The Cost of Studying in the U.S. in 2026 — real numbers in VND for Vietnamese families
How much does studying in the U.S. cost? The honest answer is the published total annual cost for international students — not the "net price" figure you see in U.S. media. This page breaks down tuition, living costs and fees, converts them to VND, and helps you plan realistically.
What makes up the cost of U.S. study?
Six cost groups make up one year's total. Tuition is the largest; the rest depends on city and lifestyle.
The largest item, varying sharply by school type and major.
Housing, food and transport — driven mostly by your city.
Mandatory for international students, usually bought through the school.
Textbooks, laptop and study tools, depending on the major.
SEVIS fee, visa fee and flights — paid once at the start.
Phone, shopping, entertainment and other incidentals.
Figures are indicative for the 2026 school year and may vary by school, major and city.
Why "net price" isn't for you
Most U.S. cost articles stress that students pay far less than sticker after aid. That's true for American students, not for you.
- • Federal need-based aid (FAFSA) is for citizens and permanent residents — international students don't qualify.
- • So Vietnamese families should plan against the published sticker price, not the post-aid "net price".
- • The only thing that lowers it for you is a merit scholarship — judged on achievement, no proof of need required.
This is why AAE never shows a school's "average net price" as your cost — it's a domestic metric that misleads international payers. The right number for you is the full out-of-state tuition + living costs, in VND.
Overview: how much per year?
Cost depends mostly on school type. Below are average all-in annual costs (tuition + housing/food + books + transport + personal) across the U.S. for 2025–26, at the published international-student rate.
| School type | Total cost/year (USD) ⚠ | In VND ⚠ |
|---|---|---|
| Community college (first 2 years) | ~$20,000 – $30,000 | ~525M – 790M VND |
| Public university (out-of-state) | ~$50,000 | ~1.34B VND |
| Private university | ~$65,000 | ~1.72B VND |
| Top private university | ~$80,000 – $90,000 | ~2.1 – 2.4B VND |
⚠ = volatile figure, dated June 2026
What makes up one year's cost
Total cost (COA — Cost of Attendance) is made up of:
| Item | Public university (out-of-state) ⚠ | VND ⚠ |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | ~$31,880 | ~840M VND |
| Housing & food (dorm + meals) | ~$13,900 | ~366M VND |
| Books, transport, personal | ~$5,000 | ~132M VND |
| Total (COA) | ~$50,900 | ~1.34B VND |
Note: mandatory health insurance (~$1,500–$2,500/year, ~40–66M VND) may or may not be inside the COA — check per school. Housing/food is the biggest variable, driven by city: studying in a major city (New York, California) costs significantly more than in the Midwest.
Upfront & application costs
Beyond one year of study, there are one-time costs when applying and getting the visa:
| Item | USD ⚠ | VND ⚠ |
|---|---|---|
| SEVIS fee (I-901) | $350 | ~9.2M VND |
| Visa fee (DS-160 / MRV) | $185 | ~4.9M VND |
| Application fee per school | ~$50–$100 | ~1.3–2.6M VND |
| English test (TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo) | ~$50–$200 | ~1.3–5.3M VND |
| One-way flight | ~$700–$1,200 | ~18–32M VND |
These are small vs. tuition, but plan for them up front. Full visa process: F-1 student visa →
Estimate your own one-year cost
Pick a school type, where you'll live, and an expected scholarship to see the total cost per year — converted to VND.
Converted at 1 USD ≈ 26.300 ₫. An estimate for planning, not an official quote.
Cost by school type
Estimated total cost per year in a mid-cost city, before scholarships.
An affordable 2+2 route, transferring up to a top university.
A public research university, at the international-student rate.
Smaller classes, with strong merit aid for Vietnamese students.
Housing included; a solid stepping stone into a U.S. university.
Living costs swing by city
For the same school type, living costs can differ by hundreds of millions of VND a year depending on where you live.
Four ways to lower the cost
The sticker price is the starting point, not the final number. Four levers cut the burden substantially.
Scholarships for Vietnamese students can cut tuition 25–75%. AAE tracks the list per school.
See scholarships →Two years at a community college, then transfer to a university — saving up to 50% of the 4-year total.
Same teaching quality; living costs in the Midwest or South run 30–40% below major cities.
See scholarships →F-1 students may work up to 20 hours/week on campus, offsetting part of living costs.
Cost & financial proof
The annual COA is the figure on your Form I-20 and the amount you must prove for the F-1 visa — cost and financial proof are the same number, for at least the first year.
FAQ: cost of studying in the U.S.
It depends on school type: community college ~$20,000–$30,000 (~525–790M VND), out-of-state public university ~$50,000 (~1.34B VND), private university ~$65,000 (~1.72B VND) per year, at 2025–26 sticker prices.
A four-year bachelor's at an out-of-state public university is about $200,000 (~5.3B VND) at sticker, before scholarships. Taking the community-college route for the first two years lowers this substantially.
Yes. All-in cost is typically about half that of a public university for the first two years, and the final bachelor's degree is still issued by the transfer university.
No. Federal need-based aid (FAFSA) is for citizens and permanent residents only. International students mainly lower costs through merit scholarships.
It depends on the school. Merit awards can cut thousands to tens of thousands of USD/year, but rarely cover 100%. You still must prove enough funds for the remainder to get the I-20.
Exactly the total cost (COA) shown on your Form I-20 — i.e. the annual cost figure above — for at least the first year.
It depends on the school. Mandatory health insurance (~$1,500–$2,500/year) is sometimes inside the COA, sometimes billed separately — check per school.
Next steps
Get a per-school cost estimate (in VND)
An AAE advisor will compute the real cost in VND for each school on your list — free, with no hidden fees.
- ✓ Real costs in VND
- ✓ Scholarship-pathway advice
- ✓ F-1 visa support
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Cost figures are U.S. national averages for 2025–26 (source: College Board) at the June 2026 exchange rate (~26,300 ₫/USD); actual costs vary by school, city, and time. AAE updates these periodically and will compute the exact per-school figure when you book a consultation.