Masters in the USA: Fees, GRE Scores, and OPT
A US masters spans a genuinely wide cost range, and the admissions bar shifts meaningfully between a top-five program and a solid mid-tier one.
By the BNPS International Counselling Team · Published 12 January 2026
What the top programs cost
MIT, ranked 1st on QS, charges roughly ₹37–117 lakh for postgraduate programs and a similar range for its MBA. Stanford runs ₹26–132 lakh, Harvard ₹18–80 lakh, UC Berkeley ₹22–79 lakh, and Carnegie Mellon ₹9–83 lakh. Carnegie Mellon's lower floor makes it worth a closer look for students who'd otherwise rule out a top-52 program on cost alone.
These wide ranges exist because a one-year professional master's and a two-year research-heavy program at the same university can carry very different price tags, and because some programs offer teaching or research assistantships that substantially offset the sticker price for admitted students. The published range on a university's website is rarely what every accepted student actually ends up paying.
The scores you actually need
A four-year bachelor's degree (16 years of total education) is the baseline requirement. A GPA around 3.0 out of 4.0 covers most programs, though top-tier schools expect 3.5 or higher. GRE scores above 320, with a strong quant score above 165, are competitive; GMAT above 680 is workable and above 720 is needed for the most selective business programs. English test benchmarks run TOEFL 80–100 (100-plus for top-tier schools) or IELTS 6.5–7.5, with 7.0–7.5 expected at the most competitive programs.
A three-year Indian bachelor's degree is a genuine complication at some US universities, since the 16-years-of-education requirement above assumes a four-year undergraduate structure. Many US graduate schools will still consider a three-year Indian bachelor's if paired with a strong academic record or a completed postgraduate diploma, but it's worth confirming this directly with each target program rather than assuming it's a non-issue everywhere.
What OPT actually gives you
Optional Practical Training gives you 12 months of work authorization after graduation. If your program qualifies as STEM, you can extend that by another 24 months, for 36 months total, a meaningful advantage if your field qualifies. Most engineering, computer science, and data-related programs do, but confirm it against your specific program's official CIP code before you commit.
The 36-month STEM OPT window is one of the more underrated advantages of a US master's relative to other destinations. It gives you three genuine years to secure an H-1B sponsorship through the annual lottery, rather than the single attempt a shorter post-study visa in another country might allow. That said, the H-1B lottery itself remains uncertain regardless of how much OPT time you have, so a US master's should still be chosen for the education and initial work experience, not as a guaranteed path to long-term US residency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a three-year Indian bachelor's degree disqualify me from a US masters?
Not automatically. Many US graduate schools will still consider it if paired with a strong academic record or a completed postgraduate diploma, but confirm directly with each target program rather than assuming it's a non-issue everywhere.
Does OPT guarantee I can stay and work in the US long-term?
No. OPT (up to 36 months with the STEM extension) gives you work authorization and time to attempt the H-1B lottery, but the lottery outcome itself remains uncertain regardless of how much OPT time you have.
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