other student on the Delmar Loop. The trade-off is a 15-minute MetroLink ride to campus versus a five-minute walk from South 40 residence halls, and you take on your own furniture, deposit, and lease-break risk.

Total Cost of Studying at Washington University in St. Louis

The all-in first-year budget for an Indian student sits between INR 96 Lakhs and INR 99 Lakhs, depending on programme and housing choice. Undergraduate is a four-year commitment, McKelvey Master’s a 1.5-to-2-year commitment, and the Olin MBA a fixed two years.

Sources: figures compiled from WashU tuition and fee pages linked above. Undergraduate living is 10-month on-campus (South 40); graduate living is 12-month off-campus. Mandatory fees include health and wellness, student activity, plus first-year F-1 visa fees (I-901 SEVIS USD 350 + DS-160 USD 185, INR 51,050).

Programme-total commitment: MS Computer Science (2 years) works out to INR 1.91 Crore, the Full-Time MBA (2 years) to INR 2.01 Crore, and the four-year undergraduate degree to roughly INR 3.87 Crore before any need-based aid. On a full INR 1 Crore education loan at 10.5% for 10 years, the EMI is about INR 1.35 Lakhs per month; a INR 2 Crore loan doubles that to about INR 2.70 Lakhs per month.

Washington University in St. Louis Scholarships for Indian Students

WashU’s own aid is need-based and automatic for undergraduates. Graduate aid is department-controlled and typically merit-based, meaning most Indian Master’s students combine external Indian scholarships with an education loan.

Washington University in St. Louis Institutional Aid

Sources: Olin Cost, Aid and Scholarships and McDonnell International Scholars Academy. Chancellor’s International Scholars aid is described as need-met, no separate application beyond the CSS Profile.

External Indian Scholarships Open for the Washington University in St. Louis Cohort

External Indian scholarships for the Fall 2027 cohort will open their next round between January and April 2027. The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships call closes 15 July each year and is US-only.

Sources: Inlaks Foundation, JN Tata Endowment, KC Mahindra Trust, Narotam Sekhsaria, Aga Khan Foundation, and USIEF Fulbright-Nehru.

Read the full scholarship silo: Washington University in St. Louis Scholarships

Washington University in St. Louis Tuition Deposit and Payment Options

An enrolment deposit of USD 285-885 (INR 27,195-84,447) secures your I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status, the document needed for the F-1 Visa). It is non-refundable and does count toward Semester 1 tuition. Undergraduate deposits are typically due by 1 May; graduate deposits follow a rolling window set by the department.

Methods of Payment for Washington University in St. Louis International Students

• Flywire (WashU’s endorsed international payment provider): tracks the payment end-to-end in INR, competitive spread, no wire-recall risk.
• Bank telegraphic transfer (SWIFT): works from any Indian bank; adds INR 1,500-2,500 in fees and a 2-3% spread on top of the wire.
• Forex card: Niyo Global, IDFC FIRST Wow, HDFC Multicurrency; useful for living-cost payments, but Flywire is cleaner for tuition.
• Education-loan direct disbursement: HDFC Credila, Avanse, Auxilo, ICICI, SBI Global Ed-Vantage all wire directly to WashU’s Bursar on your instalment date.

Steps to Pay the Tuition Fee at Washington University in St. Louis

1. Accept the offer via the applicant portal within the deadline stated in your admission letter.
2. Pay the enrolment deposit (USD 285-885, INR 27,195-84,447) through the portal; keep the receipt.
3. Complete the online I-20 request with financial proof; WashU issues the I-20 within 5-10 business days.
4. Pay the I-901 SEVIS fee (USD 350, INR 33,397) and book the F-1 Visa appointment at the US Consulate (Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, or Hyderabad).
5. Pay Semester 1 tuition through Flywire or bank wire by the Bursar’s deadline (usually mid-August for Fall, early January for Spring).
6. Save every receipt: the deposit, the SEVIS receipt, and the tuition wire confirmation together form the visa financial file.

Source: WashU Student Financial Services and Bursar payment guidance.

Hidden Costs of Studying at Washington University in St. Louis

Beyond tuition and the standard living budget, Fall 2027 admits should ring-fence about INR 4-6 Lakhs for costs that families routinely miss.

• F-1 Visa costs (one-time): I-901 SEVIS fee USD 350 (INR 33,397) + DS-160 machine-readable visa fee USD 185 (INR 17,653) = USD 535 (INR 51,050).
• Aetna Student Health Insurance (annual): approximately USD 3,000 (INR 2.86 Lakhs); mandatory unless waived with a comparable US plan.
• Winter clothing setup: USD 400-500 (INR 38,168-47,710) for a proper down jacket, thermals, boots. St. Louis winters hit -10°C.
• Flight to St. Louis: one-way from a metro Indian city runs USD 900-1,300 (INR 85,878-1.24 Lakhs) in August; book 90 days out.
• Bank account setup and initial deposits: USD 100 (INR 9,542) opening balance plus rent security of USD 1,000-1,500 (INR 95,420-1.43 Lakhs) if renting off-campus.
• GRE / TOEFL / IELTS retake: INR 20,000-25,000 per attempt if a score revision is needed for the WashU application.
• Textbooks and lab kits: engineering and CS courses average USD 300-500 (INR 28,626-47,710) per semester even with second-hand buys.

Budget approximately INR 5-6 Lakhs for first-year hidden costs beyond tuition and standard living.

Fee Saving Strategies at Washington University in St. Louis for Indian Students

The single most urgent lever for the Fall 2027 intake is the CSS Profile submission for undergraduates, closing 15 January 2027; missing it forfeits access to Chancellor’s International Scholars need-based aid worth up to USD 50,000 (INR 47.71 Lakhs) per year.

• Live on-campus for Year 1: the guaranteed rate of USD 14,530 (INR 13.86 Lakhs) for a double room is roughly INR 2 Lakhs cheaper than a comparable off-campus 1BR with utilities.
• Take on-campus employment up to 20 hours per week on your F-1 (permitted without additional authorisation): earn USD 15/hour minimum, roughly USD 12,000/year (INR 11.45 Lakhs), enough to offset the annual health insurance and living cost gap.
• Claim Section 80E deduction on education-loan interest: your co-signer in India can deduct the full interest paid, for up to 8 years from the first EMI. On a INR 1 Crore loan, this shelters about INR 8-10 Lakhs of taxable income annually.
• Pack Semester 1 with 15 credits (McKelvey MS): the full-time rate is flat from 9-21 credits, so 15 credits cost the same as 10. Front-load coursework, keep a lighter Semester 3 for internship or thesis.
• Use STEM OPT (36 months post-study work for STEM degrees): WashU’s MS Computer Science, Data Analytics, and Engineering Management all sit on the STEM CIP list, so the standard 12-month OPT plus 24-month STEM extension gives you three years to repay a large chunk of the loan before returning.

Is Washington University in St. Louis Worth the Cost for Indian Students

An unfunded two-year MS at WashU costs about INR 1.91 Crore. Set against the US-median entry-level pay for a WashU McKelvey graduate of USD 95,000-120,000 (INR 90.65-1.14 Crore) per year, the payback window on a full loan is about 5-6 years while on STEM OPT.

Independent evidence points the same way. WashU sits at QS World 162 (2027), THE World 67 (2026), and ARWU 26 (2025), with an ARWU Finance subject rank of 6 globally and a THE Medical & Health rank of 31 globally. On the Collegedunia Study Abroad 2026 list it is 32nd in the USA and 69th globally. These are figures that Fortune 500 recruiters filter on.

The STEM OPT window is the financial hinge. A WashU MS Computer Science graduate on a USD 110,000 (INR 1.05 Crore) offer clears a monthly EMI of about INR 2.70 Lakhs on a INR 2 Crore loan while banking roughly USD 3,500 (INR 3.34 Lakhs) a month for savings and H-1B lottery costs. Three years on OPT clears about 55-60% of the loan principal before the OPT expires.

See detailed rankings and subject positions: Washington University in St. Louis Rankings