Senior Year Student -- What US universities are good for physics?

[BH Wiz]

Hello, I've been wondering about universities in the US. So what are relatively good universities in physics with a low tuition and good financial aid for international students? (Good universities in physics as in those that come in second or third after the "famous and prestigious" universities such as Princeton harvard stanford...etc.) I requested my american equivalent grades from my school but they wanted the list of universities i will be applying to.
Please excuse my english and Thank you in advance.

 

[Rocket50]

UCB, Cornell, UCSB, UCLA, UIUC, UChicago, UMass.

 

[BH Wiz]

Thank you. However are they "picky" universities?

 

[Rocket50]

Thank you. However are they "picky" universities?

Universities like UCB, Cornell and UChicago are pretty selective, but not as much as Harvard, MIT etc. Other ones like UCSB, UCLA, UIUC and UMass aren't that selective comparatively.

 

[BH Wiz]

Thank you that was very helpful. :)

 

[BH Wiz]

Another thing: what about these:
- Southern Methodist University
- University of Cincinnati
- Hofstra University
Same standards (quality in physics- tuition fee and financial aid for int. students) Thanks again.

 

[BH Wiz]

And University of Illinois

 

[SteamKing]

Hello, I've been wondering about universities in the US. So what are relatively good universities in physics with a low tuition and good financial aid for international students? (Good universities in physics as in those that come in second or third after the "famous and prestigious" universities such as Princeton harvard stanford...etc.) I requested my american equivalent grades from my school but they wanted the list of universities i will be applying to.
Please excuse my english and Thank you in advance.

I'm not sure what 'low tuition' means to you, but US News and World Report ranks US colleges and universities by several criteria, including tuition:

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/data

For example, Cornell is in the upper part of the tuition curve, at about $47,000 per year. The schools in the U of California system are more reasonable, but only for students who are residents of the state. Out-of-state tuition jumps considerably (like about 2X-3X the in-state rate).

This is why we have a student loan crisis in the US: rising tuition costs are insulated by the easy availability of student loans, which puts graduates (and non-graduates) into heavy debt before they find their first job.

 

[BH Wiz]

Well that is why i am concerned with the quality of financial aid granted to international students.

 

[Rocket50]

Illinois is pretty good for physics. Not sure about the others. Maybe check some university rankings in physics?

 

[BH Wiz]

I will, Thanks.
So what if i cannot afford a semester/first year at these universities, are there not any financial aid systems that support international students and help them attend the universities?

 

[Rocket50]

I will, Thanks.
So what if i cannot afford a semester/first year at these universities, are there not any financial aid systems that support international students and help them attend the universities?

There is some financial aid available, but it isn't like the "top schools" which offer full aid (i.e. if you can get it, you can afford it).

 

[BH Wiz]

i don't quite understand sorry. I apologize for keeping you busy.

 

[Rocket50]

i don't quite understand sorry. I apologize for keeping you busy.

In a lot of universities, there will be some form of financial aid. However, the UC schools (like UCB and UCSB) have very little financial aid for internationals (or out of state students in general). So you can cross them off your list unless you can pay $40000 without any aid.

Those top schools like MIT and Harvard have a lot of financial aid. If you are accepted there, you will be able to afford the schools.

Most other schools are somewhere in the middle. They offer some financial aid. It is best to research the financial aid each university offers individually.

 

[porcupine137]

Universities like UCB, Cornell and UChicago are pretty selective, but not as much as Harvard, MIT etc. Other ones like UCSB, UCLA, UIUC and UMass aren't that selective comparatively.

UCLA is still pretty selective these days. And UIUC is hardly a given. UCSB is getting tougher.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I think that you need to understand that a great many students from China and India want to study in the US. And want Americans to pay for it. This means that the pool of financial aid for these students is highly, highly competitive. For example, MIT admits about 20 undergraduate students a year in total from these two countries - and just over 100 overall. This year, 119 international students were admitted out of 3940 applicants.

You can say "well, I'll go down a tier", but many of these schools do not give full financial aid to internationals. Among the ones that do, the numbers are not that different from MIT's.

An education at a strong US university is quite a prize, especially for free. You shouldn't be surprised if lots of people want this.